Mumbai: In the ever-evolving chessboard of foreign diplomacy, India has often surprised the world with its deft moves and nuanced strategies. The most recent example of this is the outreach delegation following Operation Sindoor, a masterstroke not just in defence but also in global opinion-building.
This strategic manoeuvre, executed with military precision and diplomatic subtlety, resulted in Indian envoys and expert delegations being dispatched to various geographical regions, including the Middle East, Europe, America, and Asia. The delegations comprising members from ruling and opposition parties are ensuring that the world hears India’s concerns before adversarial whispers.
The seven delegation groups are led by BJP MPs Baijayant Jay Panda and Ravi Shankar Prasad; Sanjay Jha of Janata Dal (United); Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde; Shashi Tharoor from Congress; Kanimozhi Karunanidhi of DMK; and Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule.
Overall, 59 members, including 31 political leaders from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and 20 politicians from other parties, assisted by diplomats are advocating India’s concerns regarding Pakistan sponsored terrorism.
For the unversed, the present outreach efforts resonates with the echo of a past triumph from previous century when India under the sagacious leadership of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, faced a serious diplomatic assault at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva in 1994.
Back in that era, Pakistan, emboldened by global events and support from sections of the Islamic world, mounted a direct attack, hoping to corner India on the Kashmir issue. The Pakistani mission was relentless, its resolution drafted with the meticulousness of a legal brief and the venom of political enmity. But what unfolded was a masterclass in Indian statecraft.
At the heart of this historic resistance was Narasimha Rao’s astute decision to build a bipartisan wall around India’s interest. Rao reached across the political aisle, inviting Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the face of the opposition and a man of immense international stature, to join the delegation to Geneva.
The optics was unmissable – an India that was united, an India that was resilient, and an India that rose above politics. Alongside Vajpayee, a young and articulate Salman Khursheed, then Minister of State for External Affairs, played a pivotal backstage role, stitching diplomatic support and engaging envoys with a mix of legal acumen and cultural finesse.
As the Indian delegation landed in Geneva, what they faced was nothing short of a diplomatic siege. Yet, through a flurry of bilateral meetings, deft maneuvering, and quiet persuasion, the Indian team steadily countered the Pakistani narrative.
When the moment of reckoning came, the resolution that Pakistan had pinned its hopes on could not even be tabled – Pakistan simply didn’t have the numbers. It was a stunning rebuff, and the diplomatic corridors of Geneva buzzed with admiration for India’s composure and tenacity.
Back in New Delhi, Rao’s role was hailed in hushed awe. Not for nothing did he earn the sobriquet of Chanakya, the ancient master of realpolitik. The genius of Rao lay not just in what he did, but how he did it. He understood that leadership in diplomacy is not about rhetoric but about results, not about grandstanding but about groundwork. He converted an imminent setback into a soaring triumph – through calm nerves, intellectual humility, and strategic audacity.
Moving on to the situation now, one sees the shades of that legacy in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach to diplomacy. Operation Sindoor outreach didn’t just involve the usual corridors of Ministry of External Affairs and foreign missions. Instead the government has roped in unconventional voices, figures from opposition spectrum like Asaduddin Owaisi.
In doing this, Modi has demonstrated that the idea of India must rise above political divides when facing the world in diplomacy. There is little denying the strategic clarity with which he has approached global diplomacy, building a network of trust, engaging partners across ideological hues, and ensuring that India speaks not loudly but wisely with facts.
When the stakes are high and the global gaze is stern then what matters most is not who leads the delegation but whether the delegation speaks in one voice From Rao’s Geneva gambit to Modi’s global projection, India has shown that shrewd thinking, timely alliances, and courage to rise above partisanship would be pivotal in winning over the trickiest tides. The world watches, but more importantly, it listens when India speaks with both gravitas and grace.
