Sunrise in the east again

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Wanted: CEOs from India

: According to him, China has definitely expanded the international discourse that at one time only centered on US, UK, Germany, France and Russia. On India he is less sanguine, and with good reasons. The reason, not surprisingly, is its polity that is dragging down the impact of the massive economic growth.

“Ultimately the base of American power — a vibrant American society — was its greatest strength and its weakness. It produced America’s gigantic economy and vibrant society. But it also made its rise halting, its course erratic and its involvement on the world stage always fragile. Perhaps India will have a similar experience: it will have a society able to respond superbly to the opportunities of a globalised world, one that will grow and prosper in the global economy and society. But India’s political system is weak and porous and thus not well equipped to play its rightful role in this new world. A series of crises might change all this, but in the absence of a shock to the system, India’s society will stay ahead of the Indian state in the new global game”. As a result, in the new world order, while China will be able to take on centre stage, India will be an economic super power but only a regional political satrap.

Naturally he is scathing on the opponents of India—US nuclear deal. He says “many Indian elites have continued to view the world through a Nehruvian prism — India as a poor virtuous third world country”. He says they know “how to operate in that world, whom to beg from and whom to be belligerent with”. Zakaria concludes, “whichever way the nuclear deal goes the difficulties of its passage in New Delhi highlight the central constraint on the exercise of Indian power in the years ahead… It cannot harness its national power for national purpose”. Power, whether via the electric lines or off it, seems therefore destined to cripple India. In fact it is not without reason that post reform, India’s two major political crises have been on power — Dabhol power project and the India-US nuclear deal.