Time for Indians to Celebrate, Opposition at Peak of Frustration
By Manohar Manoj
India’s continuous prominence in international geopolitics during the recent time has brought a moment of celebration for Indians. However, this celebration has turned into envy for the main opposition Congress party, with some of its youth workers, following orders from their political masters, resorting to shameless acts like topless protests. The reality is that recent events related to India on the international stage have held Indians’ heads high. These include trade agreements last year with Britain, Oman, UAE, and New Zealand; this year’s trade deal with the European Union dubbed the “Mother of All Deals”; the subsequent trade agreement with the US that broke the deadlock in bilateral ties; the world’s first AI summit hosted in India; and the Indian Prime Minister’s strategically vital visit to Israel. Even critics of the Modi government have quietly acknowledged its foreign policy successes over the past 12 years.But after the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India’s Operation Sindoor struck Pakistan’s initial terror bases and then military installations, leading to a dramatic shift in international politics. Morally victorious India was forced into a defeated mindset, while badly beaten Pakistan, through false propaganda and compromised support from US lobbying, began seeing itself as the victor. This “victor” even had its army chief promoted to Field Marshal, extended his service, and secured constitutional amendments for lifelong uniform wear and immunity from prosecution. That was tolerable, but US President Donald Trump’s claim of credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire, unconfirmed by India, frustrated him so much that he invited the Pakistani general to the White House Oval Office like a head of state. The US, the world’s biggest superpower, provoked India this way and imposed 25% then another 25% tariff on it as punishment for buying oil from Russia. This attitude left India demoralized on the global stage for a while. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s strategic pact with Pakistan and anti-India activities in Bangladesh only heightened India’s tensions.However, India stayed aloof from retaliatory actions or rhetoric against the US, instead strengthening ties with China and Russia on its own terms, pursuing trade deals with various countries, and accelerating import substitution through self-reliance. Results started coming, albeit late. In my view, India’s best moment in the past year was inviting European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as chief guests to its Republic Day parade. The next day, a historic trade deal was announced between India and the EU, under which the EU will impose no tariffs on 95% of products imported from India. This deal will impact about 25% of global GDP, boost India’s current $135 billion trade to $500 billion, and pave the way for a strategic pact in the next phase. With the US constantly reminding its European allies and NATO of favors while threatening tariffs, and Europe fed up with China’s undemocratic expansionism, eyes have turned to the world’s largest democracy and fastest-growing economy—India.
This India – EU deal decisively impacted the US. Though it first criticized the EU for dealing with a country buying oil from “aggressor” Russia, but ultimately the US prioritized the emerging global balance favoring India and wrapped up long-stalled trade talks in a week. Both leaders announced the bilateral trade deal via tweets. Following this, India’s highly successful five-day international AI summit was a super shot on the global stage. Top politicians, business leaders, and multinational tech giants from about 95 countries participated, proving India is the world’s third AI superpower and number one in talent pool. The summit emphasized defining, regulating, and making AI responsible and ethical, with India introducing a new “humanizing AI” concept. Most crucially, it secured investment claims exceeding $250 billion for data centers, infrastructure, and related tech development. The government believes that it has won trust from the most countries.
The Indian Prime Minister’s ongoing Israel visit is strategically vital. Israel, the world’s most active military power constantly battle-tested, leads in modern warfare tech, weapons, and intelligence—closely aligning with India holds great significance.
Overall, this is the reward of India’s patience and perseverance: successfully balancing against unethical elements in global diplomacy and geopolitics. This is a time to celebrate, yet Congress—which BJP has consistently outmaneuvered politically—has grown so desperate that it protests these proud international events. Fortunately, all political parties condemned Congress’s antics outright.