India has dispatched seven all-party delegations comprising 59 members — including 31 leaders from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and 20 politicians from opposition parties — to key partner nations across the globe. These delegations are visiting strategic countries, including members of the United Nations Security Council and the European Union, to share India’s firm stance of zero tolerance toward terrorism in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor. Former diplomats are accompanying the teams to support diplomatic outreach.
But the question remains: Will the world listen?
The short answer is both yes and no. Some regions — particularly in Asia, Africa, and South America — are more likely to understand and support India’s position. However, when it comes to Western nations, especially the United States and Western European countries, the response is expected to be more dismissive. So, why has the Indian government chosen to invest time and resources in this diplomatic exercise, knowing that reception in the West might be lukewarm?
Understanding the Western Indifference
To answer that, we must examine the longstanding relationship between Western powers and Pakistan. For over three decades, the United States and its European allies have provided financial and diplomatic support to Pakistan, either directly or through institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. In fact, Pakistan has received around 30 bailout packages in the past 35 years, despite being globally recognized as a safe haven for terrorism — home to 96 UN-designated terrorists and numerous terror group headquarters.
Why this contradiction? The answer lies in geopolitical strategy, not moral consistency.
Pakistan was not created out of compassion for Indian Muslims, but rather as a geopolitical buffer by the British to contain Soviet influence and limit India’s rise. The creation of both East and West Pakistan in 1947 was a calculated move, not a cultural necessity. Western powers, particularly the US and UK, have continued this policy framework — aimed at preserving their global dominance. They perceive rising powers like India and China as threats to their influence and hence pursue policies that contain or destabilize them.
This colonial mindset was recently echoed by a Pakistani defense minister, who openly admitted in an interview that Pakistan has served the West’s strategic interests — often by engaging in activities the West could not directly carry out. He also highlighted how war fuels the U.S. defense economy, contributing significantly to its GDP through arms sales and military exports.
A Pattern of Suppression
History offers more examples. Japan, once poised to overtake the US economically in the 1980s, was brought to its knees through the Plaza Accord and an artificial spike in energy prices — both of which severely crippled its economy. Japan never recovered its trajectory. A similar strategy seems to be playing out with China, although China’s independent policy stance may yield different results.
As for India, its rapid economic rise is undoubtedly causing discomfort in Washington and Brussels. Alongside China, India is poised to reclaim its historical position as a global economic powerhouse. This resurgence has prompted the West to exploit regional instability, as seen in the recent regime change in Bangladesh, widely perceived as part of a broader strategy to disturb peace in the Indian subcontinent. In this context, Pakistan and China have become convenient proxies for both the West and each other — not necessarily because of ideological alignment, but due to shared interests in containing India.
Why the Delegation Still Matters
Given this complex geopolitical backdrop, it’s reasonable to argue that India’s parliamentary outreach might not change Western policy overnight. However, that does not render the effort meaningless. This unprecedented display of national unity — political rivals joining hands in defense of India’s sovereignty — sends a powerful message. It tells the world, particularly the former colonial powers, that while Indian political parties may contest elections fiercely, they stand united in matters of national security. For the West, accustomed to exploiting internal divisions in other nations, this level of unity may be unexpected — and unsettling.
Conclusion
While the Western bloc may continue to overlook or downplay India’s concerns due to its entrenched geopolitical agendas, the rest of the world is listening. Nations across Asia, Africa, and South America, many of whom have also suffered from terrorism and neocolonial interference, are likely to resonate with India’s message. For the West, the visit might serve as a warning: India is no longer the fragmented post-colonial state they once knew. It is a rising power with a unified voice, and their divide-and-rule tactics no longer hold sway. In short, India’s all-party delegation may not immediately shift Western policies, but it redefines how India projects power — with unity, purpose, and the moral clarity to confront terrorism on the global stage.