By Farooq Wani,
While the Corona pandemic that originated from China has brought immense suffering to the whole planet, the good portion is that it has brought the superpowers, who thought of themselves invincible and have been manipulating the planet in a manner that suited their personal vested interests, on their knees. In reality, quite a few noted analysts take into account this pandemic as the defining moment and pivotal occasion which marks the finish of an era and heralds the starting of an additional.
Beijing has currently created clear its intent to adjust the current planet order by playing a significantly more active function in matters pertaining to globalisation, international trade, climate adjust as properly as in military matters. And although Beijing is undertaking properly to fulfil its worldwide ambitions by securing a steadily escalating following, it as well has proved inept and incapable in controlling the illness that spawned on its soil and quickly spread like wild fire all through the whole planet. Since India, which as well is emerging as a incredibly powerful energy in the third planet refuses to toe Beijing’s line and has vastly enhanced its defence cooperation with the US and its allies, China views India as a risky adversary. The determination to safeguard its territorial integrity against Chinese attempts to realign the Line of Actual Control (LAC) displayed by New Delhi has not only unnerved Beijing but also demonstrated that India is properly on its way to becoming a ‘jug-guru (World leader)!
The recently held American elections have demonstrated the exceptionally strong call for greater democratic and social reforms. It’s challenging to estimate what the outcome of this historical adjust-more than will be but in the planet undergoing a tectonic shift in the current energy balance, we can not take our position for granted. Globalisation is an chance, a possibility, a challenge. The require of the hour is to get a clearer image of the shape of issues to come in the quickly-altering worldwide situation in which we are witnessing the emergence of new powers and the decline of the old. India has to navigate its path via this altering planet order although maintaining its interests in thoughts.
Change is the only certainty in life and the possibilities that the present situation presents for India are tremendous-offered we are capable to gainfully exploit the exact same. And to do this, the most significant improvements that India requirements to make issues quantum augmentation in the efficiency and pro-activeness of its national safety structure, guaranteeing higher flexibility in its outlook and pondering as properly as a thriving economy. In the planet of today, its funds and muscle that eventually matters!
One issue that is incredibly clear from the normalization agreements involving Israel and the Gulf Arab states is that the politics of West Asia has undergone a drastic transformation. And due to the fact the extended-current status quo has been broken, issues will not be the exact same any more. Henry Kissinger in his renowned book ‘World Order’ wrote that geopolitics and strategic considerations triumph religious difficulties. These diplomatic agreements are symptomatic of a Zionist-Sunni alliance against Shia Iran, which is obtaining itself isolated and is desperately attempting to discover a way out of this stranglehold due to the fact Arab-Zionist bonhomie is clearly in the US’s strategic interest.
Uprisings in quite a few Muslim nations like Afghanistan and Syria which erupted with tacit help and patronage of some superpowers as properly as Islamic nations have fizzled out. Nearer dwelling, Pakistan’s image in in the international neighborhood has been severely eroded by Islamabad’s incompetent governance, policy paralysis and escalating tilt towards fundamentalism, not to neglect Pakistan army’s continuing nexus with terrorist groups due to which Pakistan has landed in the grey list of FATF!
Turkey is also attempting its ideal to replace Saudi Arabia as the leader of the Islamic block but although its efforts have created insignificant gains, Ankara’s manipulations have considerably divided the ‘umma’ (worldwide Muslim fraternity).
Change is swiftly sweeping via Saudi Arabia, with quite a few younger individuals, specially females, embracing newfound freedoms and as somebody remarked, “Before there were limitations. Everything was `haram,’ (forbidden by religious beliefs). But now men and women have the freedom to become whatever they want.” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is going ahead to modernize Saudi Arabia, even it at occasions amounts to breaking extended-held societal taboos derived from the regressive interpretation of Islam, as properly as introducing financial reforms to wean the Gulf power giant away from its decades-extended dependence on oil income.
Unconfirmed reports of secret parleys aimed at a rapprochement involving Saudi Arabia and Israel signals a paradigm shift, for it could lead to the creation of a new history and might signal a dramatic adjust in the way the Jewish-Muslim relations evolve. However, due to the fact Palestinians appear up to Saudi Arabia as their most influential ally who supports their dream of a homeland, normalisation of Saudi-Israeli relations will not be an effortless activity. Vested interests of western powers in the Middle-East make matters worse due to the fact the current chaotic situation there suits quite a few of them.
Under these situations, India with its extended history of peaceful coexistence involving individuals of a number of religions and faiths becomes a excellent instance for the planet to comply with. New Delhi maintains equally excellent ties with Israel as properly as Islamic states that are its avowed enemies and hence India could properly serve as the proverbial bridge that could be applied to get more than the centuries-old Zionist- Islam divide!
(The author is Editor Brighter Kashmir, Columnist, Political Analysts and Television Commentator. Views are private)