Not so credible India

India has a growing sense of itself as an important player on the world stage. But there is often a curious gap between its self-perception and the way the rest of the world views it. There is absolutely no doubt about the increasing importance of India. The world is looking to India on many dimensions: its economic prospects, cultural visibility and its own political example. There is a sense that, despite some serious challenges, the momentum of history is on India’s side. The future is only India’s to lose. But there is also tremendous apprehension in different parts of the world about the Indian state’s ability to leverage this opportunity to its full advantage. In meetings across the world, whether in Asia or the United States, the usual homage is paid to the Indian growth story. But shortly thereafter, the frustrations begin to emerge. While it is usually a mistake to let one’s own sense of self be shaped by how others view one, it would be equally myopic to ignore the fact that perceptions matter. And many of these perceptions are not to our advantage.

The biggest source of frustration the world over is the near paralytic fragmentation of authority in our politics. Before we get too defensive and start with homilies on our deepening democracy, we must understand this. Everyone understands the complexities of democracy. What observers don’t find understandable is the degree to which every small interest can exercise veto over important issues, without concern for any minimal degree of rationality. On the Indo-US nuclear deal, for instance, people can understand principled reasons for different parties not wanting it. What they are not convinced about is whether the reasons given by our parties are indeed principled. The worry is not that our politics is fragmented: the worry is that it projects the air of being non-serious and whimsical.

But the issue is much broader than the nuclear deal. A whole range of issues is stuck. Progress in FTAs and trade liberalisation with Asean, exploiting the slivers of opportunity we have had for pressing an advantage with China and Pakistan, a clear-eyed view of the developments in Sri Lanka or Nepal, or a more constructive role on issues of global importance are all areas where there is more talk than action. India is fast acquiring a reputation that is best captured in a couplet that was once used, perhaps unfairly, for Nehru: nahin ikrar ka alam, nahin inkar ka pehelu. Whatever our substantive differences, it would be disingenuous to deny that the rest of the world does have a sense of Indian policymaking seriously drifting, bereft of leadership and likely to be held hostage to all kinds of uncertainties.

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