We have no one but ourselves to blame for our hard power deficit

India must accelerate defence reforms to confront challenges posed by the global churn underway

- HARSH V. PANT

As the churn in the global order continues, Indian foreign policy too faces a moment of reckoning. Our external partnerships are getting scrutinized and re-evaluated. After decades of firing persistent complaints at the US, it is now the turn of Washington to target New Delhi. A pivotal relationship built over decades is being challenged by forces beyond India's control but with the potential to do long-term damage. Some lazy analysis has followed about this being a moment for India to pivot towards China and Russia. But, as was clear from the recent gathering of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, New Delhi would rather maintain distance from such a configuration even as bilateral engagements with each are put on a more robust footing.

In this age of all-round pragmatism, sloganeering should make way for practical outcomes. For a long time, India had been leveraging the global environment to build its domestic capabilities—economic, diplomatic and military. Now, as the global environment turns hostile, New Delhi will have to double down on building itself internally. Hard power is back in vogue as the main currency of inter-state engagement and so nations need to keep their powder dry. The European nations that had planned on emerging as an 'empire of norms' have been left to sit in front of a hectoring US president like school students.