Joseph Nye suggested 6 hypothesis on Soft Power.
1. ‘Soft Power is Cultural Power’
2. ‘Economic Strength is Soft Power’
3. ‘Soft Power is More Humane than Hard Power’
4. ‘Hard Power Can be measured, and Soft Power Cannot’
5. ‘Soft Power is Difficult to Use’
6. ‘Soft Power is Irrelevant to the Current Terrorist Threat’
There is an important research initiative, called the “THE NEW PERSUADERS: An International Ranking of Soft Power 2010.” Like QS World Educational Ranking, Time Educational Ranking, etc. this initiative too faces two fundamental and serious limitations that are bound to impact upon India’s soft power image. First, it fails to recognise important metrics of soft power that are specific to an ancient civilisationlike India and its vast cultural diaspora and a developing country like India has not yet created institutions and regulatory bodies that have identified, reported and recorded such metrics which limits the quantification of India’s soft power. Let me start with some statistical analytical trend which my colleague Dr Nagar, eminent faculty of economic analysis of law has given me. I am going to give you the trends in five crucial areas – government, business, diplomacy, culture and education. Government: UN Human Development Index data shows that the Annual Growth of the UN Human Development Index of India which was 0.483 in the year 2000 has significantly increased to 0.586 in the year 2015 and the Average Annual Growth of UN Development Index of India from 2000-2015 is 1.49. In Good Governance Index, prepared by Worldwide Governance Indicators of World Bank, it is found that there is no substantial increase or decrease. On Freedom score, the data, complied by the Freedom House, an independent watchdog for the time frame 2003-2015, shows that the Freedom Score Compilation (Political Rights and Civil Liberties) has remain steady with slight increase. For Trust in Government, India has secured second position amongst 40 countries in a survey of trust in national governments for 2014 conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Switzerland has emerged at the top with Norway coming in third. However, the survey findings could also be an indicator of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – as also reflected in his decisive electoral victory during 2014 – relative to the leaders in other countries as the report mentions that there is preliminary evidence to suggest that citizens’ trust in government reflects primarily their approval of their country’s leadership. In Life Satisfaction, matrix of health, wealth and education, as per Adrian White, social psychologist at the University of Leicester research, India stands at 125 among 178 surveyed countries. In the area of Business/Innovation, International Patents, the data shows that the international patent applications has seen a significant increase from 5000 in the year 2005/2006 to 10,000 in the year 2013/2014. In Business Competiveness, the data reveals that there has been a decline in business competiveness in India from 63% in the year 2007-08 to 51% in 2014-15. In Corruption Level, the data reflects that there has been no major change in the rank of corruption in India in the last 10 years. However, there has been slight decline in the rank from 88 in 2005 to 85 in year 2014. Next year will bound to see significant upward ranking for India. In Foreign Investment, the data reflects that there has been regular ups and downs in FDIs in India during the period (2006-14). However it can be seen that in the year 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014 the FDIs has crossed 4000 USD million mark. In area of Think Tanks, the data reveals that in the year 2014 India is ranked 38 amongst the list of top 50 International Economic Policy Think Tank countries revealed by Global Go to think tank Index report, 2014.
Let’s look at Diplomacy sub-index, in Foreign Aid, the data collected from the Annual Reports of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India during 2005-2015 reveals that fund given as Foreign Aid to External Countries which was 1874.12 cr. in 2005-06 has significantly increased to 6268.81 in 2014-15. For Languages Spoken by Leader, there is no data available with respect to the languages known by the head of the State. I am unsure how many of our top leaders are having language competency in any foreign languages. Visa Freedom, the data as per the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index for the year 2013 and 2015 the number of countries to which an Indian Passport holder can travel visa free has reduced from 52(2013) to 51(2015). In the area of Strength of National Brand, according to Country Brand Index for 2014-15, India has overall rank of 50 with Delhi 13th most influential city while Beijing 3rd most influential city. Number of Cultural Missions, Under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, 36centres have been established with the aim of promoting India’s soft power.
Let’s look at culture indices, Tourism, foreign tourist to India which was merely 2649378 (2.64 million) in 2000 has significantly increased to 7703386 (7.70 million) in 2014. Total earning in terms of foreign exchange is increased from 15626 in 2000 to 19657 in 2014. Foreign Delegates, number of Incoming Visits, Number of Foreign incoming visits India is constant with minimal deviation. The number of foreign incoming visit which was 41 in 2011 is 38 till date in the year 2015. Olympics success: There is significant increase in the number of Medals India got in the last three Olympics. In 2004 it was 1 which is now increased to 6 in London Olympics in 2012. A very important sub-indices namely Education, Universities Growth: Data shows that world ranking of Indian universities has under gone a massive growth in the year 2015 as compared to the previous year 2014. Foreign Students: Number of Indian students in the U.S. has shown a growth by 29.4% in the year 2014/15 as compared to the year 2005/2006 which was 4.9%. The number of foreign students studying in India has shown a growth in the year 2013/2014 to 4,583 students as compared to 2005/2006 which was 2,115.
Our Image Matters
Let’s accept this fundamental change in the international landscape. Unlike China and Israel, our civilization is known and has been well read and critiqued by historians, political scientists, sociologists for centuries. In other words, our soft power theories, strategies and practices have been a subject of examination. Thus, what do we need is new focus, renewed energy and vision – a vision moving away from snake-charmer to mouse-mover, as famously coined by the Prime Minister. Digital India, Make in India, Act East, Skill India, are some of the latest initiatives sloganed by India, with well-thought high focus on economic agenda. In other words, Strength of Money comes to supplement Strength of Ancient Civilisation based values, which have been the earlier focus, now. From the spirit of India’s ancient belief: सन्तःस्वयंपरहितेनिहिताभियोगाः that great souls are always taking the initiatives to do good to others, this is what Prime Minister said during the Indo-Africa Summit in October. Indeed an ideal mix. Let’s make no mistake that these are no slogan diplomacy, these are the new facets of our assertive Indian identity. Slogan diplomacy is being institutionalized – through various initiatives – New Development Bank comes to my mind but there must be many more. The aggressive scaled up developmental aid initiatives to various African/Asian nations pursued by the nation has been needed and will reap its benefits in future. Honesty is the best policy – the PM was on record during the Indo-Africa Summit that more systematic attempts are needed to ensure quality monitoring of implementation of these initiatives. BRICS, IORA, Indo-Africa Summit, Indo-ASEAN Summit, IBSA, Group 4, are some of the high sounding but extremely well-orchestrated planned out long-term foreign policy strategies aiming to bring right benefits to India that have been pursued in the last decade. Visit to foreign nations by the highest offices is extremely important – it must be pursued. If India wishes to reach out each and every corner of the globe, no country, no area shall remain unvisited by one of the five highest constitutional authorities and our foreign minister. This goal shall be achieved in a time-bound manner. These visits then can be followed up by junior ministers and senior bureaucrats on a regular manner.
As we grow military, economically and politically powerful, the allegations and vested interests propaganda too will consolidate. This must be countered and contained if India and Indians as a whole would like to benefit. No vested interest propaganda be allowed to dent India’s image like the one which we have inherited – snake-charmer. Under the disguise of Freedom of Expression, etc. the overarching goal of respecting this value in true spirit while ensuring better image, must go hand in hand. If country gives loan/aids to contribute others’ development, it is equally important that it invests money in public diplomacy to reap the benefits. Exhibitions, publications, media activities, exchange programs, Indian festivals are important tools and can be more carefully planned to gain more benefits of investments in these tools. If more than 100,000 students are studying in the USA, either on US educational scholarships, subsidized loans from Indian banks, from own pockets/communities, their contribution to India’s image building is extremely important. Can we for example think of developing an app that can provide users with one-stop shopping for all of the Government’s white-papers/policies/laws? As an academician, I have been missing that whenever foreign leaders and senior officers come, an incoherent attention is paid to ensure they visit academic institutions. Is it enough nice to see that first ladies, presidents, foreign ministers visit orphanage homes, slums, institutions promoting specially abled people, handicraft centres in distant areas? I have no record whether our dignitaries visit or are allowed to visit institutions of similar nature. At times, foreigners think India is Delhi and academic institutions in Delhi are the only ones. I would like to know whose job is to ensure that foreign dignitaries visit institutions of excellence across the nation. Let their journeys begin in such institutions, learn what teachers, scholars and students think of India and then let them take to meet with high offices in Delhi. In other words, if ‘indoctrination’ is a tool, let them be indoctrinated first in a most carefully orchestrated and thoughtful manners with rising Indian peoples’ ideas and thoughts and then get into diplomatic niceties and handle government-to-government business. Can we say this bottom-to-top approach will function better? This remark applies to individual states as well. Let me talk about Gujarat, during last decade or so, how many business delegations, foreign dignitaries came to Gujarat, perhaps several thousands, how many of them were brought to academic institutions, handful. There is a complete disconnect. Although individual institutions do make some attempts to close the disconnect.
The Media
There is no denial in saying and accepting that media will always remain critical and keep all of us on alert. But it is this medium ONLY and I emphasise this medium ONLY whose global presence and whose message in each part of the Globe on rising India will be most important. Consolidating their presence in terms of number and quality abroad with resource-rich bureaus can do wonders. Investing in these strategies magnanimously at least for a decade is essential. Media too like to remain accountably appreciative for the assistance and support rendered by the nation. As IORA, BRICS and African-Asian nations have smaller presence of Western Media and the domestic competition is just beginning, India can inroad into this territory. I am quite sure everyone would agree that India has to launch its truly International Channel, like CNN, CCTV, BBC, Al-Jazeera and can broadcast in at least 6 languages, with production facilities in India friendly and strategic partner nations. Instead of demand, let’s command the respect, this applies to Soft power diplomacy as well. Voice of India, like Voice of America, Radio Beijing, using some of the tools and strategies can engage into new discourse with the world. The discourse war shall focus on resurgent India, engage the world when we perceive there are anti-India sentiments. Tactics of physical war, adapted in media and soft power context, have to be used in its full capacity, be it denial reports, press statements, op-eds, advertisement campaign, in foreign territories and cyber space. We certainly may not adopt all strategies and tools adopted by China, USA, Israel, Russia but wherever there are potential benefits of using some of these strategies and tools, we should go out in full to use them to our benefit.
Lessons: Education
Apart from ICCR, individual state education department shall actively promote scholarships to foreign students. If for example Gujarat wants to promote Gujarat brand, it shall dole out hundreds of scholarships to students and scholars in addition to all vibrant summits and other seminars/exhibitions which are being organized. This shall be on top of ICCR sponsorships. India cannot do it alone. Time for states to do their bit in this area has arrived. We need to assertively promote our culture and society abroad through sports, fine arts, performing arts, music, film, literature, and architecture. Our thousands of years of civilization is our strongest soft-power asset. How best we can use it as its true potential is far from being realized.
Host diplomacy
Gujarat has been actively promoting the Host Diplomacy, if one counts number of events held at the Mahatma Mandir since its construction completed, one would be amazed. We have few eminent think-tanks like ICWA, IDSA, but we need many more in each of the sector of India’s vital interests where foreign policy, security, strategic, ocean, mineral experts, civilizational value experts come and get engaged. These institutions shall be engaged at Union and State level concerned departments. Can we also think of establishing an institute like Charhar Institute in China which focusses solely on India’s image? Of course, ICCR is definitely one, but can we also think at state levels? We need conglomerate of well-funded institutions and initiatives aimed at boosting India’s renewed image as an economic and political powerhouse around the world. Let’s be aware and realistic that the funding, efforts, strategies, even if scaled-up may take time in yielding desirable results. BBC and Pew Research Centre’s Surveys and ranking of China is a grim reminder. Despite our institutions and scholars who have served India and made what the country today is, we are nowhere in first 100 top institutions or as many nobel/Pulitzer/booker prizes. I am having a difficult question – We also have to ask a soul-searching question, whether we want to become recognized by others through prizes and top ranking though. India can approach public diplomacy in a way which synergizes its renewed overseas development programs, economic programs and vouched values of peace, non-violence, moral authority of governance and governed. No uphill battle then can come in the way. As David Shambaugh says, soft power cannot be bought. It must be earned. And it is best earned when a society’s talented citizens are allowed to interact directly with the world, rather than being controlled by authorities. He says, for China, that would mean loosening draconian restraints at home and reducing efforts to control opinion abroad. Only then could the country tap its enormous reserves of unrealized soft power. I believe India continues to have a phenomenal ability to induce feelings of empathy, admiration, respect, and awe. There are no systematic patterns of anomalous behavior and actions which can provoke feelings of hatred, antagonism, aggravation, and anger for India. These post-independence philosophy and approaches that have been in place continue to be nourished with care and concern. India has ability to utilize our growing strengths – our intelligence, youth dividend, creativity, tremendous brain power, economic growth story, and our liberal and democratic values. In Asia, such model of India is bound to be followed. We can influence other Asian nations at least by encouraging them to adopt certain philosophies, political constructions, and economic mechanisms. Our political values — democracy, strengthening trends of transparency and accountability, are enviable for any nation. Why I am emphasizing Asia instead of world because the culture, the society, the political past are more similar in case of Asian nations. Although in terms of economic development and political past, there are many similarities between India and African nations, I firmly believe that it won’t be possible for them to be influenced by our example, as the society, the culture, the religion, traditions are so different than ours. Let’s be content then with the area of influence.
Our growing science and technology industry, our hospitals, universities, high-techs and laboratories, infrastructure, are and will be further looked upon by the neighbours and distant nations. Growths and promising trends in these fields should be leveraged in order to improve relationships and deepen interchange.
How to go about?
We can incorporate soft power into the equation, and translate India’s growing power into actions and means of influence. Let’s use Joseph Nye’s three pillars that facilitate the use of soft power. First, emotional intelligence – Our ability to introspect, identification, and managing emotions with neighbours, especially with neighbours with whom we have difficult relations. Although the path is full of challenges, India’s identification of the needs of the people in these nations and recognizing their growth as a succour to India’s overall peace and stability are crucial steps that the government has taken. There has been a change of perception within and outside India, whether everyone agrees or disagrees. Reports of think-tanks and people across all our neighbours and distant ones suggest that there is only and only a trend whereby people prefer nonviolent forms of negotiation to instead of any armed or military solution. Vision is a second pillar. We are and shall continue to define our long-term goals and prospects, and elucidate a clear idea of our ambition in the region and beyond. Our vision shall be inspiring as well as feasible. It should be logical and sensible to neighbours within Asia and outside. One idea is India should start creating think tanks for cooperation and peace. For example, Indo-Pakistan Cooperation and Peace Institute, Indo-China Cooperation and Peace Institute. These institutes can focus on increasing dialogue and respect, while promoting the mutual benefits of solving various challenges. Some of the think-tanks based in Delhi are doing but a lot more needs to be done. Can we think for example, at state level, Gujarat-Sindh Institute for Fishermen or Tamil Nadu-Jaffna Institute for Fishermen or Indian Coastal States-Bangladesh Coastal States Institute for Oceanic Cooperation. In my view, these institutions only can provide comprehensive and detailed solutions to the fundamental issues affecting the neighbouring regions. Delhi can do so much. “Communication” is the third pillar and stresses the obvious – that verbal in conjunction with non-verbal measures are vital, as Nye says. Even at some initial economic and political costs, if peace, democracy and governance are our aspirations, our language should commensurate these aspirations in our gestures, speeches, statements, etc. Some of the initiatives taken in last 18 months cannot bring changes immediately, especially in the area of soft power which is based on centuries and decades of legacies. Many such soft power seminars will be needed in each state, national, regional and global level, then a proper trend can emerge. Intelligence strategic planning in each political, military, economic, social, cultural, educational program and activity at all levels is required to incorporate our strengths, our vision. We are certainly having abundant of soft power and we should leverage skillfully.
Our diaspora
Which country is better placed than India in terms of its people’s diaspora? I believe none. More than 30 million and if we add population of several nations like Suriname, Mauritius, some West Indies nations, then the strength of people sharing the ancient civilizational values of India is staggering. Each of them is Ambassador of this civilisation in their own way. Their success stories, their affinity, affection, contribution are simply mind boggling. How further we can engage in mutually beneficial and cooperation is the need of the day? Can the Government through PravasiBhartiya Divas or Regional Diaspora achieve alone? No. Since establishment of Department of Overseas Affairs as a separate department, the government has been doing what it can do. It is incumbent upon us individuals, institutions and think-tanks to organize engagements in various ways. Being a diaspora myself for nearly two decades, I can most proudly say my contribution to my nation and my people and believe millions like me are awaiting for continuous dialogue.
A word on soft power of Bollywood is very important
The myriad emotions that our Bollywood evokes and the chord it strikes across the borders and nations undeniably makes cinema the glue that binds people, transcending barriers of culture, geography, even a chequered past. While high-pitched rhetoric and officials couch declarations in boring officalese, our Bollywood makes people laugh, cry and unleashes the triumph of soft power. I am sure you all will agree that this straight-from-the-heart appeal is difficult to match by any phenomenal institutions in several decades. Bollywood rushes in where propagandists fear to tread. The Indian government has been attempting to promote India through festivals that showcase traditional dance and other exhibitions of high culture. However, it has been through popular entertainment, particularly “Bollywood,” that India’s soft power has been spread worldwide since the 1930s. Our Bollywood shows the true India, with all critics and praise for the industry, its producers, directors, actors, actresses, singers and musicians. DrDayaThussu, Professor of International Communication and Co-Director of India Media Centre, Westminster University has analytically made a case on this through his phenomenal work, Communicating India’s Soft Power: Buddha to Bollywood. Let us also face the fact that India has real issues in poverty, hunger, pervasive suicide and others that point to something being fundamentally wrong in the system and/or society. Until this is sorted out, India cannot be taken seriously as a model by the developing or developed world.
