Policy Watch: India’s Place in the World– November 2020

This issue of Policy Watch, themed India’s Place in the World, examines India’s evolving foreign relations in the context of rising tensions with China and its positioning between global powers like the U.S. and Russia. The issue opens with Gen. H.S. Brar’s article “The New Great Game,” which advocates for a bold settlement of border disputes with China based on historical lines such as the MacMahon Line and the McCartney-MacDonald Line, thereby shifting the onus onto China.

Prof. Partha Ghosh, in “The India-China Quagmire,” warns against negotiating from a position of weakness and urges strategic patience and preparation, advocating timely retreats when needed. Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar’s article “Does the Quad Have a Future?” discusses the evolution of the Quad alliance (India, U.S., Japan, Australia) as a response to China’s assertiveness, concluding that it has matured into a potential Indo-Pacific security architecture.

A summary by Prof. Somnath Ghosh covers a webinar on India-Nepal relations, highlighting how Nepal is increasingly drawn to China due to its economic and technological strengths. Both Indian and Nepali diplomats stressed the need for closer people-to-people ties and collaborative engagement.

The issue also includes a transcript of a consultation on India-U.S. relations following President Trump’s 2020 visit, featuring Indian foreign policy experts who emphasized the need to maintain bipartisan U.S. support for India. The U.S. election of Joe Biden is also noted, with analysis by Tanvi Madan from Brookings on how India-U.S.-China dynamics may shift.

Finally, Ambassador Divyabh Manchanda discusses the historical and current trajectory of India-Russia ties, noting their post-2000 decline but suggesting that geopolitical shifts (e.g., U.S.-China rivalry) may revive trilateral balancing strategies involving Russia. He underscores the fluid nature of global alignments, cautioning against assuming permanence in strategic friendships.