The debate in India over the conflict in West Asia centres on the meaning and application of strategic autonomy. There is a view that the government’s approach, marked by silence and expediency, has effectively equated strategic autonomy with the absence of a moral or ethical stance. The Narendra Modi government has been accused of remaining silent on what is described as a unilateral, immoral and illegal war initiated by the US and Israel on Iran.

Modi’s statements in Parliament have only reinforced those charges. The Prime Minister has detailed the contours of the crisis, cautioned the country on the painful days that lie ahead, but shied away from answering the core question.

New Delhi doesn’t need to pick a side in this war, but for a country dreaming of vishwaguru status, it is important to take a stand. The Global South, too, expects that. Once the fog of war clears, just how does India plan to address the trust deficit we are accumulating through this painful balancing act?

The war is inflicting severe harm. Every sector of the economy, from petrochemicals to mining, is reeling, leading to widespread unemployment and rising inflation that burdens households. The PM himself underscored the long-term costs of this war when he told Parliament that........

© Indian Express