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Can a country that aspires to be treated as a global power afford to be so prickly and thin-skinned? India has protested against Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong’s remarks in the city state’s assembly that “Nehru’s India has become one where … almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder”, saying they were “uncalled for”. It is not quite clear what this protest was meant to achieve. As a matter of fact, many of the winners of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections have criminal charges against them. According to the Association of Democratic Reforms, which analyses affidavits of candidates every election, 233 winners in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, or 43 per cent, self declared criminal charges against themselves, and of these, 159 had self declared serious criminal cases. The criticism from an unexpected quarter — Singapore and India are strategic partners, and are linked by trade and cultural ties — may have rattled the government.
Lee made the remark in the context of declining parliamentary standards during a debate sparked by accusations of lying against a member of the opposition in Singapore. But if the purpose of Delhi’s protest was to convey that India will not take lying down insults to its democratically elected Parliament from the leader of a country that is hardly democratic, even if that country is a friend, it could have been better served by pointing out that the requirement of self-declaration of criminal charges in the election affidavits is a progressive step that empowers the voters to make better choices. As it is, though, Delhi’s response has led to speculation that the objection was perhaps more to the laudatory reference to “Nehru’s India” from which the Modi government has been trying to distance itself actively.
The bigger question is: Can a country that aspires to be treated as a global power afford to be so prickly and thin-skinned? India has “summoned” far too many ambassadors in recent times to hector them on so-called “anti-India” statements made in their countries not just by political leaders but even by private entities or individuals. The Ministry of External Affairs has even used social media platforms to shout down critics abroad, complete with hashtags. Just the other day, Delhi blasted the OIC for its comments on the hijab row in Karnataka. The government may win brownie points in some domestic galleries for standing up to critics outside, but Delhi should know that it wins no respect internationally when it does this, unless it wants to count itself in the same category as China. By reacting as it does, Delhi does not send out a message of strength, but the opposite — it only makes itself look insecure.
This editorial first appeared in the print edition on February 19, 2022 under the title ‘Being thin-skinned’.
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