New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS): The Congress party on Saturday said the BJP government must take deliberate steps to rebuild confidence among partners in the Global South and demonstrate that India continues to be a credible and constructive partner, including during times of crisis.
Congress Foreign Affairs Department Chairman, Salman Khurshid, in a statement, said, “The Indian National Congress welcomes the continued evolution and growing significance of BRICS as a platform for shaping global developments, advancing the legitimate aspirations of the Global South, and ensuring fullness of life for all peoples.”
The party said that in an era marked by geopolitical fragmentation, economic coercion, supply-chain vulnerabilities, conflict and climate stress, India must work closely with its BRICS partners to forge an “equitable and balanced world order, capable of delivering security, prosperity and dignity to all peoples”.
According to the Congress, as former Prime Minister late Manmohan Singh consistently did, India must “provide moral leadership and strategic clarity to BRICS”, while simultaneously remaining committed to the furtherance of the national interest.
“This means balancing the promotion of a rules-based international order, sovereign equality, peaceful coexistence and human dignity, while also prioritising India’s strategic and economic rise. Successive governments since 1947 have strived to do this, enabling India to legitimately claim to be the voice of the Global South. India’s mediation in the Korean War, principled stances in West Asia, campaigns against apartheid South Africa, push for decolonisation across the world, and advocacy for reform of global governance institutions are examples of India’s moral leadership,” the statement read.
The Congress said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated a position that the Indian National Congress has long articulated — that “India must be a voice for the Global South”. However, the party said it firmly believes that “declarations of solidarity must be complemented by consistent and consequential action”.
“In this spirit, PM Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government should endeavour to restore the diplomatic space and stature India has historically commanded. This includes taking special measures to address concerns of perceived endorsement of attacks on BRICS member Iran, the BJP Government’s limited diplomatic role during the ongoing war in West Asia (including its unwillingness to forge consensus between BRICS members), and its inadequate support for BRICS founding member South Africa when it faced diplomatic pressures,” the statement read.
“The BJP Government must, therefore, take deliberate steps to rebuild confidence among partners in the Global South by demonstrating that India remains a credible and constructive partner, even in times of crisis,” it added.
Furthermore, the Congress said that although BRICS countries account for 19.6 per cent of global merchandise trade, India’s trade relationship with BRICS remains “deeply imbalanced”.
While acknowledging the efforts surrounding the BRICS Pay System, the party said the BJP government should use India’s BRICS chairmanship to “advance a mutually beneficial trading relationship, pursuing greater market access for Indian goods and services, addressing non-tariff and other market barriers, while securing fair and predictable conditions for Indian enterprises to compete and expand in BRICS nations”.
Additionally, the party said that some agreement must be reached on securing supply chains and inclusive connectivity, while efforts should also be made to operationalise the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, which was established in 2014 and to which India has pledged USD 18 billion.
“Separately, efforts must be made to ensure that the commitments made at the BRICS Summit in 2021 (which India chaired) are tangibly furthered. This includes securing firm support for India’s candidacy as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. We hope the Prime Minister will hold a press conference to apprise the nation on what was discussed and finalised during the BRICS Summit,” the statement read.
The Congress further said that the BJP government should use the 18th BRICS Summit to exercise statesmanship by strengthening solidarity among BRICS members without allowing the grouping to become involved in bloc politics.
“The BJP Government should also use the 18th BRICS Summit to exercise statesmanship by forging solidarities among BRICS members without allowing it to get engaged in Bloc politics; deepen South-South cooperation and make the function as a stabilising forum in a fragmented international system; to work together to address deficiencies in global institutions; and to demonstrate that strategic autonomy can coexist with constructive and consequential multilateralism,” the party said.
“The Indian National Congress believes that India must unequivocally demonstrate that it is strong enough to advance its own interests, while being principled enough to stand with those who seek a fairer world, and be trusted enough to serve as a credible bridge between the Global South and Global North,” it added.
