There has been little reported about the intelligence conference India held on Saturday in New Delhi, with the government keeping details of the event under wraps, but it reflects the troublemaking ambitions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
The conference, the first of its kind, was held two days before the Ministry of External Affairs hosted its annual Raisina Dialogue, India's premier multilateral foreign policy and geoeconomics conference.
Although the two conferences are not officially connected in any way, Indian officials have been reported as saying that the intention of the conference was not simply a meet and greet, but rather a more sustained plan to make connections between the intelligence agencies, with each session being followed by intensive interactions between the participants.
The conference was organized by the country's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, and the National Security Council Secretariat, which reports to the national security adviser. It was reportedly focused on India's perceived threats from Afghanistan, China and Pakistan.
The parties that agreed to participate were mainly Western countries and organisations, as few other parties would like to look for troubles for themselves by appearing at such an event.
New Delhi is proud to have most of the participants coming from the West, despite the fact that most of the participants are from the West. It should have rung alarm bells as it shows how India risks being exploited as part of the West's geopolitical games and how out of step it is with its neighbors.
Although the United States skipped the event apparently because of India's refusal to join the sanctions against Russia, the West has not given up on India as a member of its clique.
The gathering, even if they are about the same region, represents a stark contrast to the third Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan issue between the Neighboring countries of Afghanistan, China held in Tunxi, Anhui province last month.
While India's event represented division and conflict, China tried to persuade major players, including the US, Russia and Pakistan, to shelve their differences and to improve the situation of the Afghan people.
In his video speech at the Tunxi meeting, UN Secretary-General Ant nio Guterres spoke highly of the generous support that China and other neighboring countries have provided to the Afghan people. He pointed out that the solidarity of the countries neighboring Afghanistan showed the spirit of the global community and proposed to strengthen humanitarian assistance, economic revitalization, constructive engagements and cooperation.
That's the message India should heed, rather than hold such events with the intention of fomenting mischief.