West has a ‘single-power dominance hangover’– Modi party spox
Western nations have not come to grips with the demise of old notions of global hegemony, a spokesperson for India’s ruling party has told RT India.
“The era of global hegemony, dominance is over,” Jaiveer Shergill said, adding, “That ship has sailed. I think the West needs to be woken up from a deep slumber.”
Appearing on the latest episode of the ‘India, Russia and the World’ weekly podcast, Shergill did not hold back in his criticism of the collective West. “The West has a single power dominance hangover,” he said.
“India is not in the business of giving sermons of governance to the world. And neither India is in the business of receiving certification, especially from the West,” said Shergill, who also practices law in India’s Supreme Court.
Quoting a line from the evergreen Bollywood classic ‘Sholay’ to make his point, Shergill added: “India-Russia friendship is not hostage to weather patterns. India-Russia friendship is an all-weather friendship.” He said India was importing 2.3 million barrels per day of oil from Russia even when the West was “sermonizing” India not to buy oil from Moscow.
The US and EU have slapped sanctions on Russian oil. In August last year, the United States imposed 50% reciprocal tariffs on Indian imports, half of which was punishment for New Delhi’s oil purchases from Moscow. The levies were scaled down to 18% after a trade deal with the US was agreed upon in February.
Shergill slammed the double standards of the West. “The same people who were questioning [the] import of Russian oil were indirectly sourcing the same oil from India into their countries.”
India’s sole objective is to reduce dependence on any one energy source, he said, adding that New Delhi is now importing oil from 40 different sources.
He also said “pragmatism, diversification, a nation-first approach” were the key drivers of India’s foreign policy.
India-US ties, he said, should be viewed through the lens of defense partnerships, technology exchange, geography, and human resources.
He underscored New Delhi’s sovereign choice of global alliances, saying, “If India is part of Quad, India is equally a partner in BRICS.”
