After its disastrous misadventure in military called Operation Sindoor, the Indian government was not in enemy siege, but in a chokehold of international silence. No sanction, no outright denunciations but worst of all, no backing. The so-called strong strategic military move soon became a media debacle and the Government of India (GOI) had to swing into top gear to contain the fallout. In a panicked attempt to redeem its reputation around the world, the government sent 59 Members of Parliament to 33 countries, a “diplomatic” tour which most interpreted as the frenzied trying to sell the fictional story of success. Laden with improper planning, intra-organizational rifts and blatant propagandas, the mission only served to highlight the diplomatic weaknesses and poor positions of India in the international domain.
Instead of getting momentum in the international arena, the Indian delegations were stranded in the vacuum of diplomatic relations. Instead of exalted dealings with leaders and international organizations, awkward town halls with the Indian diaspora, an echo chamber of domestic propaganda, became the order of the day. As the Indian MPs rattled the tales of victory and power of their nation, other think tanks and officials in other countries and in the middle-level ranks only replied with smart indifference. None of the major powers supported India in this story. The voice of its so-called strategic allies was missing, including the US, UK, France, and Australia, and the voice alone told a lot. The absence of international approval was not only an expression of impartiality, but it was an indication of distrust and, in certain circles, tacit dislike.
A moment that was especially counterproductive was when the prominent Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is famous due to his looks and oratory skills as well as diplomatic moves, stumbles in the United States. In a backhanded, arrogant and tone-deaf tweet which reads like a statement, Tharoor succeeds in turning off bipartisan appeal in America when he wrote that, “Trump is not the same as the former Presidents.” His outspoken admiration of the Prime Minister of India, Modi on the same visit was not less controversial, since it attracted the wrath of the critics at home in his own party, as well as highlighting the increasing divide within India’s political arena. The GOI tried too hard to put up a united face in its foreign campaign and this exposed the deep divisions within its political apparatus.
The main nub of this world tour was aimed at not only redeeming the image of India but also tarnishing the image of Pakistan. The Indian teams argued and urged global institutions like International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to blacklist Islamabad. However, this did not work out all that well. Pakistan not only maintained its GSP+ trading status but also got critical lifesaving support of IMF and gained the global economic confidence once again. India seemed to be coercive in its efforts to weaponize financial leverage, which was not productive in the end. Even worse, they pointed to India losing its capability to shoulder its cause even among neutral states.
The lack of success was nowhere more pathetic than in the complete failure of traditionally nonaligned states to respond to India in any manner. Indonesia was one of the major countries in the Global South, which declined to support the Indian narration of the happenings in the Kashmir crackdown. It was one of the worst setbacks in the hopes of India to justify the use of military under Operation Sindoor. Colombia also did not support the Indian attitude, which highlights the increased international disbelief of Indian stories in the controversial lands.
Internal malfunctions of the tour were also ruthless. Media reports of inter-parliamentary warfare, public slanging matches and message misunderstanding was turning an intelligently coordinated diplomatic thrust into some sort of clownish display of political incompetence. They saw Indian delegates pull each other down on international platforms, expressing their in-house complaints at international level, and even disputing each other’s trustworthiness. Quite on the contrary, the campaign did not bring unity or international understanding but rather, it highlighted the clash of heads inside Indian leadership.
In India, the media back home made a trend to paint a different version, holding Pakistan as influential to make Malaysia withdraw its support to Operation Sindoor. However, the accusations, which had not been proven and were not confirmed officially by Kuala Lumpur, did not make any contribution to the arguments of India. Rather, they amounted to another instance of how the GOI had to resort to speculative accounts and targeted leaks instead of specific diplomacy. The fact that the government could not even manage the story in the friendly media groups was an indication of how precarious the situation of the government had been.
Quiet Gains of Pakistan
Low key strategy was applied by Pakistan, and it was successful. As India sought its balance, Islamabad avoided losing foreign aid and received another $40 billion worth of new foreign investment. It further strengthened the relationship with Washington and provided Beijing a bigger stage of diplomacy. This was neither accompanied by any fanfare nor the need of any flashy roadshows, but rather a consistent statecraft.
Showy Tour, Silent Reception of India
Indian MPs flew into capitals of the world with glossy brochures and a Bollywood-type slide show. But they were not welcomed by any head of state, no common declarations were issued and no changes in policies were made in favor of New Delhi. When you hear nothing in diplomacy it is rarely nothing; this silence was thunderous. Even lack of applause revealed a gradual collapse of credibility.
When Military Blunder Is PR Masked
The failure in India to plan its military was already witnessed in Operation Sindoor. The situation was aggravated by the publicity tour. It highlighted three issues rather than fixing the narrative:
- Novelty in diplomatic experience which is grandstanding over place work.
- Infighting in the home and bickering at press conferences.
- Poor control of messages and opportunists abroad jumped at each contradiction.
The Cautionary Tale
India was attempting to sell a nation of success; the globe rejected the scenario. The Government intensified its advantages, thereby intensifying its deficits unintentionally. Credibility is acquired, not promoted and never enforced.
