Modi’s Great Anglo Paradox

Foreign Policy  |  C. Raja Mohan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aggressively pursuing a domestic campaign of cultural decolonization to purge British and Western linguistic, cultural, and intellectual influences. This nativist ideological drive, championed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, seeks to fundamentally redefine India's national identity and intellectual framework while navigating complex global alignments.

Historically, the deep-seated institutional legacy of the British Raj has shaped the nation's administrative, legal, and educational systems, creating a persistent post-colonial tension. However, this domestic rejection of Western cultural inheritance paradoxically coexists with an unprecedented diplomatic and strategic push to deepen partnerships with key Western democracies. New Delhi is actively strengthening security, economic, and technological ties with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This dual-track approach highlights a highly pragmatic foreign policy that decouples domestic cultural nationalism from external strategic imperatives in the Indo-Pacific.

Comment

New Delhi's dual-track approach of domestic decolonisation and external alignment manifests clearly in high-technology defence partnerships. The U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) serves as the primary vehicle for this decoupling, driving co-production of military jet engines. By anchoring its technological modernisation in Western ecosystems, the Indian state secures critical capabilities without compromising its nativist political narrative at home. This structural separation allows India to absorb advanced Western military technology while systematically dismantling the intellectual and cultural remnants of the British Raj.

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