Modi’s foreign policy

I agree with the writer of “Modi meets the world” (Nov.6) where he says the key challenges to the U.S.-led world order — Islamism and the rise of China — are of direct concern to India too. It will be a historic blunder if India expands its ties with the U.S. without keeping its eyes open. There are lessons to be learnt from the Pakistan-U.S. partnership, in which Pakistan is paying a heavy price. The U.S. has used its ties with countries only to serve its selfish interests. Who bombed Japan to pieces, and who created the Taliban?

Mohd Younis,Rahmo, J&K

Narendra Modi’s foreign policy has departed from the futile and outdated idealism of the Nehruvian era. The problem now is that people are being misled in the urge to label every move of Mr. Modi’s as an act of jingoism and his speeches as only full of rhetoric.

He has taken a tough stand against Pakistan’s adventurism on the border and is simultaneously engaged with China and Japan despite differences between these two.

Anoop Suri,New Delhi

Why criticise only the foreign policy of the BJP? Nothing prevented Manmohan Singh from inaugurating the Chutak hydro project in Kargil. Why didn’t he ever visit Siachen? In the last decade of UPA rule, hardly any new train services were planned for the Northeast, possibly out of fear of the Chinese reaction to such moves. The foreign policy then tended not to disturb “democracy” in Pakistan; not disturb the

status quo with China and to engage with either the U.S. or Russia in a way that would offend either. Now, there is a show of strength as far as our most hostile neighbours are concerned and an aggressive projection of “India first”, which means India will not bow to international pressure. How can this be termed chest-thumping?

Sweety Gupta,New Delhi

In India’s foreign policy, one can see new ideas. The article appeared to criticise Mr. Modi unnecessarily. How can one attribute everything to being the result of the influence of the RSS? While highlighting the recent Chinese incursions, the fact is that bilateral engagement is running smoothly. How can this be scoffed at? How can one attribute setting a rational limit for FDI in defence to an RSS touch? The Modi government is doing a lot, though there are some failures too. One needs to take a balanced view.

Harikrishnan D.,Thiruvananthapuram