Kalinga Connect: South Asia to Polynesia

The world is shifting radically, ruthlessly and rapidly. At this juncture of global geopolitical reset, Indian leadership of the global south can become a reality, opines Maj. Gen Atanu Pattanaik (R).

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At the dead of a Sunday night some two years back in May 2023, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi disembarked at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, its Prime Minister James Marape had bent down to touch his feet.

It was a gesture that broke protocol and had gone viral on social media. It was a first ever visit by any Indian Prime Minister to Papua New Guinea and that made this gesture even more compelling and momentous. Marape's expression was perhaps a kind of answering the call of his ancestors. A “Dil Chahta Hai” moment.

PM Modi jointly co-hosted with PM Marape the third summit of the Forum for India—Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) on May 22 which includes Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. In many Polynesian languages such as Maori, Tongan, Samoan etc. “Kainga” is a word which means village. It also means family, tracing lineage across generations. “Kainga” may be something of a derivative of Kalinga. The Pacific Islands have been victims of exploitation under British and French colonial rule over the last two centuries who continue to exert political influence and presence through military bases. For these tiny island nations, seeking out Indian indulgence, while blow-torching their past colonial masters, the French and the British as well as the US, is perhaps a reconnect with their distant past for a new beginning.