India’s internal politics under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all about Hindu nationalism and now its foreign policy increasingly appears more concerned with optics than genuine diplomacy.
Two recent developments highlight this troubling trend: the inclusion of opposition leaders in diplomatic delegations and the ongoing failure to isolate Pakistan on the global stage.
The government’s decision to include opposition MP Shashi Tharoor forced opposition leader Rahul Gandi to speak against his inclusion in international delegations. It shows once a sane voice, Tharoor has falled prey to the wave of Hindutva.
Also, it seems less about unity and more about diffusing responsibility. While presented as a bipartisan effort, this move allows the Modi administration to share the blame when diplomatic efforts falter.
Tharoor shamelessly acknowledged receiving a direct invitation from the government, bypassing Congress leadership, which sparked internal tensions within the party. Such tactics suggest a strategy aimed at blurring lines of accountability rather than fostering genuine collaboration.
Side by side, India’s persistent attempts to diplomatically isolate Pakistan have yielded little success. Despite aggressive lobbying, key international players like China, Turkey, Russia, and Azerbaijan continue to advocate for dialogue over confrontation.
China, for instance, has expressed its willingness to engage with both India and Pakistan to promote regional peace. Moreover, the Indian government’s call to cease trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan, following their support for Pakistan, shows how ineffective and isolationist India’s approaches are.
These developments reveal a foreign policy driven more by political expediency than principle. By co-opting opposition leaders into diplomatic missions, the government seeks to share potential fallout without genuinely embracing bipartisan cooperation.
For any country to regain credibility on the international stage, it must move beyond performative diplomacy and adopt a coherent, principle-driven foreign policy. For now, the Modi government looks like a loser on both internal and external fronts. This usually happens with jingoistic states. *