India’s diplomatic downfall
Dr A Z Hilali
FOREIGN policy deals with external relations and it is a set of goals, strategies, and actions to handle state and non-state actors.
It is the way to protect the core national values and national security of the country. It is based on the preferences or priorities of each government to achieve political and economic objectives. In this regard, India’s earlier foreign policy was largely shaped by the vision of Jawaharlal Nehru on the key characteristics of non-alignment and peaceful coexistence. However, the day Narendra Modi came into power changed the dynamics of domestic and foreign policy from soft to hard policy and adopted a Pakistan-centric policy to isolate the country in the world. He replaced the neutrality of India with pragmatism and separated politics from conventional morality to mighty power. He openly advocated his political ideology and emphasized that there is no place for secularism and the Nehruvian notion of diversity in India to maintain Indianization or Hindu renaissance.
Modi believes in the “realist” perception that “a state needs an enemy for survival” and used ‘Pakistan’ as an instrument for regime and state survival. For this purpose, his central objective of foreign policy has been to target Pakistan regionally and globally but failed to encircle the country. The world also denied accepting India’s version against Pakistan exporting terrorism; instead, the international community recognized that India’s RAW is supporting Baloch insurgent groups and TTP to destabilize Pakistan. Moreover, Modi’s government has also become unsuccessful in defaming Pakistan, and countries have warned India to limit its activities, which can cause bloodbaths in the world.
So, Modi’s anti-Pakistan phobia holds a deep-seated fear and distrust of the country. As per the analysis of Al Jazeera, it was leading to the “dehumanization” of the Muslim minority and Pakistan one way or another. The leadership of Modi used extremist organizations such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to demoralize Muslims and used extremists against Pakistan. According to the Hudson Institute, Washington, “the BJP regime under Modi used religious and political violence to promote Hindu extremism and to demoralize Pakistan.” On the other hand, the report of Carole Dietrich, special correspondent of the French paper Le Monde (August 25, 2023), stated, “Hindu extremists are hunting down Muslims with impunity.” In the same way, Suzanna Arundhati Roy, an Indian renowned human rights activist and novelist, strongly resists RSS fascist and Hindutva ideology, which the BJP used as an instrument against Muslims and to challenge Pakistan.
Nevertheless, Narendra Modi always cynically portrays the State of Pakistan and has failed in all diplomatic attempts to degrade the country. His ambitious moves and acts have not only internationalized the Kashmir issue but also set the stage for a turbulent South Asia, steering two nuclear states to the brink of another conflict. It has been proved that the deadly move of the Pahalgam incident (April 22, 2025) was the combined brainchild of Modi and the RAW but collapsed in dramatizing the regional situation. In fact, the episode backfired on India and put New Delhi in a highly awkward position. After the incident, Modi offensively treated Pakistan and raised a “hue and cry,” but the international community rejected the Indian narrative, and the world media urged New Delhi to engage in dialogue with Islamabad. So, there is no doubt that India’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan was spoiled and faced severe defeat by Operation Bunyan Marsoos. Pakistan’s response has ruined Modi’s dreams, and his grand strategy to turn Pakistan into a pariah state has spectacularly backfired.
According to The Times (May 5th, 2025, London), the Pahalgam incident has crumbled India’s regional and global power ambitions because, after the short war, Pakistan has emerged as a blue-eyed country in the world. The war boosted its military image and stabilized it domestically. According to Financial Times (London), “War is a bad game but ended with good options for Pakistan and left a bitter message for India.” The US tilt towards Pakistan has created frustration in New Delhi because India is looking at emerging US-Pakistan ties in a broader strategic landscape in which India is a clear loser.
According to Pravin Sawhney, the new US-Pakistan engagement is a reflection that Pakistan will be the new guardian of the South Asian region. In this regard, Field Marshal General Asim Munir received a glorious reception from Donald Trump. Moreover, the international tribunal at The Hague has rejected India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which is a major legal and diplomatic setback for New Delhi. Nonetheless, it has been proved that Pakistan has won the diplomatic, strategic, and political war against India, while Modi now faces a different kind of conflict within India itself. Finally, Pakistan has learned a lesson from the war — never show weakness in dealing with India and always rely on deterrence and the instrument of diplomacy for peace in the region.
—The writer is a defence and security analyst.
(a.z.hilali@uop.edu.pk)
