Modi skips historic UN session amid fears of US tilt towards Pakistan
Indian PM’s absence exposes failure of Delhi’s geopolitical gambit
New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipped the historic 80th session of the UN General Assembly, where he was earlier scheduled to speak, amid growing indications that Washington is moving closer to Pakistan, leaving New Delhi’s geopolitical manoeuvres in disarray.
According to Kashmir Media Service, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the UNGA in Modi’s place, invoking Sanskrit phrases of “self-reliance, self-protection and self-confidence,” while pointedly using the name “Bharat” to underscore the Hindutva agenda of the ruling BJP.
Analysts note that Modi’s decision to stay away from New York was influenced by the optics of Pakistan’s prime minister and army chief being seen in warm engagements with US President Donald Trump. Such visuals, they argue, would have undermined Modi’s long-standing strategy of always coupling his UN visits with a bilateral meeting with the US President.
While Modi sought to counterbalance the setback by showcasing meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Tianjin and affirming “time-tested ties” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, observers say these moves failed to mask India’s isolation. His rhetoric on “sovereignty and territorial integrity” in connectivity projects was also read as a veiled attack on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, exposing New Delhi’s frustration.
Experts stress that the real twist lies in Pakistan successfully nurturing ties with Washington, Beijing, and Moscow simultaneously — a triangulation that has unsettled India’s foreign policy establishment.
