India has announced the list of four air force pilots shortlisted for the first manned space flight program, with the goal of putting three astronauts into orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers next year and bringing them back three days later, according to the BBC on February 27**. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also confident in the blockbuster plan, saying at an event that the pilots are India's pride.
India's pursuit of the development and progress of the aerospace industry is understandable, but some Western ** have smelled a different kind of breath from it. There are reports that if India's space program is successful, India will become the fourth country to send humans into space after the Soviet Union, the United States and China. At the same time, it has also been pointed out that Modi is on the road to the rise of a great power, adopting a multi-pronged offensive style to achieve the goal of replacing China in all aspects.
From Modi's visit to the United States last year, the signing of a lengthy joint statement with the United States, to the possibility of seeking support between the United States and Russia and other countries to become normal, as well as the recent "Milan 2024" multinational naval exercise led by India, all illustrate India's strong desire to expand the influence of all parties.
At the economic level, CNN recently released a data to demonstrate that India is developing rapidly and has the potential to replace China. The article cites Jefferies Investment Bank's ** as saying that India's economy will grow to $5 trillion by 2025 and become the world's third-largest economy by 2027. In contrast, China's economic growth is not too optimistic. But in fact, this is a selective view, for example, China's GDP still accounts for 18% of the world's total, and it is still the world's largest economy. China is the largest partner of more than 120 countries in Southeast Asia, including South Korea and Vietnam. This also proves that it is almost impossible for India to replace China at present.
Moreover, if India is internally unstable, it is also a riskier option to compete with the outside world. It is a well-known fact that India's religious, ethnic, and social contradictions are prominent, and this situation seems to be intensifying since Modi took office. You must know that the Hindu population accounts for more than 80% of India. During the Congress Party's rule, India** also made efforts to promote exchanges between people of different nationalities and religions. But with the coming to power of the BJP, which represents "Hindu nationalism," this no longer exists. This has also led to many unrest in areas with a high proportion of non-Hindu populations such as Indian-administered Kashmir and Manipur in recent years. However, as India's prime minister, Modi has rarely come up with effective solutions to solve the problem, but has deliberately failed to do anything, allowing ethnic and religious antagonism to spread in India.
Why is India's ruling party doing this? In large part to consolidate their position in power, the Hindus will only rely more on Modi as their sole recourse in the face of the ongoing rebellion of those who believe in minority religions. Having won the support of the mainstream public, Modi's BJP can use a narrative of "Hindu nationalism" to suppress opposition parties.
However, with the arrival of the new Indian **, the rebel army established by the "rebels" in India has accelerated the process of resistance. A few days ago, some opposition forces began to gather troops in northeastern India, near the eastern section of the Sino-Indian border, and it seems that they have the intention of launching a large-scale operation before the first day. One of the left-wing armed forces, the Manipur People's Liberation Army, which has been active in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur all year round, also publicly expressed the hope that the people of Manipur will continue to advance and promote the process of independence movement. It is worth noting that in the northeastern part of India, there are not only such opposition groups, and most of their demands are also to secede from India and lead some regions to achieve independence. And once these forces join forces, the "surprise" sent may be a headache for Modi.
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