India's Dual Game

▪️India refuses to tow the US line at the UN Security Council.  Abstains from American vote condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows crippling balance of foreign policy towards the two super powers.

▪️Russian Ukrainian Conflict turns out to be the greatest diplomatic crisis for India since Cold War.

▪️India cannot continue to be "multi-aligned" in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

▪️Question is - India should reduce its dependence on Russia for military hardware

▪️Indians have a long legacy of dealing with Moscow and they want to preserve that relationship, but at the same time they want to have ties with the US. 

▪️Due to its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Quad is being seen as a "three-legged stool" since all other members of Quad have come out in condemnation of Russia's military actions in Ukraine, except India.

▪️India must respect Kashmiris and their right to freedom if supporting territorial expansion that undermines the sovereignty of another country in Ukraine.

▪️India, despite its longstanding ties to Russia, is hardly comfortable with Moscow’s actions. Modi accepting a call from Zelenskyy is evidence.

▪️So currently India’s foreign policy is to keep mum on Russia’s war on the Ukraine hoping it sides with India on Indo-China issues. So Modi won’t name either Russia or China. India has been boxed in a corner.

▪️India is doing the same in Kashmir as Russia is doing to Ukraine. Sovereignty should be respected, and Kashmiris should be allowed to choose their destiny.

▪️India’s careful, avoid angering Putin at all costs response despite Russia’s blatant aggression vs Ukraine highlights that it remains unprepared to step up to major power responsibilities or be a dependable partner.

▪️Indian opposition from within raising questions:History reveals, while earlier Moscow'd professed neutrality asthe Sino-Ind border sit. deteriorated,Khrushchev eventually gaveChina what Srinath Raghavan has called“a wink &anod”-at that time it needed China more than India.

▪️Contrary to suggestions in some quarters, India is anything but a fence-sitter as she has considerable skin in the game.

▪️India is loath to see either of the partnerships getting impacted. 

▪️India funding hard  hard and cleverly trying to balance the relationship of Russia and USA.

▪️Abstain in voting against a war doesn’t make your relationship better but makes your principles weaker against violence&human rights violatios. 

▪️Indian opposition leaders critiquing sitting govt that interestingly those who can’t stop abusing & criticising India’s first PM, Nehru, are using the non alignment policy to justify their position in UN

▪️Confusions arose from working Indian leaderships that in 1962, President (John F) Kennedy stood with India against China’s invasion. It is the US, not Russia, that will stand with India against China’s plans.