Rahul Gandhi’s over the top attack on India’s foreign policy shocks parliamentarians

 

In a passionate (some call it frenzied) speech in the Lok Sabha on February 2, Rahul Gandhi, the Congress MP from Kerala, charged that India is isolated in the world.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

India’s relations today with most of the world barring a few countries are better than they have ever been. Over the last eight years, India’s profile and stature in the world has grown considerably and its voice on all major international issues is heard with respect.

 A quick look at some of India’s strategic and significant partnerships would illustrate the above.

Ties with US: The United States today is the most important and valuable partner for India for several reasons. India and United States enjoy a comprehensive, global, strategic partnership, covering almost all areas of human endeavour, driven by shared democratic values and convergence of interests on a range of issues including security and defence, trade and investment, pushback against Chinese expansionism, renewable energy, sharing of intelligence and several more.

India’s relations with the US over the last 8 years have continued to grow and expand. PM Modi shared warm and mutually-beneficial relations with Barack Obama during his tenure as President of the US. The two leaders officially and formally met nine times during the two- and- a -half years that overlapped between the terms of PM Modi and President Obama. These included 3 state visits by the two leaders to each other’s countries. President Obama became the first US President to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest in 2015 and also the first US President to visit India twice during his tenure.

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