It’s not his stellar record as a humanitarian
After a visit to Afghanistan marked by cordiality, Narendra Modi is proceeding on a visit to US where among other engagements he would be addressing the Congress. The two countries are finalising agreements that would make it possible for their militaries to cooperate more closely, and for US defence manufacturers to both sell and make high-tech weaponry in India. India’s international rating can be gauged from the heads of state and government that made a beeline for New Delhi during the last two years. These include Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, David Cameron, Francois Hollande, Angela Merkel, Shinzo Abe besides top government leaders from Netherlands and Australia. The Crown Prince of UAE and Emir of Qatar also turned up in New Delhi. Other visitors include heads of government from all regional countries, including Pakistan.
In a world where economy plays greater role than religion, Modi – notorious for Gujrat riots – was accorded a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia. He received Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian award from King Salman. The two sides signed five agreements, including plans to cooperate in intelligence sharing related to terror financing and money laundering as well as a labour cooperation agreement and another to promote bilateral investments in private sector.
India’s political clout is in the main the result of its economic muscle. India has developed a large reservoir of educated and trained manpower which supported by an investment friendly environment attracts foreign investors. Pakistan has no such reservoir as it spends little on education, manpower training and health. Pakistan’s rulers allow houbara hunting to princes from Saudi Arabia and UAE vainly hoping for investments from the Gulf which go instead to India Afghanistan and Iran, who we are told have ‘close historical, religious and cultural’ ties with Pakistan, seek Indian capital and trained manpower for making dams, roads and ports. By closing trade routes Islamabad forces neighbours to find alternate routes, isolating itself in the region and blaming its discomfiture on conspiracies hatched by enemies.