The recent partial border settlement with China should not be exaggerated because so many and bigger issues remain pending, but it is certainly another important indicator of India’s ability to defend its interests from more powerful countries. Around the same time, India has spoken at high levels of increasing its economic cooperation with Russia in important areas.

This as well as maintenance of India’s crucial links with Russia has been achieved without any visible deterioration in relations with the USA and its close allies. In the early days of the Ukraine crisis and war, there appeared to be extra pressure on India from western countries to be antagonistic towards Russia, which would have been harmful for India’s strategic as well as economic interests, but India was able to resist these pressures and adopt a balanced policy that has protected its interests well.

This appears to have increased appreciation of India’s role in China as well and has probably contributed to its reduced aggressiveness. Although so much has gone wrong with India-China relations, with China more to blame, the wider truth that improved India China relations can be win-win for both and for world peace should never be forgotten. The stand taken by the Indian government recently – of protecting our borders with determination while being open and encouraging towards talks for settling border disputes – has been the right one.

This stand should receive greater support from opposition parties, as it will strengthen the hands of the government when dealing with the neighboring country which can pose the biggest security threat to India. But merely protecting self-interests of a nation cannot be the only goal of its foreign policy; that would be too narrow a view. Another important concern is to advance justice related concerns at the world level. In the early stage of the Ukraine war, there was a misinformed campaign at the global level to project condemnation of Russia as the only justice based stand.

This ignores the fact that there was so much provocation by the USA and its Nato allies, as well as avoidable meddling in the affairs of Ukraine to turn it more and more against Russia, its neighbor with historic ties. If only the USA had checked its provocative actions, which had continued for several years, even in the first month of this year, it is likely that Russia would have avoided the invasion. Hence merely condemning Russia without looking at the wider picture would not be just. India has done well to protect its self-interest without being unjust in any way.

India should be ready to contribute to ending war by finding justice-based solutions, to the extent that this can be achieved without overreaching itself, considering its legitimate role as well as limitations. However, in some other respects India’s foreign policy has fallen short of justice-based obligations. India has been less than just towards meeting its obligations towards the displaced Rohingyas in recent times. In the wake of increasing onslaughts on democracy in Myanmar, India has not lived up to the expectations of extending better and stronger support to democratic forces.

These are next-door issues, so a better response from India was certainly expected. India’s wider efforts to balance its interests while dealing with bigger powers in recent times have reaffirmed the continuing relevance of non-alignment and the non-aligned movement. The dilemmas faced by India recently were no doubt faced by many other countries as well, including those countries which are in a weaker position to adopt an independent foreign policy and ensure protection of their best interests. This brings us to the bigger role that India can still play in strengthening non-alignment at international level in new contexts, a role which will advance justice and peace and bring India international prestige as well.

This would also be a continuation of the important role played by India in promotion of non-alignment in earlier days, although the overall conditions then were somewhat different. However, only a country with firmly rooted internal strengths can aspire to such a leadership role among non-aligned countries which together comprise the majority of the world’s countries.

Unfortunately, these internal strengths have been considerably weakened in the case of India in recent times, mainly due to three factors. Firstly, there have been many cases or efforts of unfair toppling of state governments using money power and vindictive actions against opposition leaders. Secondly, there has been victimization of minorities.

Thirdly, there have been many unfair actions against social activists and voluntary organizations. When internal democracy is weakened, the moral strength needed for any leadership role at the international level is also harmed. Hence while it is important for India to improve its impaired record for its own sake as democracy is most important, this task is also important for increasing India’s international role, prestige, and presence, more particularly a leadership role in nonalignment, a cause which has a new and increased relevance in the fast changing and increasingly troubled world. Even extremely powerful countries have faced erosion of international influence when their internal democracy is troubled or weakened.

When India aspires for a more influential role, it will do to well to remember the important role of this internal strength, particularly as it is entirely within India’s own capacity to strengthen its democracy