Wednesday, Apr 15, 2026 22:00 [IST]
Last Update: Tuesday, Apr 14, 2026 16:32 [IST]
“Jaw-jaw is better than war-war”—this was the fundamental basis for the establishment of international organizations like the United Nations. Today, when peace talks between nations are facing setbacks, there is an imperious display of power to reiterate hegemony, blatantly surpassing all international laws.
At this juncture, the relevance of the United Nations is on the brink. The dream of a multipolar world still looks like a utopia, where the UN has become a victim of veto politics. Why is it failing to bring the hegemon within the ambit of international law?
This is where imperative action is needed to reform the organizational structure, particularly the expansion of the Security Council with equitable representation.
Well, it looks like the UN has no greater role than that of a policeman in Hindi cinema—an apt analogy.
Talking about America and the power of the American president, the precedents are such that presidents follow a pattern of war and hegemony, as is being seen today. It is also often said that America has been continuously involved in wars since its inception. But the primary weakness also lies in the institutional arrangement, wherein the executive is so overpowered that impeachment may occur but removal rarely happens due to the political structure—like Donald Trump, who faced impeachment twice but was acquitted both times.
“Resource geopolitics”—this is the root cause of war since the World Wars, and it still remains the same. When less powerful countries have control over vital resources, those countries and regions are often drawn into conflict zones. However, the recent Iran–US–Israel tensions have pushed world politics toward a multipolar order, with stronger anti-U.S. alignments emerging.
Coming to India, the principal aim of the country’s foreign policy since independence has been to safeguard its national interest. However, it is not very clear whether the same is being consistently practiced, or whether the country has been unable to take bold decisions and make a firm stand like Russia, China, and Iran against the hegemon.
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