These days, Mera Bharat Mahaan has become a favorite whipping boy for all and sundry.
The latest to deliver a stinging slap on India’s face is cute looking Indian-American Manjari Chatterjee Miller, an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University and alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi and Harvard University.
In an article titled India’s Feeble Foreign Policy published in the latest issue (May/June 2013) of the respected journal Foreign Affairs, Manjari slams the mechanism by which the nation’s foreign policy is made.
Manjari argues that India will not be a great power without a stronger foreign policy making apparatus.
Manjari writes that India’s foreign policy is “highly individualistic” (essentially made by “overburdened” Indian Foreign Service officers) and marked by “absence of grand strategic thinking.”
One reason Manjari cites for the absence of strategic/long-term planning – there are not enough Indian Foreign Service officers and the available few are preoccupied with mundane, day-to-day matters or “putting out fires” from crises.
She also faults absence of influential think tanks in India that can provide strategic guidance to foreign policy makers. To Manjari, even respected think tanks Centre for Policy Research and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses lack clout.
Here’s the essence of Manjari’s criticism on India’s foreign policy:
Countries that aspire to great power status usually look beyond tactical challenges, imagine a world that best suits their interests, and work to make that vision a reality. The problem for New Delhi is that its foreign policy apparatus is not yet designed to do that. India’s inability to develop top-down, long-term strategies means that it cannot systematically consider the implications of its growing power. So long as this remains the case, the country will not lay the role in global affairs that many expect.
Weaknesses
* To lay readers, one of the glaring weakness of Manjari’s article is the absence of examples to prove how the absence of strategic thinking or long-term planning (assuming she is right on the absence) in foreign policy formulation has adversely impacted the country’s standing in the international arena. Without examples, Manjari’s argument fail to convince readers that India is at a disadvantage or that the country has no strategic planning. Interviews with a few anonymous Indian foreign ministry officials are not enough.
* Second, she summarily dismisses the two units in India’s foreign ministry that specifically deal with strategic planning, the Policy, Planning, Research Division and the Public Diplomacy Division as effete divisions “lacking clout” without offering any details. Nor does her article provide any suggestions to improve the influence of these divisions.
* Third, Manjari overplays the importance and benefits of think tanks in foreign policy formulation. The presence of countless think tanks in the U.S. has not prevented American foreign policy from being a disaster in the Middle East, Central Asia, South America and parts of Europe and South Asia (despite billions in aid to Pakistan, polls show majority of Pakis hate America). Since U.S. foreign policy is often held hostage by the military industrial complex, the pro-Israel lobby, desperate need for cheap oil and crackpot dickheads like Dick Cheney or empty-heads like George W.Bush, think tanks have not proven to be a great advantage to American foreign policy-makers. Given that India is a lot more corrupt than the U.S., the presence of think tanks with greater influence with the country’s External Affairs ministry could easily turn them into handmaids of vested interests (foreign powers).
Sexy Indian American Professor Manjari Blasts “India’s Feeble Foreign Policy” added by SearchIndia.com on
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Wow, she is super sexy.
But like all good looking girls, she too doesn’t have any brains.
Her thinking, as you said, is flawed and much like that of babus and netas who rule India.
In general, beautiful girls never played positive role in any society. They are the root cause of most problems in society.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. You write: But like all good looking girls, she too doesn’t have any brains.
By that logic, I suppose my favorite Tamil starlets Trisha, Nayantara, Priyamani, Shruti Hassan, Thulasi Nair and Sameera Reddy are intelligent! 😉
2. You write: In general, beautiful girls never played positive role in any society. They are the root cause of most problems in society.
I’m stumped for an answer.
But I suspect that most men would heartily welcome the “problem” of a beautiful girl.
The 2013 Oscar in the category of Stereotyping goes to vedagiris!
If there is any truth to the saying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” then Men are the root cause of all evil in society because it is the men who perceive the beauty. I am leaving gay and lesbian people out for a moment.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
It’s all the fault of that appetite monster in the brain, the hypothalamus! 😉
Source: http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-the-Hypothalamus.aspx
“In general, beautiful girls never played positive role in any society. They are the root cause of most problems in society.”
It is a good argument. Beauty and Brain is a rare combination. But not an impossible one.
“But I suspect that most men would heartily welcome the “problem” of a beautiful girl.”
Seen Pakisthan’s Hina and the-then indian foreign affairs minister SM Krishna’s handshaking with her?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
I’m sure, given a chance Krishna would love to “shake and stir” a lot many things of Hina’s (and his too) besides her pretty hands. 😉
Given the unpredictability, enormous range of human behavior and the influence of the environment (external stimuli), it’s hard to draw inferences of causality.
The best we can aspire to is some correlation.
Only because Tamil starlets are intelligent, they are able to fool people by showing their skin. They know what is average intelligence of cinema fans and they easily exploit those sheeps.
Ultimately, these worthless starlets enjoy the best of life.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. I’d argue stars show skins not to fool people but because 99.9% of men like to salivate over bare skin.
In business terms, films sell what people queue up to buy.
2. All of us are worthless except to ourselves and a few near ones.
SI – What do you eat before you come up with these gems!! 🙂
“All of us are worthless except to ourselves and a few near ones.”
SearchIndia.com Responds:
I consider the so-called “gem” one of my great psychological insights into human nature! 😉
And I swear on Abhishek Bachchan I wrote that when completely sober.
Just back from The Great Gatsby!
Will respond to your e-mail in five minutes.
She is okay looking.
Why all are going crazy over this ordinary lady. kaanja maadu kambai pathathum…?..
Who cares about Indian foreign policy, when corruption is so high there?
Let them fix that first..For a railway board member, 100 crore rupees is the bribe money…common..tell Manjari to shut up.
Secondly, when she decided to work for an American university and not for a Indian university, she needs to shut up on indian foreign policy.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. So, a Professor of International Relations working in an American university should not write about Indian foreign policy?
Good Lord, the American who issued your H1B or L visa must have been drunk or on dope.
Sweetie, you’re a strong contender for the “Dumb Commenter of 2013” award. 😉
2. The good news is that both the Railway Minister and Law Minister have been booted out!
The same american who issued your citizencheap… I am also padesi citizen like you (but I don’t disrespect indian h1s and l1s the way you have downgraded them in your blog..coolies etc).
Mayuri has rights to write on Indian foriegn policy the same way you write on incredible india by sitting here…the people from this country don’t care all we indian gcs, green cards etc..For them you are a indian..doe not matter u r a jattyson or L1…so we all bite back to our indian roots..tell your pretty lady to fix the foriegn policy of our (onduna) country first! will u publish this or cowardly delete my comment..jokers!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. Since you’re curious, I got my citizenship under a Republican President. And we all know how stupid 99.99% of Republicans are!
2. Your original comment that a Professor of International Relations should not have the right to write an article on India’s Foreign Policy makes absolutely no sense. Now to cover up your asinine comment, you go off on a tangent with more gibberish.
Sweetie, you’re a strong contender for the “Dumb Commenter of 2013” award.
Hmm.. a comment and response has gone missing from this spot!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
The comment went off in a rant against us, which is not related to the sexy Professor’s article on Indian Foreign Policy.
here you go…u proved you are very nice person by posting my reply. thanks. yethanai vellaikaran invited nee to his veedu for a saapadu in last 20 years? yethanai vellaikaran visited unn veedu for a saapadu in last 20 years. bathil 000000000. summa keten moolaikara intha naatu ownere!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You’re going off on a complete tangent.
What does a White guy inviting you for lunch or you inviting him have to do with the topic.
In any case, discrimination is ingrained in the human DNA. Most of us do it in one way or the other even if it’s proscribed by law (which can at best only minimize discrimination).