The week gone by was marked by the International Court of Justice beginning its hearing in the case filed by South Africa alleging that the state of Israel has been conducting genocide in broad daylight during its ongoing war against Hamas. The trial is being keenly followed, even if powerful countries -- mainly those on the side of Israel -- have rejected the trial and claimed that they will motor on with their aims despite increasing international pressure to stop the indiscriminate bombing of an already suffering people.
However, more than the actual outcome of the case, the country which has emerged the real winner in international geopolitics is South Africa. A country that has steadfastly stood with the people of Palestine has earned plaudits for standing up for the civilians of Palestine who have been the unfortunate casualties in a war that they didn’t ask for nor have chosen to be part of.
In doing so, South Africa has successfully taken upon itself the mantle that was once donned by India as a global leader for the third world especially during the Cold War. South Africa has raised its voice on behalf of hundreds of countries that were once part of the Non-Aligned Movement that was spearheaded by India’s Prime Minister during the height of the cold war.
On the other hand, India has been found to be missing in action -- largely on account of the way in which the current dispensation has been favourable towards Israel. While on one hand the government has been keen to promote itself as a “Vishwaguru”, a leader in global affairs who cannot be ignored when the world’s powers come to a head, on the other hand, the country’s increasingly wishy-washy stance on global issues of importance make it a non-entity in the global space and readily ignored even by minnow countries.
The weekend saw the newly elected Maldives president ask India to withdraw its troops by March 15. India’s troops have been present in Maldives ever since the 1988 Maldives coup attempt when mercenaries took country of the country forcing the then president to reluctantly reach out to India for help, which India readily offered even when several other countries including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Singapore, United States and UK were unable to offer assistance.
Despite that, today Maldives is in a position to thumb its nose at a country that claims to have standing in international diplomacy. What has helped South Africa stand out, is remaining consistent with its stance and opposing discrimination wherever it exists -- something that has defined the country ever since the days of the anti-apartheid movement and something it has remained true to ever since.
India on the other hand seems to have abandoned the principles that this country was built on at the time of independence -- the ideals of Nehru and Gandhi, which helped India as a post colonial state championing the cause of Independence in several states especially in Africa and loudly voicing its displeasure against the world’s powers of the day including the UK, France and the USA. Unlike South Africa, which continues to uphold the ideals of Mandela especially in international affairs it is currently those who espouse the cause of the killers of Mahatma Gandhi who are currently at the helm in India, eroding its global standing that leaves it completely lacking in moral authority to speak up at a crucial juncture like this.
