Read on Twitter
Thread: In this major @ChathamHouse report on the UK's post-Brexit future, India is grouped on the other side of a "new divide in international affairs – between open societies where citizens have the capacity to fight for their rights & those where these rights are denied" p.12 https://twitter.com/RobinNiblett/status/1348556833544429568
The report's observations on disturbing domestic political developm'ts in 
make for an important read, however large parts of the analysis of as an international partner are based on too-narrow assumptions about how to be a legitimate member of the liberal order, in my view
make for an important read, however large parts of the analysis of as an international partner are based on too-narrow assumptions about how to be a legitimate member of the liberal order, in my view
Some of the report's highlights on India:
p. 3 - "some of the original targets of ‘Global Britain’ – China, India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – may be important to the UK’s commercial interests, but they will be rivals or, at best, awkward counterparts on many of its global goals."
p. 3 - "some of the original targets of ‘Global Britain’ – China, India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – may be important to the UK’s commercial interests, but they will be rivals or, at best, awkward counterparts on many of its global goals."
p. 45 - India is grouped as part of "the difficult four: India, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia".
According to the report:
- "a deeper relationship with India always promises more than it can deliver"
- "The legacy of British colonial rule consistently curdles the relationship"
- growing US-India relations are "putting the UK in the shade" p. 46
- "a deeper relationship with India always promises more than it can deliver"
- "The legacy of British colonial rule consistently curdles the relationship"
- growing US-India relations are "putting the UK in the shade" p. 46
- "India’s complex, fragmented domestic politics have made it one of the countries most resistant to open trade and foreign investment"
- "India’s interests rarely align with those of smaller, more economically developed democracies" p. 46
- "India’s interests rarely align with those of smaller, more economically developed democracies" p. 46
"the overt Hindu nationalism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is weakening the rights of Muslims & other minority religious groups, leading to a chorus of concern
that intolerant majoritarianism is replacing the vision of a secular, democratic India bequeathed by Nehru" p. 46
that intolerant majoritarianism is replacing the vision of a secular, democratic India bequeathed by Nehru" p. 46
"While giving India the attention it deserves, the UK government needs to accept that gaining direct national benefit from the relationship, whether economically
or diplomatically, will be difficult." p. 46
or diplomatically, will be difficult." p. 46
"Including India in a D10 at this time could make building any meaningful consensus on policy or joint actions that much harder. India has a long and consistent record of resisting being corralled into a ‘Western’ camp." p. 56
"Today the government of Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, brings at best an ambivalent approach to the human rights abuses by other states that should
preoccupy a group of committed democracies." p. 57
preoccupy a group of committed democracies." p. 57
"With Indian domestic politics also having entered a more
ethno-nationalist phase, as noted earlier, a D10 might end up functioning as a D9 at some point in the future, with all the damaging knock-on effects this would have on the UK’s relations with India." p. 57
ethno-nationalist phase, as noted earlier, a D10 might end up functioning as a D9 at some point in the future, with all the damaging knock-on effects this would have on the UK’s relations with India." p. 57
