Big Picture: India's Global Stature In Free Fall, MEA Faces Fire But Vested Interests Know No Bounds

✍️ Written by Saket Suman

There is a growing public outrage over the treatment of Indian nationals in the United States. Now, the American Embassy in New Delhi has issued a clear-cut statement which was a simple read-out of its immigration policy.

"The United States continues to welcome legitimate travelers to our country. However, there is no right to visit the United States. We cannot and will not tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas, or the violation of U.S. law," the statement read.

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While the U.S. position aligns with longstanding immigration norms, the incident has reignited concerns over the Indian government’s perceived diplomatic passivity. Critics argue that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has failed to assertively defend the rights and dignity of Indian citizens abroad, especially when travelers face undue scrutiny or mistreatment. 

Looks like the US has lost their senses and started acting like Hitler's Nazi troops

Is this how you treat foreign students in your country?

Shame on You and Trumppic.twitter.com/pAzsS6Dqjq

— UPSCyclopedia (@UPSCyclopedia) June 10, 2025

Despite issuing routine advisories and echoing formal concern, the MEA has yet to outline any actionable diplomatic response that signals a stronger global stature. Its wider diplomatic outreach to key capitals was also not very productive, notwithstanding its good and earnest attempt at reprojecting India's position. 

Observers suggest that without assertive bilateral engagement and clear red lines, India’s soft-spoken diplomacy has led to diminished leverage on the international stage. It was way too late because MEA had other priorities, or rather several Indian bureaucrats and some ministers, were hungry for some limelight.  

For several years now, India's MEA has lost the focus, with excessive emphasis on lobbies and repeated attendance of several key officials at events, parties and festivals organized by one private entity that has monopolized the domain. 

Far from challenging monopolies and speaking against it, it is many of these Indian ambassadors, politicians and worst, bureaucrats, who have relied on these entities for their personal promotions, which have, in the long run, proven detrimental to the national interest of India. 

Look at the enhancement of India's soft power through this loot, read sponsorships and facilitations, and let us remind these bureaucrats, the monopolists, the ministers, the poster boys and girls of what they called India's boom which, as we now know was nothing short of international doom, diplomacy kicked aside, national interest tossed away and glitz and glamour kicked in through what we call quid pro quo. 

A crackdown and thorough investigation into it will reveal the extent to which India's national security has been compromised. A thorough examination of what funds were given to boost India's soft power to what entities, through direct or indirect means, will first reveal the monopoly entering directly into India's MEA, further investigation will reveal the placement of stooges to make these deals happen and last of all, it might also throw up a curious list of names for whom the closed doors of espionage was opened in India, slowly and slowly.  

Calls are growing louder for the Indian government to adopt a more rights-centric foreign policy stance, especially where the diaspora is concerned. The US developments have put New Delhi’s diplomatic strategy under sharp public and political scrutiny.

Some heads must fall, some sponsorships must stop, some beneficiaries must be questioned and the entire list of people, especially the oft-returning should be thoroughly examined but nothing of the sort is going to happen anytime soon because compromised characters are conveying half-truths to those higher up in the food chain. 

(Saket Suman is the author of The Psychology of a Patriot. Among other roles, he was a Special Correspondent at The Times of India and the head of Arts/Books/Culture verticals of what was India's largest independent newswire.) 

(Views Expressed Are Author's Own and Do Not Reflect The Views of This News Outlet)