Pakistan, March 10 -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her recent remarks in New Delhi, doubled down on Western support for India, framing it as a rising power, a counterweight to China, and a model of economic progress. Emphasizing "shared values of democracy and freedom" as the foundation of the EU-India strategic partnership, she pledged to step up defense and security cooperation, aiming to set India up as a key player in the Indo-Pacific.

Decades of Western backing have let India drift into strategic miscalculations - monopolizing regional water resources, fuelling hyper-nationalism, and plunging into an unsustainable arms race. Now, as the EU moves ahead with plans to strengthen India's defense capabilities, t...