Since the last few days, I have been following the get-together of the puppeteers who hold the strings for controlling a major part of the world- I mean the G 20 New Delhi summit. The feeling of desh bhakti got amplified in me. In fact, every desh wasi can be proud of the fact that we are not referred to as the land of snake charmers anymore.
Rather we have learnt how to charm the movers and shakers of the world. At the summit, Joe Biden didn’t walk like Gabbar Singh did in Sholay though he is the most powerful person on the planet. Even Erdogan, the Turkish strongman, who used to be India’s bete noire, has turned as sweet as baklava. NASA is actively wooing our ISRO. I hope they are not trying to get the ‘sasta bhi accha bhi’ secret from us. Since India and China have had close cultural contact since centuries, the Chinese have insight into the ‘Chanakya neeti’ ingrained in our DNA.
Therefore, the taming of the dragon has not been possible. Probably we need to put to work the tantriks with expertise in vashikaran and black magic to achieve what seems impossible with the diplomatic channels.
After the Ukraine war, the international politics works on the dictum- you are either with us or against us. But we are the only major power in the world which has maintained the delicate balance between Russia and the West. This is easier said than done- try keeping your mother and wife equally happy. But Indians are born diplomats- from a young age we learn how to survive and thrive amidst the family politics and the extended family intrigues.
Some proclaim, ‘It is all about the money honey.’ It is said that India’s huge population and the resulting market potential has made nations court us. But there were many other factors at play during the summit. The authorities chose to hold the meeting at a time when the Delhi air is supposed to be quite clean. They also cleaned it up further with some strong-arm tactics.
The foreign heads of state have been captivated in different ways. After the traditional welcome, they were awed with visuals of our kaleidoscopic culture and then offered astounding variety of yummy food. The move to offer them a taste of India’s street food was a masterstroke- many of them have become addicted to chaat papri, bhel puri and paani puri. PM’s warm hugs finished off whatever little resistance they had.
Our media’s obsession with Pakistan shows no signs of abating. Pakistan wasn’t a part of the summit. But Pakistan was still brought into the picture by showing stories of how Pakistanis were feeling slighted after the signing of the India Middle East EU corridor. The Pakistani media is no better. Their newshounds eagerly wait to pounce upon India. The organizers heaved a sigh of relief after the event. It was as if they had to arrange twenty marriages in one go. Though some Delhiites were inconvenienced because of travel restrictions, many employees got an opportunity to recline on easy chairs because of closure of offices and to watch the spectacle on television.
It seems our nation’s days of playing second fiddle to others are over!
Jas Kohli is a noted humour writer. He is the author of three bestselling humour novels, ‘Lights! Wedding! Ludhiana!’, ‘Lights! Scalpel! Romance!’, and ‘Anything to Look Hot’.