In the recently conducted Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in
Perth from October 28-30, it was established that in the 21st century, the head of
the Commonwealth is shifting from London to New Delhi with the rise of India as
a Great Power.
Looking at the events leading up to the CHOGM and the outcome proves that
India has elbowed other countries in the CHOGM, which includes its former colonial
master Britain and aspiring Great Power in the Asia Pacific, Australia.
The western countries in the CHOGM, namely Britain, Australia and New
Zealand, wanted to pin the countries which were ruled by colonial masters before
by bringing about an institution which monitor the human rights in those
countries. This move was scuttled by India saying quite bluntly that CHOGM
should focus more on developmental challenges rather than bringing up the
issue of human rights for which there’s a better multi-lateral institution called the
United Nations.
India also went on to highlight the hypocrisy of the western nations and the
double-standards that they follow in pursuing lofty utopian concepts called human
rights. While the western world is keen to have the status-quo monarchies in
power in the Middle-East to serve their oil-benefits, they’re ready to wield a big
stick against countries like Fiji, Maldives and Sri Lanka which are in the fringes of
their geo-strategic objectives.
If the CHOGM is anything to go by, it’s clear that India has graduated itself from a regional power in South Asia to a Great Power in Asia Pacific that
can speak for the smaller nations in Africa, Latin America and Africa. India’s
pursuance of tactful diplomacy is done with an objective; it understands that
it needs the support of these countries for its candidature in the United Nations
Security Council.
Second, India would also not be conducting its diplomacy based on utopian
concepts like Human Rights while its near competitor is having a free-run for the resources in the Global South’s developing countries. It’s just a matter of time
before India will join the race with China to carve out “Spheres of Influence” in these regions, defining its neo-colonial pursuits. The last image that India will try to project is a torch-bearer of old power players from the West.
On the other hand, it’s good that India has finally understood its diplomatic strength. As the country which houses the most English speakers in the world, it has lived up to the expectation of filling the void left by Great Britain in the realm of Great Powers through the Commonwealth Nations. This point has been stated in the book “Reconnecting Britain and India,” published in 2010.
It’s here that a bit of appreciation for India’s founding fathers is needed.
Despite coming out of the colonial rule from the British and having staunch
opposition from the Indian population against joining the Commonwealth nations,
it was felt that a day will come when India as a Great Power could use its past for
the future. CHOGM has been the starting point of that ambition.
On that note, it will interesting to see on how India conducts its affairs in the
much-expected South Asian Affairs of Regional Co-operation (SAARC) summit scheduled in Maldives from 10th to 11th of this month.
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Perhaps with its rising economic power, India should also its human rights abuse and violence issues in Kashmir and north eastern part where Indian forces are fighting with the maoists. India needs to improve these issues ans bring peace into the region by solving them.
The indication by India is clear.
In its competition with China, it will no longer look to human rights records, upholding of democratic virtues etc.
So if we are moving towards a dictatorship in this country, I vote to have a more capable dictator who can actually run a country rather than this Nasheed bloke who is just a decent chess player.
Poor Moosa, Nasheed seems to be trashing him just to seem like an innocent victim in the government of robbers and idiots that he created.
Thank you India for protecting vicious human rights abusers everywhere. Truely the mark of a great power.
India was first country in the world to speak about Nelson Mandela in the UNO and thats why after his release, Mandela visited India first. India's contributions (initiatives) to the world are too many. It was India who had raised Palestinian issue in the UN much before Islamic countries.
We should be grateful to India for helping us in hosting SAARC Summit. Without India's contributions it would have been very difficult.
India can flex its economic muscle in many ways.... like safeguarding the security and interests of its citizens abroad. Why was the Indian school teacher Shijo Kokkattu imprisoned on Raa Atoll for having christian hymns on his laptop for his own private use? India should slam the door shut on backward insignificant countries with stupid discriminatory religious laws. Yes, I mean the Taliban Republic of Maldives.
If you are Maldivian, which I strongly suspect you to be Indira NewDelhi, please understand the dilemma that you are in.
You despise your country so much that you would rather have it nuked or enslaved than defend its culture and its traditions. However, remind yourself that if this country gets nuked, then you would die along with the rest of us. And if this backwater village gets enslaved, then you would bear the whip marks of our masters on your back as well.
Also, please know that only the ruling elite and the upper-middle-class would enjoy any form of respect in conquered territory. The rest of us would just be forced to drive buses or sell veggies on the sidewalk to make do. Think about that while you go on and make mountains out of every religious molehill.
Meanwhile, Europeans drive immigrants out of their country for being different and India treats all outsiders different from their countrymen and none of us can find fault with that. I for one do NOT find fault with it because they are protecting their own as well as their personal interests. We need to do that here as well.
@ Indira NewDelhi
Though U pretend to be an Indian but U are not. So please stop playing this "provocation" game.
@tsk tsk and zeenat
I am idol worshipping Indian and based in Defence Colony New Delhi and I don't give a bo***ck if you believe me or not.
I have looked at the Maldives on Google Earth..........scary.........most of the atolls seem to be barely above sea level. So glad I don't live there..........you have the stupidest laws in south asia. This '100% sunni muslim nation' malarky is soooooooo funny to us secular Indians.........which century are you people in?...........it ain't the 21st for sure.