Former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao explains why India refuses to choose sides

By The Hindu

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Speaking at The Hindu Huddle, former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao offered a sweeping assessment of the changing global order and India's place within it. Rao argued that the world is not witnessing the birth of a new world order but rather the erosion of the old one, with traditional institutions facing growing challenges to their authority. She suggested that today's world is increasingly shaped by "intermediary" or "pivotal" powers that can communicate across geopolitical divides. Rejecting the traditional label of a middle power, Rao described India as a "pivotal power" that maintains relationships with multiple centres of influence — from Washington and Moscow to Tehran, the Gulf states, the Quad and BRICS. On strategic autonomy, she argued that India’s approach is often misunderstood. Rather than passive neutrality or fence-sitting, Rao said strategic autonomy means engaging all sides, preserving independent judgement and maintaining freedom of action in an increasingly fragm

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