In the last couple of weeks, many Indian liberals have turned their ire inward, accusing those of us who have not condemned the government’s silence on the US-Israeli war against Iran of moral cowardice. In the American phrase, it has become a “circular firing squad” — shooting on ourselves. They want us all to demand that India should have taken the moral high ground, denouncing the war as a flagrant violation of international law.

Let me state clearly: I concur that the war cannot be justified under international law. It violates the very principles India has historically stood for — respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, and peaceful resolution of disputes. Nor, as I have explained earlier, is there a case for pre-emptive self-defence either. And yes, we should have promptly issued condolences on the death of the Supreme Leader of Iran, as we had done when its president was killed in a helicopter crash. I am free to say so, and so are my liberal friends in the Opposition or the commentariat. But I will not condemn the government for choosing silence over confrontation.

India’s diplomacy has always been about balancing principle with pragmatism. Jawaharlal Nehru’s policy of non-alignment was not a refusal to take moral positions, but a recognition that India’s sovereignty and survival depended on avoiding entanglement in Cold War hostilities. Today, in an increasingly multipolar world, India practises “multi-alignment” — engaging with diverse powers, sometimes in tension with one another, while keeping our national interest paramount.

The objective has remained constant: Protect India’s sovereignty while speaking for global justice. No one holds a monopoly over........

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