Importance of a strong and tactically astute leadership.

1. Over the last 35 days India has made more global headlines than probably ever in her history. The biggest / most influential nations are talking about India.

2. India is the only country, who is able to evacuate all its citizens (nearly 20K) from war torn Ukraine free of cost; when most developed countries have only issued notices to citizens to make way to a nearby safe country on your own, and fly back, on your own.

3. Over this period, Russian president Putin has spoken to PM Modi multiple times; Ukrainian President Zelenskiy has also spoken seeking help; and several world leaders have pressurised India to toe the West,  but India refuses.

4. In a recent UN vote, 140 countries voted decrying Russia as the aggressor. India refused to vote on that.

5. US President Joe Biden, aside calling India’s response as ‘shaky’ also tried to bulldoze India by hinting that India importing Russian Oil could attract sanctions on India. MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) hit them back strongly.

6. Ever since India signed a comprehensive treaty with UAE, forming a strong Middle East conglomerate with UAE & Saudi, (and also have been historically close to Japan, Israel & Russia), the posturing of MEA in global issues has been stronger than ever. Simply put, India now flexes it’s muscles in-front of the West. 

7. The Chinese Foreign Minister recently landed in India suddenly and expected to meet PM Modi. Modi didn’t entertain the delegation. So they had to meet the MEA, where tiger S. Jaishankar told in no uncertain terms that relations between both countries are ‘not normal’ and till Chinese troops are not removed from the border, the room for dialogue and agreement is very small. 

8. Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida made a sudden visit to India on a short 2 day trip recently and committed and signed deals worth US$ 42 Bn.

9. Israeli PM Naftali Bennett was due to come India on Apr 2nd, but postponed the visit a bit, as he got infected with Covid. 

10. Worse happened with a delegation from UK, a week ago. In a bid to coax India to change stance, Boris Johnson asked a high-powered cross-party delegation led by the Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle to visit India. India refused to entertain this delegation, and it was called off. 

11. The worst off-course is reserved for Pakistan. Two renowned hijackers killed, one ammunition factory destroyed from the blue, a missile ‘sent’ by mistake and yet not a word has come out from anywhere (globally or internally) condemning India. The same PM Imran Khan who has called Modi cheap names like ‘Nazi’, ‘Hitler’, ‘small man’ in the past; who has officially asked all maps of Pakistan to include entire J&K; didn’t make any noise and in fact the next day, praised India’s external affairs strategy!!!

12. There was a time many in India (liberals, lefts, opposition) would have happily voted for Imran as PM of India over Modi in 2014. Imran Khan is on verge of getting kicked out of power in Pakistan after making their economy crumble to smaller than Bangladesh’s, the Pak Rupee has depreciated by 50% during his tenure and wholesale inflation is at an astounding 23%. Leadership matters! 

13. You can post your ‘pray for Ukraine’ shit and also donate to various NGOs, but the hard truth is their leader, a cute looking one time comedian, Zelenskiy has led his entire country to war and destruction. 100,000s of Ukrainians will now be refugees in other country for rest of their lives. Yet, one time, buoyed by assurances from the west, a NATO carrot dangling in front and US companies being allowed to make biological weapon factories in Ukraine, Zelenskiy must have thought that he is close to ruling the world, with his new friends! Alas... Leadership matters.

14. While watching the movie The Kashmir Files, every Indian would have wondered if this could ever happen to them. While watching the Russia-Ukraine war footage, every Indian would have wondered if this could ever befall on them. 15. But deep inside most Indians believe that the current government is strong enough to ensure no external war, extended internal civil war, terror blasts or tragedy will happen during this reign.

16. There was a decade in 2000s, when train blasts, cafe blasts, parliament capture or hotel capture etc started looking like regular happenings. We have come a long way from that era. Leadership matters.

17. Ever since the Modi Govt & NSA tiger Ajit Doval orchestrated couple of surgical strikes into Pakistan, the neighbour’s basic activity into India (or even verbal diarrhoea) has drastically reduced. Leadership matters.

18. Hell even Arnab Goswami doesn’t feel the need to call Pakistan ministers and abuse them on live TV anymore! Arnab these days calls USA and UK ministers to fill those chairs. Leadership matters.

19. Off course, all this will fall flat the day this government is voted out, a new government comes in, gets bullied globally and we could be back to square one. 

20. But till such time, our leadership matters. Not one significant opposition leader has criticised India’s foreign policy of late; even they have found it tough to believe this never seen before posturing.