Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing visit to Brazil and then to the US are his first exposures to the big league of global diplomacy—BRICS, United Nations and the US. It doesn’t get any bigger. Without doubt, his speeches and position will help the world see him in the right light.
While there are several deals that he will need to close, dialogues that he will need to enhance, and discussions that he will originate, there is at least one that provides Modi the opportunity to be acknowledged as a global leader, who represents not just the aspirations of 1.2 billion people but the citizens of the world at large. This is the issue of Internet Governance (IG), which impacts all 7 billion people on the earth—3 billion online and 4 billion yet to be connected to the web.
The fact that Modi thinks of the internet space carefully and uses it strategically is clear from his statements about the web, 19 million Facebook and 5 million Twitter followers, and the kind of discussion that he held with the Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, recently, where he chose to concentrate on the positive aspects of social media. He discussed ways to utilise Facebook for running a national cleanliness campaign on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth centenary. His mindset, focus and experience perhaps places him in the best position to seek global leadership on an issue where the world, particularly the US, lacks both leadership and direction. This is also an opportunity to gain global recognition by placing India as the country which can provide a neutral platform for global dialogue on all aspects of IG. In fact, if corruption and governance were the big platforms for the national elections, IG equals that—beyond climate change, global trade and disarmament—at an international level. However, there are several steps that need to be taken by Modi to be recognised as a statesman the world can trust.
One, like Switzerland acts on several contentious issues, India should become the ‘go-to’ country for discussions—to be seen as a consolidator of voices, rather than be seen as divisive through any extreme position on IG.
Two, full-scale, merit-based, multi-stakeholder consultation should take place within the country.
Three, cyber crime and IG are separate. Cyber crime is a significant but small part of cyber security.
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