India claims to be a leader of the Global South – but its strategic silences subvert that assertion

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“It’s time for us to work together to give the Global South its rightful seat at the table,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament earlier this month. This rallying cry, echoed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s assertion that India had “walked the talk” on amplifying the voice of the Global South during its G20 presidency in 2023, suggests a deep commitment to justice, equity, and solidarity among formerly colonised nations. Yet, beyond the stage-managed speeches and summit diplomacy lies a starkly contradictory reality. India’s foreign policy under the Modi regime has demonstrated a troubling dissonance...