It is heartening to read that no leader from India has visited Australia for nearly 28 years and the last one to go to Fiji was Indira Gandhi in 1981. The presence of Chinese is considerable in Pacific and south pacific islanders. South pacific islanders consist one of the biggest voting bloc in UN with 12 members. How our short sighted leaders with their myopia didn't give a damn about such strategic countries? Fiji with considerable Indian population and familiarity with this country since colonial time, how it failed to make to itinerary earlier? Had the military rule been an impediment? And no just Fiji but the pacific islanders as a whole block.
Has Pak and China made our thinking so miserable in IRs?
Some thoughts?
Comments
1) Emergence of coalition politics...hence short sightedness in policy making
2) Lost significance of NAM where India was amongst the leader
3) later part of cold war, india was inclined towards soviet union which collapsed...and had lost the support of a superpower
4) too much focus on neighbourhood issues especially pakistan and china
Earlier indian diplomacy was based on principles like panchsheel, trust for each other ,loyalty etc...Now its based more on realpolitik
Regarding the diaspora issue, earlier they were asked to be faithful to their respective govt.s and were not focussed. Indian diplomacy focussed on bigger coutnries and their govts. more. While countriees like Israel, germany, and china they focussed on diasporas.. CHinese economic engine was started by their diasporas mainly since 1980s. Realized later the indian govt. took steps to take advantage indian diaspora....like creating a ministry of overseas indian affairs, pravasiya bharatiya divas etc.
Has Pak and China made our thinking so miserable in IRs?
No.