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After 6 failures, India once again bravely attacked the "permanent membership of the United Nations Council"?
Only this time, they are well prepared and menacing, and they have already dealt with the United States and Russia, which are among the P5.
As long as China is allowed to loosen its mouth, India's "normalization" is basically a certainty.
For this reason, Modi also specially sent a "big gift" to China.
So, will India succeed this time?
Why do they cling to "normality", and why do they always ask for nothing?
Normal: India's dream of a great power
In 1971, the mainland became one of the five permanent members after regaining its rightful seat in the United Nations.
In fact, as early as the founding of the United Nations (1945), China was already one of the five permanent members.
But at that time, it was the Republic of China.
But in any case, this is a very high affirmation of our international standing.
It is precisely because of this that our next-door neighbor India is extremely dissatisfied and has repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction.
China can "normalize", why can't India?
As early as 1945, when the United Nations was still discussing a "normal" seat, India proposed itself to "become a permanent member".
Anyone with a dream is amazing, but I have to say that India is really a typical example of self-indulgence.
The reason for this is that we should first understand what the role of the permanent members of the UN Security Council is.
The United Nations was established after World War II.
The most important organ of the organization is none other than the Security Council.
Because it has mastered the military operations of the United Nations.
The Security Council, on the other hand, is made up of 15 members.
Among them, the five permanent members (the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, and China) have one veto power.
That means that the thing that the permanent members agree on is the law of the United Nations.
These five countries are the centres of power in the United Nations.
In this way, we can understand India's obsession with "normalcy".
"Joining the norm" represents the status of an absolute great power.
This coincides with India's impressive "dream of becoming a great power."
Speaking of which, I have to mention Jawaharlal Nehru, the leader of the Indian independence movement, the first prime minister and the proposer of the "great power dream".
In 24 years, starting in 1921, he was imprisoned nine times by the British colonial authorities.
It was also during countless nights behind bars that Nehru had imagined a beautiful blueprint: to make India a "world power with a sound and impressive".
Perhaps at the time, it wasn't exactly a pipe dream.
After all, India is also a country with a long and glorious history.
Moreover, it has a vast land and a large number of people, and its geographical location is superior, dominating the South Asian continent and holding the Indian Ocean.
When it called for "normalization", India used this as an excuse to sell itself and boast.
And they emphasized that India contributed a lot to the war.
It's just that this sentence still seems that they are a little ashamed.
As the five victorious countries of World War II, the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France all relied on the military to qualify for "normalization."
At the end of World War II, China relied on the great victory of the 14-year arduous War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
In the 70s, China's permanent status as a permanent member of the Security Council was not inherited from the Republic of China, but was brought about by a series of achievements.
For example, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and the Battle of Zhenbao Island.
What's more, a month before China resumed its P5 seat, we had just successfully test-fired the DF-5 intercontinental missile.
The implication is that in the international community at that time, force determines the right to speak.
So, what hard power does India have to stand on an equal footing with these five permanent members?
History proves that they are not strong enough, but their ambitions are not small.
In the 50s of the last century, less than a decade after India's independence (1947), it was already completely inflated.
They claim that their armies are invincible in Asia, and they use them to frequently intrude into the surrounding areas, even to the mainland.
It's just that as soon as the two countries fight, they will immediately see the real chapter.
In the 1962 self-defense counterattack against India, the PLA needed to fight over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Himalayas.
On the Indian side, however, it has the advantage and waits for work.
As a result, the Indian ace army was basically wiped out, and the Indian government was forced to almost evacuate the capital New Delhi.
In fact, to say that all this happened in just 32 days is to save face for India.
The real fighting time between the two sides was only 15 days.
This incident has made India's proud force a great international shame.
This war directly pulled India out of the "third world leader" seat.
More importantly, India has completely lost its "normal" status.
That's why they're still nostalgic for China.
However, India will not give up on its dream of becoming a great power.
As Jawaharlal Nehru said: "Whether or not India succeeds in entering the Security Council, I think we should stick to that attitude from the outset...... It is only natural that India should become a member of the Council. ”
What is frustrating is that almost all of India's elite elites are deeply influenced by Nehru's ideas and believe that India is inherently extraordinary and will become a world superpower.
Therefore, over the years, they have been constantly seeking to "enter the norm", even if they are always rejected, they still move forward.
Twists and turns on the road to "normality".
In 1994, nearly half a century passed since India first sought to "become normal".
This time, they regained their strength and applied for "normalization" again.
Since being woken up by China's First World War, India, which no longer daydreams, has begun to bury its head in hard work.
During that time, they developed nuclear weapons with one hand and worked hard to grasp the economy with the other, and their strength became stronger and stronger.
At the same time, over the past few decades, the Indian side has worked the United Nations.
India has always been the most active in disarmament, peacekeeping and, above all, in the financial sphere, and has therefore served as a non-permanent member on a number of occasions.
Of course, this is far from the dream of a great power, and "normalization" is the ultimate goal.
In the early 90s, with the collapse of the USSR, international relations underwent significant changes.
The reform of the United Nations has become a general trend, which has given India an opportunity to return to normalcy.
Originally, India wanted to replace the big brother of the Soviet Union.
Who would have thought that Russia would directly inherit the P5 seats.
But even so, India still did not give up, thinking that it would retreat to the next best thing, and if it could not enter the P5, it could become the "Sixth P5".
As a result, they began to vigorously promote the reform of the Security Council, advocating an enlargement of the Council, using "money-throwing diplomacy", and finally in 1992 the United Nations adopted the "Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council".
Subsequently, India took advantage of the situation to propose "normalization", but it was still politely refused.
Upon learning of this result, India was naturally not convinced.
They feel that it is no longer the India of 50 years ago, and why has it not been recognized by the international community.
Perhaps India has neglected that it is making progress and other countries are also making progress, even with a rapid progress.
Their little strength is never enough.
But this did not prevent India from losing many wars.
With the emergence of a de facto nuclear power in 1998, India's caution came alive again.
If a country is weak, then pull in its allies to advance and retreat together.
In 2005, India, Germany, Brazil and Japan formed the "Group of Four" and called for an expansion of the Security Council.
These four countries themselves have many enemies, and if they want to join forces and "normalize," they will have to face a united opposition group.
More than 70 countries immediately launched the "Uniting for Consensus" campaign against the four countries.
At that time, the leading countries were South Korea, Pakistan, Argentina, Italy, etc., which can be known at a glance.
Of course, the most important thing is the attitude of the P5.
Since the United States has clearly stated that it only supports Japan's "entry into normalcy."
Therefore, the first time that the four countries "entered normalcy" suffered a tragic Waterloo.
Two years later, the "G-4" fought again to "normalize" and promoted the start of negotiations on Security Council reform.
Then they were defeated and fought again, setting off an upsurge of "fighting for normality" again and again.
During this period, India has been the most active one.
They have not only actively continued to perform in the United Nations and done the work of the vast number of developing countries, but have also increased their arms purchase orders for the permanent members.
Although spending money cannot really make the devil grind, it can also make the United States, Russia, Britain, and France relax one after another.
In this way, they have all openly supported India's "normalization".
In this way, it seems that China needs to be "dredged".
It seems that as long as the mainland agrees, India will soon be able to realize its long-cherished wish.
Especially at the end of last year (2023), India once again received public support from the United States and Russia.
And when the United States opens its mouth, it is not a problem for Britain and France to bring probability.
India is just waiting for China to speak.
To this end, India announced the release of 3 executives of vivo India on December 30, 2023.
Later, some public opinion said that it was ready to tear down the "Monument to the Heroes" of the Indian Army on the Sino-Indian border and give way to the border issue.
So, can India take advantage of this package and succeed in the next "normalization"?
The dream of a great power that puts the cart before the horse
What are the real factors that have been hindering India's "normalization"?
They may not have ever given it a hard time.
On the surface, it seems to be China that does not let go.
Domestically, India has also portrayed China as the biggest obstacle.
But in reality, the United States is more of an obstacle to India.
For example, in 2010, Obama openly supported India's "permanent membership" in India, but Hillary Clinton ridiculed India as a "self-proclaimed first candidate for permanent membership in the Security Council."
A spokesman for the US State Department also went on to say that President Ma Oba's speech only means that the United States has taken India into account, nothing more.
Anyone can write a blank check, but only India really dares to believe it.
You know, what does an increase in the number of permanent members mean for the existing P5?
Redistribution of power.
In particular, a vested interest in exercising hegemonism like the United States can really agree to the newcomer to get on the bus and dilute his privileges?
Taking 10,000 steps back, even if they agree to add a permanent member, there is a limit.
For example, the new permanent members cannot enjoy the right of veto, etc.
Of course, the conflict of interests is not a fatal cause.
The real obstacle to India's "normalization" lies in the fact that it is not a real power.
Although India claims to be the third in the world and has a strong sense of pride among its citizens, it has to admit that the reality is a mess.
A series of social problems, such as class division, wealth disparity, women's status, caste system, and sectarian conflicts, are deeply rooted in the country.
The so-called military power has not yet established its own defense industrial system.
Diplomatically, India has long been in tension with its neighbors, large and small.
All of this is hindering India's development and rise.
Facts have proved that India has never gotten rid of its lofty ambitions and self-confidence, and has not developed in a down-to-earth manner, but has painstakingly pursued the influence of "normalization" to realize its dream of becoming a great power.
The dream of a great power without the support of strong national strength will always be just a castle in the air divorced from reality.
Resources
Why can China be included in the "Five Constants"[J].China Military to Civilian,2021,(14):32-34.
Wang Lei.To be a "sound and colorful world power"——Analysis of India's dream of a global power[J].South Asian Studies Quarterly,2014,(03):13-18+37+4.DOI:10.13252/j.cnki.sasq.2014.03.021