The US is not the sole Global Power in a Unipolar World now. On the contrary, its influence and glory is gradually decreasing. Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently told the Press Trust of India (PTI): “I think that dominance of the USA, which started after the end of the Cold War, has effectively come to an end.“

Many are reluctant to call this observation of Dr Jaishankar as his personal opinion in the turbulent global geopolitical landscape. A section of experts believes that Dr Jaishankar’s statement reflects the foreign policy of the Narendra Modi Government in New Delhi. The question arises here: Does India no longer want to recognise the importance of the US? It is believed that New Delhi would not take such a stance because of various reasons. Others consider Dr Jaishankar’s message as an echo of India’s self-reliance in foreign policy matters. The distance between India and the US has increased in recent times due to differences on several issues. Hence, the comment made by the Indian minister is considered significant!

The Indo-US relations have recently been strained over a US newspaper report on New Delhi’s alleged plot to assassinate pro-Khalistan militant leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Later, the Joe Biden Administration advised India to investigate the matter “with utmost importance“. Incidentally, Russia has directly sided with India over the Pannun issue, saying that Washington DC is yet to produce any credible evidence of Indian involvement in the conspiracy to eliminate the militant leader.

A deal between India and Iran related to Chabahar Port has also triggered tension between New Delhi and Washington DC. The South Asian nation recently got an opportunity to manage the Iranian port for the next 10 years. By using Chabahar Port, India shall be able to dominate the maritime transport (of trade items) to Central Asia through Iran and Afghanistan. A day after India signed a 10-year contract to operate the strategic port with Iran (on May 13, 2024), Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department Vedant Patel said that “any entity considering business deals with Iran need to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions“. Speaking at an event organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on May 14, Dr Jaishankar strongly criticised the US and Western media for publishing biased reports on India’s trade policy. The seasoned diplomat-turned-politician stressed that the Indo-Iranian agreement on Chabahar Port would benefit the entire region. He also urged the Western nations to view the matter with a broader perspective.

In 2020, former US President Donald Trump approached the Supreme Court against Presidential Election outcomes, urging the judiciary to change the verdict against him. Dr Jaishankar hit out at the Western media over the negative coverage of the recently-held 18th Parliamentary Elections in India, stressing that the countries that “have to go to court for deciding election results” were giving “advice” on conducting polls! He claimed that Western countries “feel” they have influenced the world for the last 200 years. Hence, it is not possible for them to give up their “old habits so easily”, he added. Earlier, Russia accused the US of influencing the Indian polls. As expected, the US denied the allegation.

Russia has always been India’s trusted ally. Time and again, the Kremlin has backed New Delhi in spite of Washington DC’s warning. India has gradually strengthened ties with the US since the beginning of the 21st Century. The US, too, has realised the importance of India in reducing the influence of China in Southeast Asia. After the breakup of the erstwhile Soviet Union, the US managed to establish absolute dominance in the once Bipolar World. However, the scenario has changed in the past few years. The US imposed economic sanctions on Russia after the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War (on February 24, 2022). Despite maintaining close strategic ties with the US, India continues to import crude oil from Russia. Dr Jaishankar has defended India’s move, stating that New Delhi would always give utmost priority to National Interest.

One should not forget that Dr Jaishankar is a seasoned diplomat. Therefore, his worldview is valued in a certain circle. Hence, many believe that his claim over the US’ decreasing global dominance is quite meaningful!

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das