In Search of a Multipolar World
Mayukh Biswas
THE Modi government has left no stone unturned in praising Trump – from "Namaste Trump" to "Howdy Modi." Not long ago, far-right Hindu groups celebrated Trump’s birthday and even performed rituals for his victory. But despite all the theatrics, Trump has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods – the highest in Asia. This export duty, applied as "punishment" for buying cheap oil from Russia, will severely impact leather, textiles, IT, and agriculture sectors, risking millions of jobs. Yet, the so-called "56-inch chest" remains silent. The RSS had supported Trump’s anti-Muslim policies, seeing his divisive moves align with their communal agenda – they thought Trump was their 'long-lost brother.' Now, Modi is in deep trouble. Meanwhile, despite their cold relations, China has made its stance clear. Chinese Ambassador Zhu Feihong tweeted in support of New Delhi, "Give an inch, and they’ll take a mile." He highlighted how the US weaponises tariffs, violating UN and WTO rules to suppress other nations, destabilising the world.
The world is changing fast. Brazil, South America’s top economy, has returned to a leftist path. Trump-Modi ally Bolsonaro lost, while labour leader Lula da Silva reclaimed the presidency through mass movements. Lula now openly criticises the US and strengthens ties with China and Russia. Meanwhile, Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s former president, heads the BRICS Bank – an alternative to the IMF and World Bank. Western powers, aligned with Washington, are losing sleep over this shift.
In 1990, a year before the USSR collapsed, US Secretary of State James Baker promised Russia that NATO would not expand “an inch eastward” if Moscow agreed to German reunification. That promise was broken. Today, NATO extends to Ukraine, right on Russia’s border, fuelling the current conflict. NATO was originally meant to counter the Soviets, but even after the USSR’s fall, it bombed Afghanistan and Libya. Putin has pointed out that Russia has never deployed missiles near the US border, while American weapons sit at Russia’s doorstep – hence Moscow’s demand for security guarantees.
For 500 years, western powers such as Portugal, France, Britain, and Belgium drained Africa of its wealth. But the tide is turning. Countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are expelling former colonisers. Africa is demanding accountability for the gold and uranium looted under the guise of “peacekeeping.” France is even shutting embassies in the region. Though apartheid has ended in South Africa, whites still own most of the land, and calls for land reform are growing louder. Defying western threats, South Africa stands with Palestine, challenging Israel’s brutality at the International Court of Justice. This defiance has Trump & Co. seething – but Africa is no longer alone. BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) is a powerful ally.
Western bullying has sparked global anger. The US and its allies impose sanctions or launch strikes whenever nations refuse to fall in line. Libya was destroyed simply because Gaddafi rejected the petrodollar. For six decades, Cuba has endured a crushing embargo. Iran is blocked from selling oil. India is threatened for buying Russian crude. All of this underscores western monopoly.
BRICS is more than an economic bloc – it represents the possibility of genuine global equality.
ELEPHANT AND DRAGON
India and China, both BRICS founders, share a 3,800 km border – and a history stretching back over two millennia. The world owes them gratitude since ancient times.
As early as 200 BCE, China learned of India through Central Asian tribes, with direct ties forming by 200 CE. China referred to India as Shendu (from Sindhu) and Tianzhu (“Land of Heavenly Bamboo”). India gave the world the concept of zero, decimals, trigonometry, and early calculus – Baudhayana calculated π (pi) in the 6th century BCE. Meanwhile, China – known as Serica (“Land of Silk”) – pioneered paper, gunpowder, the compass, printing, the abacus, and binomial theory. Roman writers like Pliny recorded that Chinese iron was prized in Rome. For nearly 2,000 years, Chinese technology outpaced the west, and Marco Polo marvelled at its paper currency.
Buddhism deepened ties. The art of Ajanta in India and Dunhuang in China reflects cultural fusion. In the 8th century, Indian astronomer Gautama Siddhartha headed China’s astronomy bureau. Chinese pilgrims like Faxian and Xuanzang traveled to India for Buddhist texts, while Bengali scholar Atisha Dipankara later taught in China. During the Song dynasty (1000–1300 CE), China became a global centre of Buddhism. Even as Buddhism declined in India, Indian monks continued to travel to China, the land of Maitreya, Manjushri, and Amitabha.
Mongol incursions shifted trade to the seas, enriching Indian empires like the Cholas and Rashtrakutas. Chinese influence is still visible in Kerala’s Zamorin elections and in Cochin’s famous fishing nets. In 1440, China even mediated disputes between Bengal and Jaunpur.
Both nations later suffered under European colonialism. China was devastated by the Opium Wars. When Communist leader Zhu De sought Nehru’s help against Japan, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose sent a medical mission – Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis became a symbol of friendship, hailed by Mao as “an emblem of solidarity.” In 1915, Chinese Communist Party co-founder Chen Duxiu translated Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali. For 2,000 years, India and China shared conflict-free cultural exchanges.
After China’s 1949 revolution, India extended friendship, leading to the Bandung Conference and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (Panchsheel). But colonial-era distortions fuelled later border clashes. CPI(M) has consistently urged dialogue to resolve disputes and strengthen civilizational bonds – though critics dismiss this as “being pro-China.”
Today, economic realities bind the two giants. Chinese investors bypass restrictions through Singapore or partnerships with Indian companies like Reliance. China dominates global production, and about 30 per cent of India’s exports go to China. Despite the 2020 border clashes, bilateral trade grew – 43 per cent in 2020-21 and 8.6 per cent in 2021-22 – reaching $88 billion, with China enjoying a $46 billion surplus.
Chinese companies thrive in India, from smartphones to infrastructure. Even the RBI approved the Bank of China. Politically, the RSS calls for boycotts, yet the BJP maintains ties – Chinese firms have built tunnels in Uttar Pradesh and even worked on Gujarat’s Statue of Unity. Modi himself has visited China 14 times, while RSS leaders travel there often.
Yet, the west exploits India-China tensions, pushing New Delhi into the Quad (US, Japan, Australia, India) to contain China – testing Modi’s credibility within BRICS. India has shifted arms purchases from Russia to Israel, bought Pegasus spyware to target critics, and deepened ties with Zionist groups. Still, under western pressure, India aligns with Quad strategy – an imperialist project to control the global south and curb China’s rise.
The Indian Ocean, once a “British lake,” became a Cold War hotspot after Second World War, peaking during Bangladesh’s liberation war. In 1976, Britain handed Diego Garcia to the US to counter the USSR. Today, both India and China see the region as vital: India from the Persian Gulf to Malacca, China for securing its trade routes. The US pushes Quad to counter China’s “String of Pearls” strategy and Belt & Road (OBOR), while undermining BRICS. This region is now the world’s power hub.
NEED FOR COOPERATION
A Buddhist temple in Quanzhou still shows Indian influences – proof of ancient maritime trade from Malabar to Malacca. Lion motifs, native to neither India nor China, became shared symbols of royalty and spread to Sri Lanka (Sinhala, “Lion People”) and Singapore (“Lion City”). Such exchanges show how ideas evolve with trade.
Today, Asia’s two largest populations must rethink relations. Resolving border disputes would reduce US leverage in Asia, enabling India and China to guide the world beyond Eurocentrism. CPI(M) has long advocated dialogue and cooperation, warning that colonial “divide and rule” only breeds conflict.
For centuries before Europe’s rise, India and China shaped global trade and culture. In the 21st century, their cooperation is not just desirable but essential – for peace, stability, and a more equal world order, whether “WhatsApp University” approves or not.
