Opinion | India and Its Stand Over the Changing Scenario of Geo-Politics

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the idea of a ‘New Bharat’ is not just for slogans. It is visible. Be it launching the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) as a counter to China’s Belt and Road, or hosting the G20 with voices from the Global South, India is changing the direction of conversations. As someone from Kashmir, a region that was often reduced to a talking point, I now see India making the world listen rather than explain.

As a young Kashmiri who has seen the world change not just through textbooks but from the windows of curfews, bunkers, and the choked silence of hartals, I often find myself observing international politics with sharper eyes. The world has changed. Borders might still exist on maps, but alliances and rivalries no longer follow conventional geography. And in the middle of this global reset, India is not just watching, it’s shaping. Gone are the days when India’s role was limited to being the moral voice in global forums. Today, India isn’t just voicing peace; it’s asserting influence. From Palestine to the Pacific, Delhi is no longer leaning on either Washington or Moscow. It is defining what I now call a ‘politics of balance’, where India stands firm, speaks its own language, and makes decisions based on national interest, not global pressure.
The Russia-Ukraine war was perhaps one of the finest examples. While the world polarised itself into blocks, India chose dialogue over drama. It did not chant slogans from Washington’s playbook nor did it parrot Moscow’s justification. It simply said what needed to be said: war must stop. As a Kashmiri, this resonated deeply. For long, we have been stuck between narratives, so India’s stand here was a masterclass in walking alone with conviction. Then came the Indo-Pacific theatre. China, with its muscle-flexing near the LAC and in the South China Sea, needed to be told that the world is not a playground of empires. India responded, not by loud declarations, but by joining hands with Japan, the US, and Australia through QUAD. It was not a club for war; it was a message that peace would no longer be submissive. We have seen China’s designs in Ladakh firsthand. So yes, when India rises diplomatically, it echoes in our valleys too. The recent Israel-Hamas conflict further tested global stances. While many nations either condemned Israel blindly or stayed silent on Hamas’s terror, India once again walked its own path. It condemned terrorism without hesitating but also voiced for civilian lives in Gaza. That balance of standing by humanity and yet not giving cover to violence is something even bigger powers struggled to achieve. And honestly, that kind of maturity on the world stage gives people like me hope that Indian diplomacy now belongs to the future.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the idea of a ‘New Bharat’ isn’t just for slogans. It is visible. Be it launching the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) as a counter to China’s Belt and Road, or hosting the G20 with voices from the Global South, India is changing the direction of conversations. As someone from Kashmir, a region that was often reduced to a talking point, I now see India making the world listen rather than explain. There is a storm of transformation underway. And India has chosen not to be swept away by it, but to steer through it with its own compass. In this changing scenario of geo-politics, it is not just India that is being reshaped but it is also regions like ours that are finally finding their place in a nation that is respected, not dictated to. For me, the loudest message of all is this: India does not need to choose sides because today, the world is finally starting to choose India.
The writer is a student activist and can be reached at soulofkashmir1@gmail.com