The Third Faction: India’s Rising Influence in Shaping Global Discourse

India boasts descent from one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Despite this, the nation

has held an auxiliary position on the global stage in the past centuries. This can be attributed

to various Diasporas & invasions from Central Asia, and later to the devastating effects of

European colonialism. These led to disruptions in the natural order of development India

might have experienced. Despite this, India has risen from the ashes and been witness to a

tremendous amount of development since it gained Independence in 1947. This development

is not simply social or economic in nature; rather, India is also regaining its influence on the

global stage. Through soft power, cultural diplomacy, and contributions to global issues like

climate change and peacekeeping, India has emerged as a pivotal player in international

affairs. India has long been a staunch advocate for inclusive global multilateralism rather than

a hegemonic form of global world order. This paper attempts to throw light on the unique

significance of India's position in the mission for adopting an inclusive multilateral

diplomatic approach towards contemporary international relations, emphasizing the need to

appreciate influence that emanates from cooperation rather than hegemony.

Introduction

The twentieth century bore witness to some of the most horrifying tragedies of human

history. They served to highlight the growing human capacity for destruction and the need for

alternate means of settling disputes on the international scale as states could no longer remain

out of conflicts. Diplomacy emerged as a key practice to maintain the tenuous peace between

states and The League of Nations, and later, the United Nations emerged as multilateral

international forums for facilitating these interactions. When the United Nations Charter was

signed in 1945, a global war had just ended and states from around the globe became
members of this vaunted body under the leadership of powers like Britain, China, USA and

the Soviet Union.

The charter itself, beginning with, “We the peoples of the United Nations…”, seems

ironic today as the United Nations seems to serve the narrow and highly selfish national

interests of the leading hegemonic powers rather than the developing nations and the ordinary

citizens of the world. Such biased functioning has severely hindered the fulfilment of the

U.N. charter pledges that aim to end “the scourge of war” and to revive “faith in the

fundamental human rights.” It has become a tool for indirect conflict for powerful nations as

the cost of developing states and nations disenfranchised from the narrative of autonomy.

However, as the economic centre of gravity shifts eastward and southward and new

centres of power emerge, our international governance systems and institutions, constructed

out of the ruins of World War II and the Great Depression, have been steadily lagging the

steepening curve of change. Meanwhile, as the world struggles with the aftershocks of the

global financial and economic crisis, terrorism, transnational crime and drug trafficking,

climate change, food security and energy prices, the virtues of multilateral cooperation are

being rediscovered. Many see renewed merit in pooling national sovereignty in cooperative

institutional arrangements.

In response to this unprecedented pace and scope of change, old institutions are

innovating and new forms and varieties of international cooperation are being called into

being. Issues of legitimacy, accountability, social justice, and effectiveness are generating

calls for change. Some, especially the emerging powers such as India, Brazil, and China play

a highly significant role in the developing world, aiming to see a better representation of

values and interests of the Global South in global summitry and in the major decision making

organs of the United Nations.

especially microcosmic forums with specialized focus on institutional innovations such as the

ASEAN group, the BRICS forums and the Group of 20 (G-20). Going forward, multilateral

interactions need to be mindful towards the needs and sensibilities of emerging economies

and the new interests of the global order. States like India exemplify the leaders of tomorrow,

with an emphasis on influencing the global narrative without relying on maintaining its own

hegemony, but rather using diplomatic measures. This paper is an attempt to summarize the

significance of India on the global stage as an advocate for reforms in the multilateral forums

as well as an attempt to explore the possible ramifications of the explosive rise of India on the

global scale.

Indian Foreign Policy

The origins of India’s foreign policy can be traced back to the period of European

colonialism in India, even though it was originally oriented towards serving European

interests. It was during the 19th century, as the Independence movement gained momentum

that the INC emerged as another faction and attempted to establish relations with foreign

powers to aid their goal of independence. India was a signatory in the League of Nations in

the aftermath of World War 1 and towards the end of World War 2, became a founding

member of the United Nations, the oldest existing multilateral diplomatic forum.

India, having only just emerged from colonial rule in 1947, went on to play a vital

role in the body advocating decolonization of states around the globe. PM Jawaharlal Nehru

is considered to be the architect of Independent India’s foreign policy. It was under his

supervision that India’s foreign policy envisioned a state based on non-alignment with

established powers and promoted independence from power blocs. The basic structure as
envisioned by PM Nehru is still primarily in place with each regime refining and building

upon it.

Nehru’s policy was based on anti-colonialism, non-alignment with power blocs as

well as the ambition to create a third non-involved faction that could act as an intermediary to

facilitate peaceful diplomatic interactions between opposing powers. This helped maintain

India’s status as a bridge between the East and West, particularly during the Cold War era.

This enabled India to engage with a wide array of nations without aligning with any

geopolitical ideologies. Although India participated heavily in multilateral interactions during

the 20th century, it maintained an emphasis on isolation and passive form of foreign

interaction. It was only the geopolitical security threats in the region that forced India’s hand

towards forging closer diplomatic ties with countries like Russian Federation. Despite this,

India never committed to a full alliance with any foreign state and maintains a position of

relative neutrality by cultivating amicable relations with all factions.

The advent of the 21st century marked the transformation of global order from a

bipolar system of power blocs to a system of multilateral interactions with new powers

emerging from the global south as well as established powers experiencing a shift in their

own position. However, as former colonies emerge out of the global south as important

growth centres in the world economy, power and influence seep out of the trans-Atlantic

order and migrate towards Asia and elsewhere and the age of the West & its disrespect for the

role, relevance and voice of the rest of the world is passing. Within this context, India stands

at the forefront of the movement of change, an advocate of the restructuring of the existing

multilateral forums to facilitate an inclusive platform of international politics which reflects

the hard realities of the contemporary period, rather than those of nearly a century past.

India’s Multilateral Engagements

League of Nations as well as the International Labour Organization. A founding member of

the United Nations, India has been a staunch supporter of the principles upon which the body

was originally founded, against the backdrop of the most horrifying war in human history:

fundamental rights of all individuals and the sovereign equality of all member states.

Building upon ideals of Gandhian pacifism, India’s foreign policy during the early years of

its inception demonstrated a keen interest in promoting fundamental human rights and a

demand for sovereignty of states.

India was a significant supporter of the UN’s long and hard struggle against

institutionalized apartheid, colonialism, racial discrimination. A significant contributory state

on this multilateral forum, India participated in a wide range of activities to promote global

peace, civil rights, and to safeguard the sovereignty of states around the globe. In turn, the

United Nations has been a useful instrument for India in not simply pursuing their foreign

policy goals effectively, but also for the progressive transformation of the global political

system.

The post-Cold War period saw India actively engaging in regional forums like the

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Brazil, Russia, India,

China, South Africa (BRICS) group. These regional platforms have continued to provide

India with opportunities to assert its leadership in South Asia and the broader global south

arena. It becomes apparent that India's diplomatic trajectory has been marked by a deliberate

and evolving strategy to engage with the world on its own terms. This history lays the

foundation for understanding India's contemporary role in shaping global discourse. Further,

with the turn of the century, India, under the NDA government has taken a more active stance

on the global stage.

role in ensuring a more equitable international order rather than simply pandering to the

interests of the more influential members of the governing structures of the body. The United

Nations Security Council which was supposed to be the central forum for maintaining

sovereignty in the world has often become an arena of the superpowers to further their

geopolitical agendas. India maintains its position in demanding an equal representation of

developing nations as well as third world countries within such bodies. The current

composition of the UNSC comprises 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members

which are elected at regular intervals by the general assembly. Permanent membership to this

prestigious body was granted to states based on their importance in the aftermath of World

War 2. While their contributions are significant and in no way to be diminished, the

composition of this body no longer reflects the realities of the contemporary world.

The Third Side

Although India’s quest for a permanent seat on the U.N.S.C started as a way to protect

its national interests from rival states in the region, it is no longer so. In his speech to both

houses of India’s parliament on 8 November 2010, President Barack Obama paid tribute to

India’s treasured past that had helped to open the mind and expand the moral imagination of

the world. India stands at the precipice of a great global change by offering the developing

nations and states of the global south a third side: a position of non-reliance on relations with

hegemonic superpowers to ensure their survival. Instead, a multilateral cooperative society

can be fostered to promote global peacekeeping and achieve sustainable development goals

without sacrificing for the sake of the superpowers.

With the changing priorities of the country’s political leadership, India can no longer

sit back and maintain an isolationist policy in global politics. Rather, in the transforming
agenda of Indian foreign policy, India’s multilateral diplomacy endeavours to highlight

concerns regarding the reinforcement and refinement of the core values and tenets of the

United Nations. Revitalization of UN structures, in particular the UNSC, can help facilitate a

more efficient transnational forum in combating non-traditional security threats, global

terrorism and provide an agreeable collective action by member states. Multilateral

diplomacy must be revamped to be conducive to the needs and wishes of emerging

economies as well as the interests of global powers.

Conclusion

Within the broader context, the world has been witness to change and development at

a rate far more unprecedented than any other period in human history. As such, structures of

society must evolve with time; something that is lacking from the international arena.

Previously leading nations still maintain a position of privilege while rising powers accept the

prevalent norms as set by these hegemonic powers, leading to reticence. This ultimately leads

to stagnation in society and is detrimental in the long run. India’s multilateral approach offers

an insight into the benefits of exerting global influence without establishing a dominant

position over other states and causing material changes to the global fabric with soft

diplomacy. Despite the diminutive impact of the U.N. in recent global conflicts, a more

representative global order can help reinforce the universal belief in its core tenets. This body

maintains its import, however, in order to cement itself in history and not simply be a

footnote in history like its predecessor, it must open its doors to states with newfound power

and influence. It can no longer afford to function as a mouthpiece for the superpowers.