The Voice of Global South summit was held in India on August 17, 2024. It was the third summit of the Global South hosted by India. The previous two conferences were held in India. Chief Advisor to the Interim Government of Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus also attended this multilateral conference. The initiative for this conference of the Global South was inspired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Biswas Aur Sabka Prayas’. The originator of this view was the ancient Indian philosopher Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, whose philosophy was ‘One World, One Family, One Future.’
Recent events, such as the Covid pandemic, the Ukraine war, rising debt, food and energy insecurity have severely affected the developing world. And these concerns of the developing countries are currently not getting proper priority or attention in the world stage like G-7 or G-20. Besides, neither the US nor China are particularly attractive to developing countries. Because the US focuses more on military power than financial aid, and China’s Belt and Road infrastructure development initiative has put many countries at risk of default. So there is an opportunity for India to lead. It is from this necessity that India initiated the Voice of Global South summit to bring countries together to solve their problems through a common platform.
Since both India and China are included in the Global South, a cold war between these two countries has been going on for a long time who will lead the alliance. Both countries think they are eligible to lead the Global South. The argument for China is that the amazing economic growth of them in the last three decades may be a role model for poor countries. And India’s argument is that they are the country of the world’s populous democracy. That could be the role model of African countries, who have no practice of democracy in the country. India has already earned a great reputation as a emerging economy country. So Western countries want to see India under the leadership of Global South as an alternative to China. Today’s report will not be compared between China and India. Rather, it will be analyzed whether India has the ability to lead. Whether India has the financial, military and mental maturity of India. Before verifying India’s ability, let’s find out what the Global South is.
The Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, was identified as the first meeting of the Global South countries. Participants at the conference discussed other issues as well as colonialism and ethnic discrimination. These countries desire to prevent western domination and intervention as well as maintain alliances. It was from this first conference that China and India started fighting for the leadership of the Global South.
There are currently 134 countries in the Global South. According to general geographical boundaries, the lower part of Ecuador is South and the upper part is North. But the Global South alliance is not based on any geographical boundaries. For example, India, China and Bangladesh are the countries of Ecuador’s North in the Global South, while Korea, Japan, and Australia are not in the South of Ecuador. Because, they are among the developed countries. The countries of the Global South can no longer be called third world countries. Because the term Third World came during the Cold War to refer to low-income and underdeveloped countries. At that time, the rich and developed countries were called the First World, the countries with the Soviet Union were called the Second World and the rest of the poor countries were called the Third World. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the countries that were part of it fell into dire financial straits, so they can no longer be called the Second World. Besides, the term Third World has become quite pejorative over time. Therefore, according to the new nomenclature, the developed countries are called the Global North and all the rest of the countries are collectively called the Global South. So the Global South basically refers to the low income, less developed and developing countries of the world.
The Global South has come into the spotlight more recently following the outbreak of the Ukraine and Gaza wars. 32 countries of the Global South did not join the UN condemnation resolution brought by the G7 countries against Russia after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Countries like Bangladesh, India, China, Pakistan, Africa abstain from voting. Again, most of the countries of the Global South voted on the UN ceasefire proposal in the Gaza war, but many of the G-7 countries abstained. In these two international events, the countries of the Global South expressed their strong opinions and strength, which would have been unimaginable even a decade ago. And this is possible because of the strong role of countries like India and China. Therefore, no matter how many underdeveloped countries the Global South can be seen, the Global South is a protest coalition against the developed G-7 countries. This Grand Alliance is no longer willing to accept hundred years of exploitation, oppression, hypocrisy, leadership of the Western world.
Now let’s discuss India’s leadership capabilities. The Global South includes 48 countries in Africa. These African countries are very underdeveloped and backward. Therefore, leadership in the Global South must address Africa’s aspirations and problems. These underdeveloped African countries see democratic governance as a key factor in stability and prosperity. India is the largest democracy in the world. So countries in Africa, where democratic governance is often disrupted, view India’s democratic values with great sympathy. India has historical relations with many African countries. India’s independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, a lawyer and human rights activist, spent more than 20 years in South Africa. The dominant role of the Indian diaspora in Africa therefore places India in a vantage point to lead the Global South.
India is also seen as a reliable partner in Africa due to its leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement and anti-colonial solidarity. Like Africa, India has a diverse population and India’s development is based on that population, technology and the private sector. On the global stage, India is a member of multilateral groups like the Quad and G20 and maintains good relations with the US, Europe and BRICS countries. Therefore, India can play an important role as a bridge between the Global North and the Global South.
So it can be seen that India qualitatively has the ability to lead the Global South but there is a proverb in English ‘Money talks’, which means in a Bengali proverb that empty words don’t wet tears. Developing countries in the Global South need billions of rupees in infrastructure, human resources, health, services and poverty alleviation. If India cannot provide this money as loans or grants then how will the underdeveloped countries benefit under India’s leadership? Apart from that, if India cannot solve the social and financial problems of the underdeveloped countries of the Global South in its own country, then how will India lead the Global South? So let’s see if India has financial capacity or not.
Gross National Income per Capita—
India is the 5th largest economy in the world. Being 5th out of 195 countries in the world is definitely not a word of mouth. But it must be remembered that India is the most populous country in the world. That is why the size of Indian economy is natural. So it is not enough to judge only by the size of the economy, we have to see how the per capita income of a country is. Because, GDP measurement does not reflect inequality and poverty in the country. A country can have a lot of economic growth, but if much of that growth is concentrated in the hands of a few elites, it will not benefit the common people.
Although India is the 5th largest economy in the world, in terms of per capita income, India ranks far behind at 141 out of 195 countries in the world. The matter is surprising, so apart from the per capita income of a country, the distribution of income between the rich and the poor must also be reviewed. In capitalist economies the wealth and income gap between the rich and the poor tends to be a little wider, but in India the gap is huge. In India, the richest 1 percent of the population enjoys 40 percent of the country’s total wealth, a rare feat in the world. Hence India’s GDP is mainly contributed by the rich 10 percent, as the remaining 90 percent contribute very little to the GDP due to unequal distribution of wealth. Currently India’s per capita income is 2 thousand 940 US dollars. If the top 10 percent of the richest people are excluded from the per capita income equation, the remaining 90 percent have a per capita income of just $1,730, less than even the poorest countries in Africa.
In addition to financial poverty, developing countries are plagued with problems such as high debt to gross national income, poor human development and gender inequality. If India is to lead the Global South, it will also have to contribute to solving these problems. Has India been able to solve these problems in its own country?
Debt to National Income
India’s debt to gross national income (GDP) ratio is 82.6 percent. There is much debate in the world about what percentage of debt to GDP should be. According to some economists, the loan amount should not be more than 50 percent. However, the debt rate of many developed countries in the world is very high. For example, Japan’s debt to GDP ratio is 264 percent, America’s 129 percent and Singapore’s 168 percent. So India’s debt is in a fairly good position.
It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh’s debt to GDP ratio is 39.2 percent, in this respect, however, Bangladesh is in a very favorable position compared to India.
Human Development Index
A country’s human development is measured by including three key components: life expectancy at birth (representing health), level of education (measured by average years of schooling and expected years of schooling) and standard of living (gross national income per capita at purchasing power parity). . This indicator basically determines a long and healthy life, the facility of acquiring knowledge and a decent standard of living. According to the latest report of UN Development Programme, India’s human development index value is 0.644, it is 134th out of 195 countries in the world, India is 105th in education rate, 104th in hunger index.
Gender Discrimination Index
The index is typically measured in three key dimensions: reproductive health (maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rate), empowerment (share of parliamentary seats and secondary education) and labor market (labour force participation rates of women and men). According to the latest report of the UN Development Programme, India’s Human Development Index value is 0.437, which is 108th out of 195 countries in the world.
The Constitution of India guarantees women empowerment and equality. Yet the country still faces significant challenges. Women in India often face gender-based violence, including physical violence, forced marriage and sexual violence. It should be noted that Bangladesh is far ahead of India in terms of women’s empowerment, women’s labor market participation and reproductive maternal mortality.
In addition to the above problems, India has some of its personal and its own problems that are seen in very few countries of the world. Such as caste system. It is a traditional social stratification in India. According to this practice, people of the country are divided into different groups on birth. The primary letters are Brahmin (priests and scholars), Kshatriya (warrior and ruler), Vaishya (businessman and agronomist), and Shudra (workers and service providers). This caste system has created opportunities for social discrimination in India, because people of the lower castes are often deprived of education, health care and employment opportunities. This caste system is so evident that it extends to the Western world countries beyond the boundaries of India. Dr. BR Ambedkar, a lower caste Dalit activist who presided over the draft constitution of India, warned ‘If Hindus were on earth.If you move to other regions, then the Indian caste will become a world problem. ”It is currently seen in countries like Canada and the United States where more Indians live. Another private problem, which is slowing India’s rise, is the obstacle of the language, the diverse religion and culture. Although apparently diverse cultures and languages are good for a country, it is identified as a major obstacle in the management of the country. There are more than 5 different languages in India, which are effectively obstructing the management of the country. Another problem in the management of the country is fading India’s development, which is the fierce Hindu nationalist. Narendra Modi is a Hindu nationalist and right -wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. The BJP has come to power in the 21st with the promise of the introduction of a new era of reform and development of India’s economy. But with the unprecedented victory of the BJP in the elections, Modi’s extremist nationalist supporters are showing violence and intimidation on religious minorities across the country to establish a entire Hindu state. Muslims are being forced to convert to Hinduism, houses are being burnt, and even killing people for eating beef; Note that cows have special status in Hinduism. Hinduism has been known as a tolerant religion for generations after generation. India is the most populous secular democracy in the world. The Indian Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion to practice their religion without fear of minority groups. But the Hindu nationalist movement is corrupting this tolerant identity of Hinduism.
Above all, to check India’s leadership capabilities, it is necessary to analyze how India’s relations with neighboring countries are. Because, if India cannot successfully lead only eight neighboring countries, how can India lead 134 countries in the Global South?
India is geographically surrounded by several countries in South Asia, resulting in a complex and multifaceted relationship between India and its neighbours. These ties are crucial not only for regional stability and security, but also for India’s aspirations on the global stage. Each of the neighboring countries—Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the Maldives—shares a historic relationship with India, which is occasionally marked by contested borders and political tensions.
India’s border with China remains tense and the two countries went to war in 1962. In this month-long war, China captured several parts of India, which China has not returned to India to this day. China started this full-scale war against India.
Pakistan and India have fought 4 wars (1947, 1965, 1971, 1999).
Nepal’s political landscape, particularly its emerging democracy and the drafting of a new constitution, have complicated bilateral relations with India. Issues such as border disputes and Nepal’s growing engagement with China have occasionally caused tension between the two countries. India’s 2015 blockade against Nepal is considered a scandalous chapter in the relationship between the two countries. During the six-month blockade, India stopped all supplies of goods to landlocked Nepal, causing extreme suffering to the people of Nepal.
Although India’s relations with Bhutan are often positive, it is not a challenge. India never sees well with the growth of Bhutan, especially with China and other countries.
Although India has strong relations with Sri Lanka, the relationship has faced challenges at various times, including the right to fishing of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the Palak system, India’s concern over China’s growing influence in the infrastructure project and political tension surrounding ethnic Tamil population. Of course, both countries are trying to solve these problems through dialogue and diplomatic involvement.
The basis of the Indo-Bangladesh relations is based on the history and cultural heritage of the two countries. With the help of India, the independence of Bangladesh in the 5th is known as the basis of this relationship. Land Boundary Agreement between the two countries in the 21st, which The shithals have facilitated the exchange and resolved a long -standing border dispute. Despite the conviction of the relationship between the two countries, India and Bangladesh face various challenges including water sharing, border management and trade imbalance problems. India completely supported the Hasina government during its rule, ignoring the concerns of the people of Bangladesh, despite the great love. Although Hasina’s rule became increasingly oppressive and autocratic, India has supported it with eyes closed. Within weeks of the fall of Hasina’s rule, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to the incident, attempts to destabilize Bangladesh, the falsehoods of the government -controlled Indian media and unrest in the border have not only turned the people of Bangladesh to India but also proved the indignation of the Indian government’s foreign policy.
An overall analysis shows that relations between India and eight neighboring countries are under tension. As the saying goes, you can be a good neighbor only if you have a good neighbor. So India may not be solely blamed for straining these relations, but for a large influential country like India to live with these problems with small countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka surely does not show India’s leadership ability. An example is the 1983 Teesta River Water Sharing Agreement between Bangladesh and India. According to this agreement, India is supposed to get 39 percent of the Teesta river and Bangladesh 36 percent of the water during the dry season. But till date Bangladesh has not received water from India as per the agreement and India has not shown any interest to resolve this issue. But hoping for Teesta water, Bangladesh has been pressured by India to sign sovereignty-violating agreements like the Transit Agreement — under which India can transport goods and people using Bangladesh’s roads, railways, waterways and seas.
A review of the data on the above socio-economic indicators, the salience of India’s own problems and an analysis of India’s relations with its neighbors show that India is not truly ready to lead the Global South. Because, India itself is plagued with the problems that the countries of the Global South are looking for leadership to solve. So the question arises that India is an economic superpower, how much of it is real and how much is propaganda? Because India’s gross national income has grown at an average of only 5.5% in the past decade, which can never make a developing country an economic superpower. And economic growth in India is concentrated on an elite few, which is why more than 41 percent of India’s urban population still lives in slum-like conditions, with very limited access to basic necessities like clean water and sanitation. This is certainly not a sign of economic superpowers.
In fact, India is an economic power, the economic and security interests of the Western world and the political interest of the BJP. The unprecedented rise of China has challenged Western imperialism. India needs India to counter China. Therefore, India has been included in the imperialist military alliance called Quad. At the same time, the Western world is able to sell thousands of rupees weapons by putting India into the power of the power. The ruling Modi government is another major partner of this propaganda. The BJP has been repeatedly elected by encouraging people to motivate the people by putting the label of economic power. And the West falls into this propaganda, considering India as China’s investment alternative. But what the Western world has faced is a large population, including high levels of poverty, poor education, low hygiene quality and broken infrastructure.
For years, India has been trying to make itself a regional force in Southeast Asia. India is working in such a way that it has a divine right over the region. India’s aggressive foreign foreign policy and blank promises are finally being exposed to countries in Southeast Asia. Every country in Southeast Asia is now viewing India’s presence as an allies but an unwanted intervention. The countries of the region are gradually disappointed with India’s older brother -in -law and understand that India is not really interested in enhancing regional cooperation but is interested in controlling everyone. India’s so -called ‘neighboring’ policy is just a strategy to retain India’s control for not to lean these countries towards China. Indian leaders are spending so much time to disrupt China’s plan in South Asia that they have failed to create any meaningful cooperation with their neighbors and prove it as a reliable partner. Leader is not a designation, leadership is a mentality. So as long as India does not change this mindset, why not India Global South will not be able to lead Southeast Asia.