In the last two years we saw worrying developments in India, the increasingly authoritarian government led by president Modi seems to be moving away from India's non-alignment, a cornerstone which characterized the country since its independence in 1947 in favour of looking for a legitimation from the US empire.
Under the previous administration India founded BRICS with Russia and China and affirmed its commitment to multipolarity as a basic principle of its foreign policy, today this is far from granted.
An example is the collaboration with the US regime in Afghanistan which is a stupidity to say the least, helping Washington to continue the military occupation of a foreign country is not in India's interests, particularly in the case of Afghanistan it's a non-sense as Taliban are in control of 50% of the country 17 years after the American invasion that was launched to defeat them and at same time the presence of ISIS is growing exponentially, Russia's Foreign Ministry and Iran claimed that the terrorist organization could be helped by the US as some of its members have been transported with black unmarked helicopters to their training camps in the north from the areas near to the American bases.
Today there are more than 8.000 ISIS terrorists in Afghanistan, in 2015 there were less than 1.000, even if this is not direct responsibility of the US it happened under their nose and it's now an existential threat for Tajikistan (Russia's ally in CSTO) and China, terrorists may find their way to Xinjang and cause many problems.
So judging from these data it's clear that the US has failed in Afghanistan, the occupation continues just for the opium market, to undermine China's Silk Road and to avoid a regional solution of the conflict, the diplomatic crisis with Pakistan shows that the US prefers to isolate itself than accepting the reality on the ground. So what's India's role? Isn't it better to collaborate with regional players than with the US empire?
In November 2017 a news caused a earthquake, India supposedly allowed the enemy to inspect a sub it leased from Russia, in the aftermath many rumours came out, Indians immediately stated that it was a plot organized by France but doubts about this incident remained as the Indian government never denied officially. If nothing this showed the current state of relationships between the two countries, India continues to buy Russian weapons but its strategic military cooperation with the US is causing more than a headache in Moscow as the news has been published by all Russian media without checking its authenticity.
During the summer India and China clashed on the border in Doklam area, the risk of a wider war has been thwarted by Bhutan when it unofficially acknowledged the territory as Chinese, I didn't take side because I am not well informed on this issue but what I noticed is that Indians have been more aggressive than the Chinese on social networks and on their national publications like there was a foreign power that was trying to escalate the tensions instead of trying to find a peaceful solution, I need to say who's the first suspect? The US regime of course, Washington is increasing its presence on Indian media and it would have gained a lot by a conflict between two rivals (US "friendship" with India is not real for as long as New Delhi doesn't break its relations with Russia, till that day it's a rival despite what Indians can think).
https://thewire.in/165934/bhutan-doklam-india-china/
India should take a clear path, it has the potential to be a superpower, so it certainly doesn't need to become a vassal of the US at a time when the empire is losing ground and authority globally due to its reluctance to accept that its hegemony is over.
I think, United States will do everything possible, to get India on their side and use it against both Pakistan and China. Their relationship with Pakistan is allready in taters and their position in Afghanistan won't be sustainable in the long term. Pakistanis are too much a Chinese ally, to be an American satelite. So, they will invest in India more, trying to make it an important trade partner, market for their weapons and a crucial element in containment of China. Russia is the one, that will have to do everything in their power, to mediate between China and India and Pakistan and India and keep Americans away, or at least keep Indians neutral. It will be a hard job. Only good thing, Indians consider themselves a great power in the making and therefore aren't considering becoming a US satelite. That means, they will always have more or less independent foreign policy.
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