Citation: Mohan Kumar, India’s Moment: Changing Power Equations Around the World (Harper Collins 2024)
ISBN No: 9789356999527.
The book elaborates on India’s standing in the global realm of negotiations in all categories, from analyzing the challenges to overviewing the growth in the transition from a ‘naysayer’ to a rule-maker, it tries to provide a intelligible view on the growing political, economic and strategic clout of India in the world diplomacy. The author Mohan Kumar is a veteran diplomat, now retired after serving for 36 years as a member of the Indian Foreign Service.
The book traces India’s interest and origin in global politics to the pre-independence era, appreciating the representation and participation in the 1919 Paris Peace Conference although not yet being established as a sovereign state. Furthermore, leveraging the exception to the requirement of ‘self-governing’ status for entry, facilitated inclusion in the League of Nations, followed by International Labour Organization (ILO), the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ) , and other League organizations such as United Nations (UN), five years prior to the independency. In addition, the book emphasizes on India’s approach in underpinning their commitment towards multilateralism and negotiations by constitutionalizing the principles.
In its initial chapter, the book locates the ‘Gandhi Litmus Test’ as being a major drawback to India in its quest to be actionable in diplomatic negotiations before 1990s, as it was all too unique to the country, as vast number of people were under the ambit of poverty. But, post 1991 as the poverty ratio was declined, India’s potential for becoming a strategic partner in international negotiations increased. Confirming the assertion, the book derives a comparison between Uruguay Round of trade negotiations of 1986 with that of the Doha Round in 2001, further applauding India’s position in climate change negotiations subsequently. Ultimately, the book asserts for an Integrated Assessment Framework outlining the focus over domestic politics, material gains, geopolitical imperatives, commitment to multilateralism and finally the Gandhi Litmus Test in order to assess India’s stand in the international forum.
Disagreeing to the ‘naysayer’ reputation of India developed in the summits of World Trade Organization (WTO) the book showcases the nature of state as developing and least-developed countries were exploited by the developed ones. By analyzing the lack of deserved recognition from major players in WTO for India’s efforts in establishing a positive negotiating agenda, it stipulated the ‘Implementation’ agenda that was conceived by India along with other like-minded countries referring to the difficulties faced by them in coping with the goals that are mostly laid down with the purview of developed countries.
Furthermore, questioning the tag of ‘naysayer’ the book exemplifies India’s independent initiative in forming a negotiating group for Mode 4 (Movement of Natural Persons) under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and urging participation of developed countries. In addition, the refusal by WTO in granting Geographical Indications (GIs) to India on products such as ‘Basmati Rice’, ‘Kolhapur Chappals’ and accepting ‘Champagne’ as a GI to the European Union shines light over India’s attempt for a stronger footing in negotiations and consequently, denotes the vagueness on the ‘naysayer’ tag over India. Hence, the book seeks to set the record straight on India’s role at WTO.