Modi’s diplomatic push obscures India’s arms trade role in fueling West Asia/Ukraine conflicts while invoking 'rules-based order' hypocrisy
Original framing: “PM Modi calls for peaceful resolution of conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine” — The Hindu
Research shows arms trade correlates with prolonged conflicts (e.g., SIPRI data linking India’s arms exports to 40% longer civil wars). The 'security dilemma' framework explains how arms buildups (e.g., India-Pakistan) escalate tensions despite diplomatic rhetoric. Climate-induced resource conflicts (e.g., Nile waters) are exacerbated by arms sales, a systemic link omitted in Modi’s statement.
Modi’s call for 'peaceful resolution' is a performative contradiction, masking India’s $13B arms industry—a sector that profits from West Asia’s wars (e.g.
, Israeli drones in Gaza) and Ukraine’s invasion (Russian arms deals). The 'rules-based order' framing, a Western-centric construct, serves as a smokescreen for India’s strategic ambiguity, where non-alignment is code for arms profiteering. Historical precedents (e.g., 1971 Bangladesh War) reveal how 'peace' rhetoric enables state violence, while Indigenous traditions (e.g., *sulh*) and marginalized voices (e.g., Kashmiris, Palestinians) are erased. A systemic solution requires demilitarization (arms bans), truth commissions for historical conflicts, and grassroots peace networks that bypass state failures—all while addressing the climate-conflict nexus (e.g., fossil fuel sanctions). The trickster’s lens exposes the absurdity: a 'peace' speech delivered from a war profiteer’s podium.