After Galwan clash, everybody ranging from self-styled Chinese experts to great grandson of Panchasheel inventor, raised hue and cry about flawed foreign policy and raised questions on what was achieved in Mamallapuram, Wuhan and Sabarmati. It looked as if everybody except Indian government understands Chinese psyche and can predict Chinese actions. In the meanwhile, what was happening on other side? Normally high-pitched Chinese media was uncharactersticallly subdued and was betraying sense of bewilderment. It was behaviour of a highly surprised if not defeated enemy. ‘Experts’ claimed that China has changed the status quo and has presence 100s of miles inside India. However, what if it’s Indian government that is punishing China by keeping LAC hot while projecting it as Chinese Aggression. In last 2 months, India has unleashed economic warfare on China and taken mantle of global leader in anti-China circles. No one can deny that Chinese misadventure in Galwan has produced diplomatic windfall for India abroad. In this environment, India can take anti-China steps with impunity with Sinophiles unable to oppose without being labelled traitor. Galwan has prompted popular domestic and international support to actions of India against Chinese interests. Indian capabilities to impose costs of China would have reduced significantly in case of restored status quo soon after Galwan.

Our so-called experts are steeped in colonial education system and associated arrogance that comes with it. This is not limited to foreign policy. In my 20s, Economist was quite popular and it was considered cool in B-School circles to read the same. In 2011-12, I was reading an article on how ‘China has US Economy on gunpoint’. I was surprised because common sense tells me that consumer market is king in globalised world and China is a shopkeeper with US as largest consumer. Also, article was talking how China can devalue US currency at will by selling treasury bonds. My reaction was – China would lose trade surplus with US and US would grandly welcome the same. That crap was coming from a publication called ‘The Economist’. Trump called the bluff 4 years later. I am not going to go into Warmongering over death of Iranian general at beginning of 2020 ( yes, lowly Iran was USSR redux for them) or near-to-home Swaminomics (people used to read that garbage in TOI for IIM interviews). How many highly-respected economists managed to predict economic crisis? If you would read our experts are confused or befuddled, that’s because they are incapable of following a Chanakyan policy rooted in realism and ancient Indic wisdom. These dunderheads are incapable of decoding anything that is not downright predictable. Believe me, a 14-year old with IQ score of 80 can do a better job than our ‘experts’.

Suffering from cultural inferiority, post-independent Indian leadership was obsessed with regonization from western elites as ‘Statesman’. If Nehru’s blunders are stuff of legends, what explains ‘Kargil Backstabbing’ of well-intentioned ABV. If readers don’t know, Janata Government (1977-80) and UF Goverment (1996-98) compromised RAW operations in Pakistan as a goodwill gesture leading to Khalistani Movement and string of terror attacks in 2000s culminating in 26/11, respectively. With the exit of experts and entry of realism, things are changing. Rise of Modi coincided with adoption of Indic principles. Take Pakistan for example. It’s zigzag with Saree diplomacy, surprise birthday visits, surgical strikes, air strikes, article 370 and international isolation. Policy kept Pakistan guessing and for the first time, Pakistan was left reacting to the unpredictable strategic manoeuvres. Shah Faesal planting in Kashmir politics was easily one of most impressive piece of statecraft that fooled even Modi’s most ardent supporters.

India has natural advantage when it comes to diplomacy in terms of civilizational people to people ties. Ram Mandir was enough to take air out of Nepal’s anti-India balloon. In fact, a godless Chinese stooge is forced to build a grand Ram Mandir in competition and laying claim to Buddha. Instead of chest-beating over Chinese coziness with Maldives and Sri Lanka, Modi activated deep assets to force exit of pro-China goverments. In Sri Lanka, he did it twice in 5 years. Moreover, our enemies are out of depth in their core diplomatic bastions. China cannot get anything done for her friends in UN Security Council. Same OIC, which rejected Indian membership at behest of Pakistan in 1970 is not ready to take up even informal discussion on Kashmir. But the cake goes to weaponisation of wealthy NRI communities abroad. Who can forget defeat of pro-Pakistan labor leaders in UK (our colonial master) in 2020 elections?

And we achieved all that without installing an autocrat or creating a debt trap and while retaining image of a benign power.

This Independence Day, let’s hope that demand of transperancy and national consensus do not sabotage gains made in last 6 years. It’s time on build on gains to make them irreversible.

Happy Independence Day!!!

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