Advice | India: the hub of the New World Order

Last updated:Oct 30, 2024 1:08 PM IST

From the Horasis meeting in Brazil to the corridors of global power, one message is clear: India, with its ancient wisdom and modern dynamism, is the architect of a new world order.

It is Prime Minister Modi who has brought India back into the heart of critical global discussions. (PTI photo)

As the world grapples with two major wars causing countless losses of lives and precious resources, many intellectual circles in the corridors of power are muttering about the devastating impact of these conflicts and the bleak future of the current world order as we know it. Many world leaders are openly calling on Prime Minister Modi to intervene in the crises, while others behind closed doors are muttering that only India’s extraordinary efforts, should the country so choose, can consolidate global opinion on fair solutions and truly put an end to the humanitarian problems. crisis.

Indeed, Prime Minister Modi has indicated on several occasions that the costs of these wars must be assessed not only in terms of lives lost and resources depleted on both sides, but also in terms of the intense debilitating impact on emerging economies. However, until both sides in any conflict are willing to sit down at the table and unconditionally accept a neutral solution, it is unlikely that Prime Minister Modi will choose to throw all his weight behind it.

Although we really live in a world where world leaders, influential forces and media consortia often decisively take sides, then use all their influence to announce that they have the ‘good’ side and the other side is ‘bad’. They use these mechanisms to sow even more division. However, it is crucial at this point to remember that the only good side, and the only ‘good’ side in the current circumstances, is the side that saves human lives as quickly as possible.

As Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly reiterated, solutions to these wars can only be found outside the battlefield; the immediate cessation of violence and use of weapons is of the utmost importance. What people often forget to consider – because they are influenced by media narratives controlled by powerful players – is that in times of wars on an international scale, a powerful arms lobby is at work, creating a war economy in its ecosystem, which benefits to a select few who benefit from conflict.

I attended the recently concluded Horasis Global Meeting in Brazil, and what struck me was the optimism within the global community, especially in the Global South, about India’s potential to resolve not only the ongoing wars, but also other pressing global challenges such as climate change and climate change. the misuse of digital platforms. In every major conversation on these challenges, even when there was no Indian representation on a panel, it was reiterated again and again that the world pins its hopes on India’s role in resolving these manifold issues.

In tackling climate change, Prime Minister Modi’s call of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ stands out among world leaders and inspires collective action. On digital mistrust, the world expects India to take leadership in forming an inclusive, multilateral framework to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and ensure responsible use of technology. While these conversations were encouraging, what I found most resonant is that India has not been so central to global focus since its days of civilizational glory, and that it is Prime Minister Modi who has brought India back into the heart of critical global discussions. It was evident that even the world leaders at the Global Meet viewed Prime Minister Modi as a guiding force, believing that after taking India to this status, he could lead the world out of the current challenges.

Being the center of the world is not new to India. Yes, we have never really made an effort to contradict the Chinese and Western versions of the ‘Silk Road’ theory, but it is very clear that India, long before the Silk Road, was at the forefront of global trade and leveraged the power of its crosswind and maritime capabilities. . The establishment of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is timely and is a testament to the fact that we may have just found a way to recreate historic success by repositioning ourselves as the hub of global trade and commerce.

This Diwali, we can be optimistic that a Modi-led India is the hope for the world, as reflected in many conversations on a global scale. As citizens, we must ensure that we are proud of our civilizational past, learn more about it and exercise better social responsibility. In the MahabharataVyasa states: “raja kalasya karanam”: a king or leader, depending on how he rules, can usher in a particular yuga or era for the kingdom. But we must also remember that as much as a king or leader can bring about a change in yuga, so can his people – praja kalasya karanam. We must rise to the occasion and do our part for the revival of Bharat.

Priyam Gandhi-Mody is the author of four bestsellers, including ‘A Nation to Protect’. The opinions expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of News18.