PM MODI SEEKS TRANSITION FROM A UNIPOLAR TO A UNITED WORLD

Success of the Indian Presidency in unifying the G20 behind the final communique conveys a message about the essentiality of including India as a Permanent Member of UNSC.

- MADHAV NALAPAT

If 2020 saw the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and 2022 the Russia-Ukraine war, 2023 has witnessed the eruption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas as a consequence of the latter’s 7 October terror attack within the Jewish state. Each of these “Black Swan” (un-anticipated) events created its own backlash in terms of both societal and economic turmoil, and Bharat was not spared. The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ramped up the production and dissemination of home-grown Covid-19 vaccines to a level that ensured that neither nationwide lockdowns nor vaccine mandates were required in 2021, while herd immunity was secured within the country by the close of that year. As for the war in Ukraine, Prime Minister Modi sought to insulate the economy from its shocks by taking advantage of the discounts that the Russian Federation was offering for its oil resources. Skillful diplomacy with the US and the EU, assisted by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, ensured that Bharat escaped western sanctions on such purchases. Once the Israel-Hamas war ensued, the official stance was clear. Terror had to be fought, but in a manner that minimises the risk of civilian casualties. New Delhi called for adequate supplies of essentials to be allowed to reach Gaza, so that the population in the strip was spared the full effects of the conflict. At the same time as such crises were being tackled, the trajectory of the G20 was placed in a much higher orbit during 2023, the year of the Indian Presidency. In particular, the concerns of the Global South were placed at the centre of activity of the nineteen largest economies of the world, together with the European Union, which will be joined by the African Union in 2024 as a consequence of the efforts of the 2023 G20 President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a diplomatic feat, mutual adversaries such as Russia and the US came together in subscribing to the 2023 G20 final communique.