The Indian policymakers are barking up the wrong tree. Such tantrums as Delhi is displaying can only make India look foolish — not only in Beijing but in the world capitals too, which take China’s rise as the most consequential event in modern history. Chinese writings increasingly have an air of condescension toward the Modi government’s policies. Worse still, a window of opportunity is closing on a potentially productive relationship that could help advance India’s development meaningfully, which ought to have been Modi’s top priority today — not geopolitics.China is developing rapidly while India remains a basket case relatively with little hope on the horizon without major changes that will be difficult to implement without enormous restructuring across the board. The development that is taking place is under the aegis of US firms with the aim of extracting economic rent rather than assisting Indians.
Development will be very difficult for India even under the best of circumstances owing to demographics. For example the average IQ of the population of China is 105; of the US, 98, and of India 82 (source). This reflects a dismal educational system as well as the persistence of the caste system. The average IQ of the Brahmin caste is 120. (Right, I know that IQ has issues, but it is indicative of cultural type, educational level, and human resources.)
India needs a cultural revolution in addition to a political one, but the basis is not there yet. India and China are both still "poor countries" based on per capita GDP, but China's (14,239 in 2015) is greatly exceeds India's (6,020). Compare with US at 55,805. (Oil -rich Qatar led the world with 132,099, so per capita GDP is not necessarily reflective of level of economic development.)
Expectations regarding the potential of Modi's success in forming India were inordinately high, and the reality is falling short of them. The former finance minister Manmohan Singh was much more capable economically than Modi is and he did not live up to expectation either. Too much drag to overcome easily and quickly. So India continues to slog along.
Geopolitically and geostrategically, India continues to play opposing forces against each other under Modi, who has recently increased rapprochement with the US while maintaining good relations with Russia. In doing this, Modi is playing the US and Russia against Pakistan and China. India is also interested in drawing in US investment, management and technology, which is a mixed blessing. This US has shown itself to be a shark in this respect. The cost will be high, again because India believes that it does not have the money itself.
India Punchline
Modi creates a legacy in China ties
M K Bhadrakumar
