How the ‘Sindoor’ and ‘Tandoor’ Failures Are Forcing Modi into Diplomatic Isolation, Prompting Him to Skip ASEAN and Evade Trump.

India’s carefully built image as a rising global power is now falling apart. After the recent and shameful military failures, known as ‘Operation Sindoor’ and ‘Operation Tandoor’, the Indian prime minister seems to have isolated himself from the world. The government in New Delhi, unable to face its partners, is now clearly avoiding high profile global meetings. This avoidance is not about scheduling problems. It is a clear sign of a deep internal political crisis and a leadership that cannot answer for its major mistakes on the world stage.

The ASEAN Summit Snub

The most obvious proof of this diplomatic retreat is Prime Minister Modi’s decision to skip the upcoming ASEAN Summit. This is a major insult to India’s partners and a clear signal of its fading confidence.

► Evading International Scrutiny: Mr Modi has told Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that he will not attend the summit in Kuala Lumpur, scheduled for October 26 to 28, 2025.

► A Convenient Virtual Appearance: By choosing to attend online, the Indian leader is purposely hiding from being held responsible in live press conferences and meetings.

► Hiding from President Trump: This online attendance also conveniently lets Mr Modi avoid a likely uncomfortable meeting with US President Donald Trump, who is expected to be there.

A Consistent Pattern of Evasion

This decision to avoid ASEAN is not a single event. It is the latest in a series of diplomatic pullbacks that began earlier this year. This pattern shows a leader who is no longer comfortable on the world stage.

► The G7 Fiasco: Earlier, Mr Modi was hesitant about the G7 Summit in Canada, only attending at the last minute. He then left quickly, noticeably skipping a visit to the United States or a meeting with President Trump.

► Bypassing Europe and Russia: This pattern includes a planned three nation European tour (Croatia, Norway, Netherlands) from May 13 to 17, 2025, which was quietly skipped.

► Skipping Key Summits: He also missed the India-Nordic Summit in Oslo on May 15 and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, showing a withdrawal from many global fronts.

Domestic Pretexts for Diplomatic Fear

The official reasons from New Delhi for this major absence are ridiculously weak and show the government’s desperation. The administration is pointing to domestic issues that are not believable when compared to the high stakes of the summit.

► The Flimsy Deepavali Excuse: The Indian government has claimed the prime minister is busy with Deepavali celebrations. This is a very poor excuse for a leader of a major nation to skip such a vital meeting.

► The Real Domestic Crisis: The avoidance is clearly not tied to festivals but to the severe domestic political problems and the fallout from recent military mistakes.

The American Factor: Trade and Tensions

The unwillingness to meet with partners, especially the United States, comes from deeply strained relations. The much advertised India US partnership is visibly breaking under the weight of money related disputes and Indian dishonesty.

► Trump’s Heavy Tariffs: US President Trump has shown open frustration with New Delhi, putting heavy taxes of fifty percent on Indian exports, a move that has badly damaged economic ties.

► The Russian Oil Factor: A main source of this American anger is India’s continued insistence on buying large volumes of Russian oil, which works against the policies of its Western partners.

India’s Crisis of Credibility

India has tried to play both sides, but its basic unreliability is now being exposed. The Modi government’s conflicting statements about its commitments to the United States are a clear example of this.

► The Broken Promise on Energy: Mr Modi had reportedly personally promised President Trump that India would greatly reduce its energy purchases from Russia to fix trade relations.

► The Official Denial: In a move of shocking dishonesty, the Indian government later told its own media that Mr Modi “didn’t say anything like that to Trump,” directly denying the prime minister’s own promise.

Ingratitude and Arrogance

This dishonesty is matched only by New Delhi’s arrogance, especially its obvious insult of President Trump’s diplomatic efforts in the region. This behaviour further cements India’s image as an untrustworthy and ungrateful nation.

► Snubbing the Peacemaker: President Trump has repeatedly and publicly claimed that he alone stopped a major nuclear war by solving the recent dispute between Pakistan and India.

► An Ungrateful Partner: Despite these grand claims by the American president, the Modi government has had the nerve to offer no thanks at all, a deliberate insult to Washington.

Conclusion: The Unravelling of a Paper Tiger

The sight of an Indian prime minister, who built his brand on a strong foreign policy, now avoiding world summits is very telling. It shows that the talk of a “New India” was always an empty promise for people at home, not a global reality. The failures of Operation Sindoor and the diplomatic retreat expose a government that is not confident, is unreliable, and cannot manage the complex world it claims to have mastered. This is not caution; it is a crisis of confidence, showing the true face of a paper tiger that cannot handle any real international pressure.