India Must Abandon Illusions of Global Fraternity

Operation Sindoor is a Wake-Up Call for Strategic Clarity and Civilisational Strength

Five years ago, I had remarked, “Diplomats can serve the country by advising on policy; they cannot run the country.” That statement was not a critique of diplomacy - it was a reminder that the soul of foreign policy must be anchored in national will, not external goodwill. Today, in the wake of Operation Sindoor, that sentiment has found renewed relevance.

In response to the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India executed a swift and decisive counter-strike—an assertion of its zero-tolerance stance against cross-border terrorism. And yet, the global chorus that often claims moral leadership fell deafeningly silent. None of our supposed allies—not the United States, nor the United Kingdom, France, Russia, or even Japan—stood up in unequivocal support. At best, we received routine condolences; at worst, strategic indifference.

This silence is not diplomatic oversight. It is a bitter lesson in realpolitik. As the Navbharat Times editorial rightly put it: “Bharat akela hai.” India is alone- not because it is weak, but because in the ruthless geometry of global power, friendship is transactional, and morality is a luxury. The international system does not move on ideals; it moves on interests. Those who forget this truth are destined to be disappointed.

The Illusion of Support

We often assume that our rise as a responsible power, our democratic ethos, or our role in global institutions will naturally earn us solidarity in moments of crisis. But India’s moral position—no matter how justified - is not enough. Narratives are not shaped by truth alone; they are shaped by power, consistency, and control over the global discourse.

Strategic analyst Nitin Gokhale summed it up precisely: “No major power is clearly with India. The path ahead lies in becoming an economic and military force that can shape its own destiny.” He is right. And that path demands a deep recalibration of how India views its place in the world.

Strategic Autonomy Is Not Optional

India must now shed its romanticism in global diplomacy and embrace a posture of unapologetic self-interest. This is not isolationism; it is strategic realism. Our policy approach must reflect three things:

• Strategic Autonomy: India must build its own sphere of influence—political, economic, and cultural. We must not outsource our security or our narratives.
• Narrative Warfare: We are not just fighting on the ground—we are fighting in headlines, think tanks, social media, and multilateral platforms. India must institutionalise global narrative shaping through a dedicated corps of scholars, diplomats, media strategists, and civilisational thinkers.
• Civilisational Clarity: We must stop viewing ourselves as a post-colonial nation and start acting as a civilisational state. One whose foreign policy is grounded not in mimicry, but in memory. Not in dependency, but in dignity.

Diplomats Must Not Be Policy Drivers

Diplomacy remains vital—but as an instrument, not the architect of national destiny. The state must lead with clarity of purpose. We need diplomats who execute, not shape, the national will. Foreign policy cannot be left to bureaucratic inertia or intellectual appeasement.

To this end, we must integrate military, economic, cultural, and spiritual dimensions into our foreign relations—what I call a “Panchakosha” (पञ्चकोश) Doctrine of Indian Statecraft:

• Shakti (शक्ति) – Power: सैन्य और रणनीतिक शक्ति – The strength to defend and deter.
• Buddhi (बुद्धि) – Wisdom: नीति और कूटनीतिक विवेक – Strategic thinking and decision-making rooted in knowledge and discernment.
• Aastha (आस्था) – Conviction: सांस्कृतिक और आध्यात्मिक आत्मविश्वास – Cultural rootedness and civilisational confidence.
• Artha (अर्थ) – Economics: आर्थिक सशक्तिकरण और समृद्धि – Economic capability as a pillar of global relevance.
• Dharma (धर्म) – Purpose: राष्ट्रीय धर्म और नैतिक दायित्व – The moral and civilisational compass guiding national actions.

India is not isolated. But it must stop expecting applause. Recognition is a consequence of strength, not morality. It is time to replace sentiment with strategy, and promises with power.

• Let India now move with conviction.
• Let India speak with strength.
• Let India walk alone, if necessary—but never walk behind.

Operation Sindoor is not just a military success—it is a philosophical turning point. It reminds us that in the pursuit of sovereignty, solitude is not weakness—it is the cost of clarity. This is not a call for isolation, but for civilisational confidence. Let us stop seeking applause. Let us project unapologetic strength.

Contributed by: Kunwar Shekhar Vijendra: Co-founder & Chancellor, Shobhit University | Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Education Council | Mentor CEGR |