India's Moment

India’s Moment by veteran diplomat Mohan Kumar is a book that aims to demystify India’s often misunderstood, and misinterpreted stance at multilateral negotiations. Kumar writes to distill the ideas and principles that force the hand of Indian diplomats and bureaucrats as they negotiate for the interest of their nation. He contests the argument that India is obstructionist and a naysayer in most multilateral fora as he presents evidence of its positive role. He outlines the growth in India’s stature and professes that India’s political, economic, and strategic clout and India’s actions are falling in line with this growing stature.

The author presents a unique six-step integrated framework to analyse India’s response at various multilateral forums. These six steps are worth recounting. Firstly, “ The Gandhi Litmus Test”. Kumar postulates that considering the scale of poverty in India, it is axiomatic that India approaches negotiations and deals with the outside world, with the fundamental factor of its effect on the millions of people living below the poverty line. Secondly,“ Need for Policy Space.” Considering the complexity of translating international commitments to domestic laws, and the possibility that certain emergencies and contingencies might require urgent intervention; the space for domestic policy is considered critical. Thirdly, “ Domestic Politics.” Regardless of the party in power, the weight of electoral expectations plays a central role in how the government negotiates. Public opinion is a powerful influence on political decisions in multilateral negotiations. Fourth, “Geopolitical Imperatives.” India’s quest for strategic independence often leads to alignments and oppositions centered on geopolitics. Fifth, “ Commitment to Multilateralism and Principles.” Article 51 of the Indian constitution avows India’s commitment to international peace and security and to further international relations for the greater good of the world. Lastly, “ Realpolitik and Material Gain.” As most nations, India will choose whatever is in its best interest.

Kumar uses this six-step framework to analyse India’s responses at WTO, climate change negotiations, and the ongoing Russia- Ukraine conflict. The framework is well-articulated and its application to assess India’s responses to the three scenarios outlined above is balanced and well-informed.

Kumar chronicles how in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) era, India consistently carried the baton for the developing world as the trade discussions were unfavourably skewed towards the developed nations. India consistently championed the cause of its farmers and pharmaceutical industries. Even after the formation of the WTO, India challenged the nonimplementation of issues from the erstwhile regime that were faced by developing countries, vetoing the implementation of the new norms. Kumar argues that at this juncture, the usefulness of the WTO is debatable. Like other nations, India is entering into free trade agreements (FTAs) with countries, giving them access to its market while gaining access to theirs. Kumar also highlights the adverse consequences of India staying out of many plurilateral preferential trading agreements due to its commitment to multilateral agreements.

The Chapter on climate change is very well-wrigen and presents a very cogent explanation of India’s stance. He makes the necessary distinction between the 'lifestyle emissions' of the developed countries and the 'survival emissions' of the developing countries. He puts forward four key considerations that underpin India’s long-term low-carbon development strategy: one, it has contributed very ligle to global warming; two, it has significant energy needs for its development; three, India is commiged to pursuing low-carbon strategies for development as per its national circumstances; and four, India needs to build climate resilience. The huge historical carbon footprint of the developed world versus that of the developing world is an uncomfortable truth for the West, and Kumar has placed this discussion front and center in his book.

In conclusion, Kumar examines whether India can make the transition from a balancing power to a leading power. He opines that as poverty levels decline in India the significance of the Gandhi Litmus test will fade away and India would have more room for negotiations. Kumar argues, “It is 5me for India to put an end to the needless politicisation and devise a code of conduct to be followed by all political parties so that in the mager of international negotiations concerning magers of national interest, the country will be united behind its negotiators.” Furthermore, he argues India has to recognise the urgent need to reform certain sectors to remain compe55ve globally. We have already fallen behind in some sectors against countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Kumar acknowledges the challenges of reducing inequality within India, suggesting reforming the tax structure and creating jobs through various means, including agriculture reforms and immigration. Kumar makes a persuasive case that India can transition from a balancing power to a leading power.

What works for the book, is the immense experience that the author brings to the subject. The negotiations at GATT, WTO, and the Climate change forum are captured in vivid detail and the back stories are captivating and informing. In the same breath, the details might be cumbersome for some readers.

Overall, a book that is well researched and engagingly articulated, a worthwhile read for policymakers, senior government functionaries, and commentators who would want to understand how India negotiates.

My Rating 3.8/5