Russia, India, China Marching Towards A Multipolar
World
By Dr. Sawraj Singh
In the year 2010, the leaders of all of the permanent members of
the security council of the United Nations visited India. President
Obama of America, President Medvedev of Russia, Prime Minister Wen
Jiabao of China, President Sarkozy of France, and Prime Minister
David Cameron of the UK. It is obvious that India’s importance in
the world in transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world is
rapidly growing.
President Obama and the other western leaders want India’s
support to maintain the status quo. That means that the western
domination of the world for the last two centuries should continue
and the American era which started after the fall of the Soviet
Union should continue. The present unipolar world order is based
upon the assumption that America is the only superpower in the
world.
The Russian and Chinese leaders have tried to convince India that
India’s interests will be best served in a multipolar world where
there is no one leading power center and there are many centers of
power which maintain equilibrium and balance of power in the
world.
This is the only way that peace can be maintained in the world and
a third world war can be avoided. When there is a big tree, then
the other trees cannot grow under its cover. Therefore, if India
wants a status befitting its changed status in the world, then
India has to work for a new world order.
The Chinese tell India that China and India have lived together as
peaceful and friendly neighbors for thousands of years. They traded
in ancient times through the silk route. India conquered China
without sending a single soldier, through Buddhism. The Chinese
accepted not only Buddhism, but also the concepts of Indian
spirituality and philosophy. Acupuncture, acupressure, and the
Chinese martial arts are all heavily influenced by the Indian
concepts. Acupressure and acupuncture are based upon the flow of
Chi, which is the same as Prana in the Indian spirituality.
Similarly, the Chinese martial arts were developed from the basic
techniques which were brought to China by the Buddhist monks from
the Himalayas. These monks learned these techniques from observing
nature. They watched different animals, birds, and snakes defending
themselves or attacking the others.
The Chinese students studied in the ancient Indian universities of
Texla and Nalanda. The study of the Indian history is incomplete
without reading the writings of Song Yun and Fa Xian, who were both
Chinese students in the ancient Indian universities.
Even in the modern times, the relations between China and India
were very cordial. Dr. Dwarka Nath Kutnis, an Indian surgeon from a
family of doctors in Maharashtra, laid his life in the service of
the Chinese wounded during the Japanese invasion of China. He was a
member of the team of Indian doctors who went to help the Chinese
who became victims of the Japanese aggression. India and China laid
the principles of peace and mutual coexistence among the
nations.
These are inspired from Buddhism and are called Panch Sheel. The
border problem between the two countries is after all a legacy of
the British colonialism. The colonialists never demarcated the
border properly and left problems in the colonies which can later
be exploited for their purpose, “Divide and rule.”
Russia has been India’s time-tested friend which stood by India in
its time of need. Russia is unique among all of the European powers
because the Ural mountains pass through Russia. These mountains
form a natural border between Europe and Russia. Therefore, Russia
is both a European and an Asian country. Russia and India voted
together in the United Nations against America about 90% of the
time, at one time. Russia used its veto power when America brought
resolutions on Kashmir.
Russia supplied India with heavy and sophisticated weapons. Even
now, 70% of Indian military hardware comes from Russia. Russia also
helped India in steel, civil nuclear energy, and chemicals. The
Russian weapons helped India to win wars against Pakistan, which
had American weapons. Who in India has not heard of the AK-47?
This is how much the Russian weapons have become popular in India.
Russia is not happy with the Indian tilt toward America, but is
still willing to revive the traditional friendship with India.
Russia is working with India in RIC (Russia, India, China) and BRIC
(Brazil, Russia, India, China). Russia is trying to help India to
become a member of the Shanghai Corporation, which has China,
Russia, and the Central Asian countries.
America is trying to start a third world war in Asia. There can be
many reasons for that such as when the capitalist countries are
faced with a severe economic crisis, then they want to start a war
to come out of the economic crisis. America sees the Asian
countries as the main rivals to its hegemony. If a war starts in
Korea, then the three most developed Asian countries, Japan, China,
and South Korea will be directly involved in the war and their
economic and technological progress will be very adversely
affected.
If a war starts in Asia now, Europe may not have any other choice
except to support America. Therefore, a war may be the only way to
preserve the collapsing western alliance because of the widening
gap between Europe and America. If a person like Sarah Palin
becomes President, then the western alliance is bound to collapse
because Europe will not accept her as the leader of the western
alliance.
Another American reason for starting a war in Asia can be that
somehow it can lead to a break in the Russia-China alliance because
Russia may not like to be involved in a full-fledged war in Asia.
The coming together of Russia and China has always been an American
nightmare. So far, the Russian and Chinese alliance seems to be
holding firm. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia is not
willing to trust America again.
So long as Russia and China are together, then no country or group
of countries can beat them. If India does not join the American-led
alliance, then there is very little chance of starting a third
world war. India seems to hold the cards whether the transition
from a unipolar world to a multipolar world will be peaceful or it
will happen after a third world war.
All peace-loving people are hoping that it will be a peaceful
transition. The people of the world, including the American people,
have much to lose if there is a third world war.
In a multipolar world order, India has much to gain, but if India
joins the side which wants to maintain the unipolar world then
India may be the biggest loser in that struggle.
Russia, India, and China should march together towards a multipolar
world.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington
State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central
Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached
at[email protected] or
509-962-3652.
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