Author: Gautam Bambawale, TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: September 10, 2023
URL:    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-next-big-thing/articleshow/103557641.cms? from=mdr

India did well to deliver consensus in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration. The summit’s organisational success shows the country has the capacity to host prestigious events like the Olympics

The scenes on our television screens of leaders of the major nations of the world including the President of the United States arriving in New Delhi for the G20 summit and later being greeted at the newly minted Bharat Mandapam by Prime Minister Modi signalled to all our citizens, that India is as capable as any in the world in organising such a meeting of heads of state and government.

Coming on the heels of our Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing and the gold medal by javelinist Neeraj Chopra at the World Athletic Championship, here was yet another indicator that India had arrived on the world stage. There is an upbeat mood in the country. Self-belief is now rampant especially amongst our younger generations.

While India that is Bharat has many more challenges to resolve and many more ‘miles to go before we can sleep’, this self-confidence in the nation will carry us the distance. This is a major accomplishment from our successful hosting of the G20 summit.

The fact that the Presidents of China and Russia not attending the New Delhi summit was quickly and correctly dismissed as stemming from their own domestic reasons rather than as a snub to India is another example of our country’s maturity, rationalism and confidence. Such a matter-of-fact approach is new, realistic and welcome. There was not too much hand-wringing or self-flagellation, as in the past.

The fact that the Presidents of China and Russia not attending the New Delhi summit was quickly dismissed as stemming from their own domestic reasons rather than as a snub to India is another example of our country’s rationalism and confidence.

Understanding that countries whose top leaders were absent would stand to lose rather than India, is an expression of the newfound confidence and self-belief. This positive attitude based on hard work and self-worth that our national cricket team discovered some time ago has now spread through the nation.

In fact, the absence of some nations’ top leaders permitted India to play the role of voicing the thoughts and ideas of the Global South to the hilt. Since actions speak louder than words: Admission of the African Union into G20 at the New Delhi summit will be received with warmth in the countries of that continent.

It permitted India to clearly display that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or One World, One Family, One Future was not a mere slogan for New Delhi but a deeply held belief based on which we take our actions. Hence, the New Delhi summit of G20 has shown India to be a true leader and friend of the Global South.

Once again, this was proved in the pronouncements of the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration for which India had to work extra hard to form a consensus. Kudos are due to our negotiators. Here too India set an example going beyond mere words by resolving all our WTO disputes with the United States. Surely, this will be an example for the rest to follow.

India’s Prime Minister clearly stated in his opening remarks that what ails the world today is a lack of trust amongst nations. India exhibited through its successful presidency of G20 that it is one of the countries in the globe that will work tirelessly for building consensus outcomes.

This quality is so rare in today’s highly divided and fractured geopolitics that it immediately marks us as a leader amongst nation states. Rebuilding trust amongst the comity of nations is something we can work for. That itself is rare today.

India has also given a new meaning to G20 and its meetings by not confining these confabulations to the capital city of New Delhi but locating events in over 60 cities across the length and breadth of the nation. Through this measure, and the Jan Bhagidari events that accompanied it, the people of the country were made aware of what G20 is and were enthused about its activities.

This is a template that others need not follow but my guess is that other governments will be compelled to heed India’s leadership in the matter. This will be a good augury for G20 as ordinary citizens across all member states will become aware of this plurilateral grouping as well as its aims, objectives and work.

Hosting the G20 summit has not merely taught us in India how to build the necessary hard infrastructure but also the soft skills that are necessary for organising a successful summit of world leaders. It has pushed us to achieve goals we were not accustomed to laying down for ourselves. It has forced us to think Big. It has shown us that we are second to none in planning and executing such events. It has taught us to keep raising the bar so as to achieve greater heights.

The time has come for India to bid for and host the Olympic Games.