Areas of Soft Power for India

Religion

India, which is also called the land of gods, has given birth to several of the world’s great religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Christianity reached India before it reached Rome and Islam is also widely practiced, due to the historical presence of Islamic powers in the country.

  • The peaceful propagation of Buddhism is a multi-millennia old bond that India shares with the rest of the Asian continent. Indeed, the propagation of Buddhism from India is a testament to the power of its civilisational pull. India’s culture has absorbed all these religions, with its followers living in harmony with one another; it stands out as a true example of ‘unity in diversity.’ Given its ethnic diversity, India has a lot of potential to use this soft power to increase its cultural pull and to boost tourism.

Yoga

  • A major upsurge of interest in Yoga and meditation occurred in the West in the 1960s, with a steady growth since. Numerous Indian gurus have traveled throughout the world teaching Yoga and meditation, with Tibetan teachers often joining them.
  • Today perhaps over a hundred million people throughout the world practice some form of Yoga. Though asanas remain the main focus, pranayama, mantra and meditation are often included.
  • Yoga training programs routinely examine traditional Yoga texts like the Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita.
  • Many Yoga students follow gurus and lineages from India and take on Sanskrit names. Great gurus like Paramahansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Satya Sai Baba, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Mata Amritanandamayi, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, and many others have become recognisable names in numerous countries. For their students, Yoga is not just a fitness system but a complete culture and way of life.

Role of Buddhism in India’s Soft Power Strategy

Why Buddhism for Cultural Diplomacy?

  • In East Asia, Japan and South Korea began embracing their Buddhist heritage as they recovered in the decades following the end of the Second World War, as did a number of former members of the Soviet Union after the Cold War.
  • Today, 97 per cent of the world’s Buddhist population lives in the Asian continent, and a number of countries such as Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka conceive of Buddhism as intrinsic to their national values and identity.
  • It is within this context that one can understand the efforts of the Indian government at incorporating Buddhist heritage in order to form a basis for further diplomatic, economic, cultural, and strategic associations within its foreign policy.

Why India can take Advantage to Rise as a Soft Power?

Despite the fact that it is host to a relatively small population of Buddhists in terms of proportion, India is in a position to claim legitimacy in its promotion of Buddhist diplomacy for a number of reasons.

  • First, the Buddhist faith originated in India, therefore granting it singular historical legitimacy.
  • Second, India has numerous sites of importance to the Buddhist faith, such as Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Nalanda.
  • Third, India has nurtured an image of being a protector of the persecuted because of the presence of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in the city of Dharamshala following their failed insurrection against China.
  • In addition to ties with Tibetan Buddhism, historical links to Theravada Buddhism means that India is in a good position to further relations with other Buddhist countries and create conversation between multiple streams of this faith.

Engagement in Act East Policy

  • Successfully leveraging these associations with other Buddhist countries could have an impact beyond the realm of cultural diplomacy, and aid in other areas of foreign policy as well.
  • Interestingly, the relationship between Buddhism and state diplomacy is not a new one, and dates back to the days of Emperor Ashoka, who following his adoption of the religion began the practice of dharmavijaya or conquest through Dharma.
  • Deepening ties with Asian nations on the basis of Buddhism could potentially feed into larger policy objectives of the government, namely, the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, and the ‘Act East’ policy.

Strong Social Systems

  • India also has the potential to become a global hub for education and healthcare. Globally, India is regarded as a knowledge-producing machine with its doctors, engineers, scientists, and software professionals being the first preference of the international community. Indian education is seen as being of high quality. India has some particular advantages in attracting students through low annual tuition fees, a low cost of living and the well-established presence of the English language.
  • The Indian healthcare industry also seems to be growing at a rapid pace and is expected to become a $280 billion industry by 2020. India is quickly becoming a hub for medical tourists seeking quality healthcare at an affordable cost. Reduced costs, access to the latest medical technology, growing compliance with international quality standards and the ease of communication—all these work to India’s advantage.
  • India’s film industry is probably the largest and farthest-reaching medium for spreading Indian culture, surpassing Hollywood with an annual output of over 1000 movies. Although India produces over 1,500 films annually, the country’s share in global cinema revenue is a mere 1%. Both India’s film industry and the government have done little to leverage the power of Bollywood and other regional cinema industries globally.
  • Lastly, the biggest instrument of India’s soft power is the large diaspora across different continents, which can support the policies of the Indian government through the influence and respect they command in the countries in which they live.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi got several highest civilian honours namely Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (Awarding Country: Saudi Arabia); State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan (Awarding Country: Afghanistan); Grand Collar of the State of Palestine Award (Awarding Country: Palestine); Order of Zayed Award (Awarding Country: United Arab Emirates); Order of St. Andrew award (Awarding Country:Russia); Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddin (Awarding Country: Maldives). Such recognition to Indian Prime Minster has raised the stature of India in the global scenario.

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