India alone has the power to rein in China, Fareed Zakaria also said a big thing about Modi’s third term

New Delhi : India-born American journalist and well-known geopolitics expert Fareed Zakaria has described India’s big and important role in the new emerging world-order. In one of his/her interviews, he/she said that India’s role becomes very important because it is the only country in Asia that can counter China. It can rein it in. In an interview to TV news channel NDTV, the veteran journalist also praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. he/she said that PM Modi can simultaneously attract the common man and also bring a wave of modernization. he/she also gave the example of the success of Digital India for this. In the interview, he/she also talked about PM Modi’s possible third term. In his/her new book ‘The Age of Revolutions’, Fareed Zakaria has talked about the revolutionary changes taking place in the world, the rise of many countries and the challenges arising from it. In the interview, he/she said that the rise of China is the fundamental reality of international politics and India has become very important, because it is the only country in Asia that can ‘counter’ it.

…then PM Modi’s third term will be historic

Fareed Zakaria said about PM Modi’s possible third term that it will give him/her more weight than other global leaders. The third term will give him/her democratic legitimacy which many global leaders do not have. he/she said, ‘This (third term) will give a certain kind of moral and political strength to Prime Minister Modi.’ he/she said that if PM Modi gets a third term, it will be very historic. he/she said that PM Modi is very popular and many people of the country listen to him/her.

Praising Prime Minister Modi, Zakaria said that he/she is unique in a way. he/she is able to work both internally and externally. he/she said that Trump is also a popular leader but not as much as Modi. Zakaria said that America has a large urban population and a large section of it thinks that Trump is not right for them. Zakaria said, ‘But Prime Minister Modi is able to simultaneously appeal to the common man and the wave of technology-based modernization that is going on in India right now. That is why I think he/she is so successful politically…he/she is very smart politically.’ Referring to the digital revolution in India, Zakaria said, ‘As a poor country and a latecomer in technology, India chose the best path it could have taken.’

‘Only India in Asia has the power to counter China’

Responding to a question, Fareed Zakaria said, ‘The rise of China and the return of Russia have become important new features of the current world order. Both of these pose a direct challenge to the existing rule-based international order. In this context, India becomes very important because India can balance or counter China in a way. It is the only country of this size and scale that has the ability to balance China in Asia for a long time.’

Explaining how important India’s role is in the world order, Zakaria said that it can also provide a counterbalance in terms of maintaining the rules-based international order, which it has historically been an advocate of. he/she said, “Emphasis on state sovereignty, emphasis on decision-making through bodies like the United Nations. So in this new world, India can play a very positive and constructive role. There is tremendous goodwill for India in the United States and Europe.”

‘India has an important role in the new world order but these are challenges too’

Zakaria also mentioned the challenges that India will have to overcome. he/she said that India will have to face challenges on two fronts to take advantage of this situation. Talking about the two challenging fronts, Zakaria said, ‘One, it has to grow economically. China is still five times bigger than India in economic terms. In terms of GDP per capita, India is still a poor country. It is $2,700 per capita, which makes it the poorest country in the G-20. So, to carry its weight, it has to continue to grow economically and, frankly, a little faster. A poor country like India needs to grow at a rate of 9%.’

Regarding the second challenge, Zakaria said, “India should remain committed to the rule-based international order.” he/she expressed apprehension that there will always be a danger that countries like India may abandon some rules for narrow and short-term temporary gains. Zakaria said that in the new world order, India has the ability to make and decide the rules. It can shape the agenda, make rules, but to do so, it will have to remain committed to the rule-based international order.