India has become more strategically confident and proactive in creating and developing a “Bharat narrative”, an article in China’s Global Times has said, praising India’s significant strides in the spheres of economic, social governance and foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Global Times, a prominent state-run Chinese media outlet, has published the article penned by Zhang Jiadong, the director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai, that highlights India’s remarkable achievements over the past four years.

It acknowledges India’s robust economic growth, improvements in urban governance, and a shift in attitude towards international relations, notably with China.

“For example, when discussing the trade imbalance between China and India, Indian representatives earlier used to primarily focus on China’s measures to reduce the trade imbalance. But now they are placing more emphasis on India’s export potential,” Zhang said in the article.

The article said that with its rapid economic and social development, India has become more strategically confident and more proactive in creating and developing a “Bharat narrative”.

“In the political and cultural spheres, India has moved from emphasising its democratic consensus with the West to highlighting the ‘Indian feature’ of democratic politics. Currently, there is even more emphasis on the Indian origins of democratic politics,” the article published on January 2 said.

This shift, the author asserted, reflects India’s ambition to escape its historical colonial shadow and act as a “world mentor”, both politically and culturally.

Furthermore, the article lauded India’s foreign policy strategy under PM Modi, highlighting the nation’s multi-alignment approach and bolstering ties with major global powers such as the US, Japan, and Russia while displaying a nuanced stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The article noted that India’s strategic thinking in foreign policy has undergone another change and is clearly moving toward a great power strategy.

“Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power, he has advocated for a multi-alignment strategy, promoting India’s relations with the US, Japan, Russia and other countries and regional organisations,” Zhang said in the article.

“India has always considered itself a world power. However, it has only been less than 10 years since India shifted from multi-balancing to multi-alignment, and now it is rapidly transforming toward a strategy of becoming a pole in the multipolar world. The speed of such changes is rarely seen in the history of international relations,” he said.

In conclusion, the author said, “It appears that a transformed, stronger, and more assertive India has become a new geopolitical factor that many countries need to consider.”
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In 2023, Zeenat Aman made her Instagram debut and swiftly rose to prominence on the platform. Recently, she honoured her former co-star, the late veteran actor Feroz Khan, through a heartfelt Instagram post.

Upon discovering the term ‘rizz’ – slang for charisma or attractiveness, Zeenat Aman used it to encapsulate the essence of Feroz Khan. Sharing a nostalgic throwback picture alongside the late actor, she penned a note that resonated with the enduring impact of his charisma. “I read somewhere that Oxford’s word for the year 2023 is “rizz” – short for ‘charisma’. Well, if I’ve ever known anybody to have rizz, it was Feroz Khan.”

On the work front, Zeenat Aman was last seen in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Panipat. Now, she is all set to make her comeback with Bun Tikki alongside Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol in Manish Malhotra’s production venture.

The Congress, under pressure from INDIA bloc allies, has finally made a move to thrash out the contentious issue of seat-sharing. Sources said party leaders are reaching out to allies for seat sharing and adjustments across the country. Senior leader Mukul Wasnik has dialled various Opposition party chiefs. If required, the Congress will go to states to meet Opposition leaders too if required.

Sources indicated that the party hopes to finalise the seat-sharing agreements before the next phase of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which will begin on January 14. The idea is to get on with campaigning as the Manipur-to-Mumbai march begins.

With that mind, the list of candidates, too, is expected to be finalised sooner rather than later.

The Congress decision came at a meeting held this evening at the party headquarters in Delhi. A second meeting was held at the home of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, where besides Rahul Gandhi, the committee on seat-sharing — headed by Mukul Wasnik — was also present. Former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel are the members of the seat-sharing committee.

The path to seat sharing, though, is expected to be rocky, with leaders of various Opposition parties signalling their unwillingness to share turf.

“INDIA alliance will be present in entire India and in Bengal the Trinamool Congress will fight. In Bengal it is only the Trinamool Congress that can teach the BJP a lesson. It can show the entire country the path to victory, not any other party,” Mamata Banerjee has said.  

The Shiv Sena UBT, too, has telegraphed reluctance.

“This is Maharashtra, and Shiv Sena is the biggest party here. Congress is a national party… We have always said that Shiv Sena has always been fighting on 23 seats in the Lok Sabha elections including Dadra and Nagar Haveli and that will be firm,” senior party leader Sanjay Raut had said.

Maharashtra has 48 seats and some will be claimed by Maha Vikas Aghadi ally — the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party. While the Congress is part of the alliance, its say is limited given the number of seats it won in the 288-member assembly in the 2019 polls was only 44.  

Leaders of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party have also indicated that they would not like to share any of the 21 seats in Delhi and Punjab.

While AAP has kept the Congress hemmed in both states, the party’s showing in the 2019 general elections had not been steller.

Though AAP won four of the 13 seats in Punjab, it ended up losing them to factionalism and party-hopping. In Delhi, AAP lost all 8 seats to the BJP.

In Bihar too, the Opposition bloc participants have a very clear idea about their claims, though there have been no on-record comments on the subject from the ruling Janata Dal United and ally Rashtriya Janata Dal.

The Congress’s poor showing in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly elections, is expected to further erode its heft.

The seat-sharing situation in Uttar Pradesh, which has the biggest chunk of Lok Sabha seats, 80, is expected to draw much attention.   

Deprived of the six seats he sought in Madhya Pradesh by the state leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is not expected to yield ground in his home territory. Akhilesh Yadav has openly expressed his displeasure with the Congress ahead of the election in Madhya Pradesh.

In 2019, the Congress had managed to win only one seat in Uttar Pradesh – Raebareli, which is the stronghold of Sonia Gandhi. The state hold the key to power in Delhi.