PM Modi stressed that India’s centuries old concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ reflects India’s compassion for the world, while the lotus portrays India’s cultural heritage and faith in its ability to bring the world together.
G20—an intergovernmental Group of 19 countries plus Europe—was born in the aftermath of a series of financial crises: Mexican peso crisis, Asian financial crisis (1997), the Russian financial crisis (of 1998) and the collapse of the American Hedge Fund: Large Capital Management (1998) to stabilize and reform the global financial system to avoid economic crises. It reflected the realisation by G-7 that they couldn’t address such problems without involving some middle income countries with economic influence. It is believed the idea was conceived by the American Treasury Secretary, Larry Summers and the Canadian Finance Minister, Paul Martin. German Finance Minister, Hans Eichel, who hosted the inaugural meeting of G20 at the level of the Finance Ministers on 15-16 December 1999, was also one of the architects. Summers’ deputy, Timothy Geithner and Eichel’s deputy, Koch picked up countries without any definite criteria. Their selection was arbitrary. Hence, we have four members from Europe: UK, France, Germany and Italy; and three from South America: Argentina, Brazil and Mexico; but just one from the vast continent of Africa; and one from the Arab world. South Africa cannot represent 40+ countries of Africa. Similarly, Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the Holy Mosque in Mecca, is basically a Gulf State; its role in Yemen, Syria and Libya has been controversial and it remains at loggerheads with Iran.
Initially, G20 meetings were attended by finance ministers and governors of central banks. It was US President George W. Bush, who hosted the first Summit of the G20 heads of state and government in Washington in 2008, when the world was reeling under a financial meltdown. Ever since, the G20 Summit has become an important annual feature.
The G20 Summit has no permanent secretariat; its proceedings are carried on by the current Presidency, though the Troika (the immediate past President, the current President and the incoming President) to coordinates the process. Today, it represents 85% of global GDP, 75% of global trade and 60% of global population. Over the years, its agenda of discussion has expanded; besides the global financial system and economic development, it now addresses the issues of climate change, sustainable development, infrastructure, investment, energy, employment, corruption, agriculture, innovation and so on. Though bilateral disputes and internal political developments are no-go areas, participating leaders do flag such issues; it’s unimaginable that the Ukraine crisis won’t find a mention at the next summit in Bali this week.
India is assuming the G20 Presidency when “the world is going through the aftereffects of a disruptive once in a century pandemic, conflicts and a lot of economic uncertainty.” While launching the logo of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The symbol of lotus in the G20 logo is a representation of hope in these times. No matter how adverse the circumstances are, the lotus still blooms. Even if the world is in deep crisis, we can still progress and make the world a better place.”
He conjures up a fascinating narrative of hope and positivity, drawing attention to India’s age old cultural heritage. “In Indian culture, the Goddess of both Knowledge and Prosperity are seated on the lotus. This is what the world needs the most today—shared knowledge that helps us overcome our circumstances, and shared prosperity that reaches the last person at the mile.” PM Modi further elaborates: “Seven petals of the lotus represent seven continents of the globe and seven notes of music.”
The PM’s remarks convey lofty idealism and an inspiring vision of the role of G20 in the world. He stressed that India’s centuries old concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” reflects India’s compassion for the world, while the lotus portrays India’s cultural heritage and India’s faith in its ability to bring the world together. So, while Indian TV channels might be on fire, debating the choice of lotus and the government’s critics alleging that it was a subtle way of promoting the BJP to the world, the PM’s exhorting words about bringing the world together are likely to strike a positive note.
Underlining India’s initiatives like “One Sun, One World and One Grid’ and her theme for the Summit, “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, PM Modi expressed the hope that G20 would pave the path for global welfare. It will bring the world together in harmony. No sane person would dispute the desirability of such noble wishes. Let us pray that these wishes are fulfilled.
However, a degree of realism and caution will be in order. In G20, the largest economy, the United States and the second largest economy, China, have strained relations, differ on regional and global issues and are wrestling for global domination. Taiwan has been a major bone of contention; the visits of the Speaker of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi and other US parliamentarians to Taiwan were provocative and have exacerbated the tension.
President Joe Biden, who has called China and Russia, America’s strategic rivals, wants to outcompete China and cripple the Russian economy with the severest sanctions. Ukraine isn’t the only issue on which they don’t agree; most members of the G20 believe the current shortages of food grains, fertilizers, oil and gas and the steep spike in prices and inflation can be attributed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
India, now the fifth largest economy, has her own share of problems with China, including Chinese aggression in Galwan valley and support to Pakistan.
The US has been pressuring the EU and other allies like Canada and Australia to boycott China’s Huawei 5G and blocking the supply of semiconductors to China. Getting the world together is easier said than done and international harmony is unfortunately conspicuous by its absence.
PM Modi’s emphasis on sustainable development and belief that development and environment can walk together can’t be faulted, though the issues of loss and damage and funding for adaptation are still being debated at the COP27 at Sharm el Sheikh .
Similarly, there is a lot of merit in PM Modi’s assertion that the scope of conflict can end when democracy becomes a culture. But can democracy be grafted from outside? If this were so, we would witness flourishing democracies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and the release of the Pakistani society from the clutches of their Army and the ISI. Alas, it seems like a daydream.
Surendra Kumar is a former Indian ambassador.