25 October 2024 : Daily Answer Writing

Q1) India has a pride of place among the comity of nations with strong credentials in the arena of soft power. Identifying the key attributes of India’s soft power, assess the extent to which it has been leveraged in India’s foreign policy matrix.

(250 Words/10 Marks)

ANS

‘Soft power’ is the ability to persuade others to do something which favours your interest but without using force or coercion. Soft power works through attraction towards a country’s culture, policies, values etc. instead of hard power attributes like economic or military might.

In Global Soft Power index 2023, India is ranked 29th (out of 121 nations), which reflects India’s pride of place among the comity of nations in the arena of soft power.

The key attributes of India’s soft power are as follows:

1. India’s principles of non-violence, non-alignment, democracy, plural society and secular public culture exert strong appeal. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. – “To other countries I may go as a tourist, but to India I come as a pilgrim”.
2. India’s remarkable architectural heritage such as rock-cut temple of Kailashnath, Taj Mahal, Khajuraho temples are source of India’s fame in countries far and wide.
3. India’s religious philosophy has influenced societies from Suriname to Vietnam. E.g., Hinduism, Buddhism, Yoga etc.
4. India’s diaspora has helped build a positive stereotype of Indians as law-abiding citizens and CEOs of MNCs. Diaspora has popularised India’s culinary culture such as curry, biryani etc. around the world.
5. Bollywood has gained popularity from China to Turkey and Nigeria to USA. Appeal of Indian music such as Sufi, Hindustani classical etc. traverses borders into neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan etc.

India has successfully leveraged its soft power influence in following ways:

1. Indian diaspora has reinforced bilateral foreign relations such as India-US, India-Mauritius relations.
2. India’s non-aligned, humanitarian foreign policy helps it maximize strategic options while minimizing risks. E.g., evacuation of Indian nationals in Ukraine crisis.
3. India’s traditional advantage in Ayurveda and Yoga helped it to establish WHO’s Global Centre for Traditional Medicines in Jamnagar. Institution-building efforts like ISA (International Solar Alliance) derive from ecological values and policies on climate action.
4. The appeal for India’s culture and heritage directly contribute to growth of its tourism sector and employment opportunities for India’s young demography.
5. The principle of south-south cooperation, visible in humanitarian assistance and aid to developing countries, helps increase India’s influence. E.g., India’s assistance to Sri Lanka during economic crisis.

Hu Shih, a Chinese scholar, wrote that India has culturally controlled and dominated China for more than 2,000 years without sending a single soldier. But while soft power has helped India in increasing its influence, India has also failed to leverage its soft power sufficiently as discussed below:

1. India’s image of poverty, lack of public hygiene, being unsafe for women, casteism etc. create negative perceptions about India. E.g., slum tourism.
2. Issues of human rights violations harm India’s democratic credentials. India’s political culture is described as electoral autocracy, flawed democracy etc. in the western media such as the Democracy Index published by the Economist.
3. India’s role in neighbourhood sometimes draws hostility and anti-India feelings due to ‘big brother posture’. E.g., ‘India Out’ protests in Maldives.
4. The potential of India’s rich architectural heritage remains under-developed and under-provisioned due to limited facilities and funds. E.g., the Buddhist circuit.
5. Institutional measures for promoting soft power like the Confucian Institutes by China are lacking.

Soft power is a major contributor of a country’s international influence. India’s soft power can help it to realise its aspiration to be a leading global power. The appeal of soft power can be enhanced if it is coupled with hard power such as proper funding for initiatives like Project Mausam.