Modi govt making much of not doing anything at all

In June 2025, our government declared that India has taken it as its responsibility to bring the Voice of the Global South (henceforth VoGS) to the world stage. As one newspaper headline put it: ‘Time to make presence felt, India voice for Global South: S. Jaishankar ahead of G7’.

Incidentally, for the last three years, India has been hosting the Voice of the Global South Summit, which the government has shortened to VoGSS.

The immediate provocation for announcing our responsibility was linked to our arrival at the G7, where India is not a member but designated — along with others like Mexico, Brazil, Comoros and the Cook Islands — an ‘observer’ (in plainspreak, a spectator).

There is no real role, though sometimes hugging and giggling is apparently permitted.

The G7 — America, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — put out a statement condemning Iran for being attacked by Israel. Referring to the bombing campaign, which murdered civilians including scientists in Tehran and elsewhere, the real players reiterated their ‘support for the security of Israel’, affirmed that Israel has a right to defend itself and that ‘Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror’.

VoGS had no opinion on this, even though our prime minister observed that it was ‘time to make our presence felt’, because VoGS was kept on mute.

It is unclear why we attend gatherings where we have no say. But who can question the mighty? They have their reasons.

In truth, it was time to make our presence felt elsewhere.

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) — in which VoGS is a member and actually has a say — also put out a statement on the same subject.

The SCO has nine players: China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Their citizens represent some 42 per cent of the humans on this planet, a majority of the Global South. The SCO charter says its duty is ‘to promote a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic international order’. Meaning it will stand for the rights of the weaker and poorer nations.

The SCO’s statement ‘strongly condemn[ed] the military strikes carried out by Israel’ and stated that ‘such aggressive actions against civilian targets, including energy and transport infrastructure, which have resulted in civilian casualties, are a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter’.

On the same day (14 June) India put out a counter-statement, distancing itself from these words and clarifying that ‘India did not participate in the discussions on the above-mentioned SCO statement’.

Again, it is unclear why we run away from discussions we can influence as participants and instead attend those where we are spectators. VoGS works ‘in mysterious ways, [Its] wonders to perform’, as the poet William Cowper might have put it.

Another 14 June newspaper headline read: ‘India abstains, 149 nations back UN resolution for Gaza ceasefire’. The resolution condemned ‘the use of starvation and the denial of aid as tactics of war’ and demanded a lifting of the blockade by Israel.

All South Asian nations voted for it except VoGS.

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The reason given reads thus: ‘India’s abstention was in the belief that there is no other way to resolve conflicts, but through dialogue and diplomacy’ and that ‘our joint effort should be directed towards bringing the two sides closer’.

Yes, of course, we should bring those who are bombing and those who are being bombed closer.

Reminds me that in cricket, the act of making much of not doing anything at all is called ‘shouldering arms’.

The ministry of external affairs website tells us that on 14 August 2024, India hosted its 3rd VoGSS: ‘This unique initiative began as an extension of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas”, and is underpinned by India’s philosophy of vasudhaiva kutumbakam. It envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform across a whole range of issues.’

On 8 May, in a case relating to the living conditions and deportation of Rohingya refugees, the same Indian government told the Supreme Court that it neither recognises the UNHCR-issued refugee cards nor the Rohingyas as refugees since India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and, therefore, does not extend any refugee protections.

Apparently VoGS and its bombast about a global family comes with several terms and conditions attached.

It need hardly be said that India’s non-ratification of the UN Refugee Convention cannot be an excuse to send people into conditions of danger, persecution and statelessness.

Under the principle of ‘non-refoulement’ in customary international law, India is still required to refrain from forcing people to go back to places where they would be at real risk of being subjected to serious human rights violations and abuses.

This is additionally a specific legal obligation under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights — to which India is a party.

But why should we care? And what’s stopping us from making grand speeches about the Global South and our shared humanity while acting in blatantly contrary ways?

Nothing, and so the charade will carry on.

Views are personal. More of Aakar Patel’s writing may be read here.

When will Modi stand up for India?