BRICS AS THE 'VOICE OF THE REST'

In a world divided between the West and the Rest, Western inability to comprehend a changing world order is giving a common platform for grievances of 'the Rest', no matter the friction between individual countries.

- HINDOL SENGUPTA

Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill who coined "BRIC" in 2001, spoke of a world where Brazil, Russia, India, China, and later addition, South Africa (thus, BRICS), would be the growing nations that would dominate the world economy by 2050.

This has unfolded accurately, only partially.

The only two countries who have, since, fulfilled this potential are India and China.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, there were some naysayers who had started to suggest that perhaps the BRICS grouping was starting to sputter-and at best, the story was confined to the India-China duologue.

But the story of BRICS is changing.

At last count, it includes, apart from the original countries, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ethiopia.

Turkey, a NATO member state, which has a troubled history of trying to join the European Union (EU), now wants to be part of BRICS. Other countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Algeria, Bolivia, Congo, Gabon, Kazakhstan, and Comoros are keen to be part of the BRICS fold which, apart from raising unwieldy questions of what the acronym should be, underlines what the BRICS is really becoming.

Western analysts point out that despite already representing a third of global trade, and around 45% of world's population, there are many dissimilarities among BRICS members. Of its three most powerful members, only one, India, is democratic.

A world of war and conflict are widening and deepening divisions between countries like the UAE and Iran. Southeastern members jostle with, and watch warily, the advance of China, even though they are mostly compelled to cooperate with the CCP.

Conflict with India and China is persistent and Russia, especially after the war in Ukraine, has a difficult status in the world.