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Economic Highlights
Contrasting Poll Results: GUJARAT HOLDS MODI MAGIC, By Dhurjati Mukherjee, 13 December 2022 |
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Open
Forum
New
Delhi, 13 December 2022
Contrasting Poll Results
GUJARAT HOLDS MODI MAGIC
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
The recent Assembly elections’ results are a bit
puzzling. The BJP’s landslide victory in Gujarat but losing Himachal Pradesh to
Congress and its power in Municipal Corporation of Delhi to AAP. However, there
is certainty on one front-- the image of Prime Minister Modi, possibly more
than that of BJP, stands tall. There can be no denying that his appeal remains
unchallenged despite many shortcomings of the Central government, especially on
the economic front.
The Congress, which largely focussed on
bread-and-butter issues won in Himachal Pradesh, but it was decimated in
Gujarat with its vote share dropping by about 14 percent. It was indeed
surprising that neither the sufferings of the pandemic influenced the
electorate nor even the promise of the Congress party offering a compensation
of Rs 4 lakh per victim. And while people are unhappy with the general price rise,
especially that of cooking gas cylinders and petrol, the Congress couldn’t
encash on it. Its seats went down from 77 to 17 presently, and BJP grew
stronger.
This time, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears
to be the biggest beneficiary. It opened its account in Modi’s State but only
time will tell whether it can emerge as a force in Gujarat in the coming years.
It did cut into the votes of the Congress, but that the grand old party would
have such a disastrous result, despite its traditional vote base of tribals and
Muslims in the districts of south and east Gujarat of the Narmada and Tapi
river belt, is difficult to fathom.
The seriousness of the campaign by Modi, who
took time off to address no less than 31 rallies and undertook major road shows
in Ahmedabad and Surat, while his Home Minister Amit Shah camped for days in
the State is demonstration enough of how seriously the BJP took the polls, despite
reports that its rule would continue. On the other hand, this seriousness was
not quite manifest in the Congress, and it seems to have expected a poor show.
Questions are thus bound to arise about the
efficacy of the standard of campaigning of the Congress, the appeal to the
voters at the grass-root level, the methodology of exposing the communal
tendencies of the BJP and its total failure to uplift the condition of the
masses. There were lacunae in these areas, but it appears that social and
economic issues and failures cannot possibly unseat a government by a
half-educated electorate.
Additionally, organisational muscle, which
includes financial resources, as also the leadership potential are important
factors in winning elections. The obvious reason is that the electorate may be
literate but not educated enough to weigh the pros and cons of the
deteriorating economic and social situation in the country. Plus, the Congress did
not have an able leader in the state and the organisational structure remained
quite weak.
Delving into the problem, it needs to be
stated that less educated people are swayed by the hype which Modi has been
generating in terms of technology in education, industrial development and the
constructions of flyovers and highways though these hardly benefit the masses.
Heavy industries do not generate sufficient employment, while agriculture in
Gujarat is not quite in healthy state.
Some analysts talk of the Gujarat model of
development but our understanding of this is centred on growth, not real or
inclusive development. That is the reason why the cities are prospering
compared to the villages, the rich and the upper middle class becoming
prosperous and the gap between the rich and the poor growing. However, it goes
to the credit of Modi for ending the state’s water crisis in Saurashtra, which
benefitted the common man. Also reports indicate that every Gujarat household
now gets piped water.
Fighting elections and choosing the right
issues appears to be the forte of the BJP. And what helps is that it has all
along been a centralised party with local leaders not given the same
importance. Though it is a cadre-based party, decisions are taken at the Delhi headquarters
by the core group, headed by Modi. This has been a long trend in Indian
politics since the time of Indira Gandhi and the BJP has followed this
scrupulously. But it doesn’t seem to work for the Congress anymore.
However, Himachal Pradesh has exemplified the
limits of Modi’s ability to single handedly win elections. It is true that the State
only reinforced a trend of throwing out incumbents as has been the case in Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. Though Modi sought to woo the voters by
showcasing himself rather than the local candidates, the anti-incumbency wave
got precedence. But a big factor, which may have not got the attention it
deserved was that as many as 21 BJP rebels contested the polls as Independents
and spoilt the party’s chances of emerging victorious. Moreover,it’s being said
that Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi presence this time, unlike in western UP, did
make an impact among women voters and those from lower castes.
On AAP’s front, while it awaits bagging the
status of a national party having opened its account in Gujarat, its historic win
in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls, dislodging the BJP and with it the
Modi’s popular image, is a reason to be elated. Undoubtedly, Arvind Kejriwal has
turned out to be a leader who has the ability of understanding the needs and
demands of the common man and delivering, which makes a vital difference to
their lives. Given the fact that it is already ruling in Delhi, there are
expectations that the ‘double-engine’ government will improve the life of
citizens in the national capital, provided given a free hand.
Finally, the coming year is crucial for
political parties as elections are due in three Hindi belt States along with
Karnataka. Some analysts are talking of a combined opposition with Congress
giving the leadership. But the problem is that the acceptability of Rahul
Gandhi as the leader of a united front, if he so chooses, may be somewhat
difficult at this point. The new Congress President Khargehas a responsibility to
seriously try and forge unity and fight elections jointly. And while a section
of analysts may dismiss the Bharat Jodo Yatra as inconsequential, it can’t
be denied that it just might have the potential of resurrecting the Congress’ fortunes
in the long run. The yatra has on the one hand spread the message of countering
the politics of hate and division, and on the other, reached out to the masses.
In the Gandhian spirit!
The focus of the ruling dispensation of
playing with the religious sentiment of the masses has, no doubt, paid
dividends for the BJP. Meanwhile, reports suggest that work around the grand
Ram mandir in Ayodhya is progressing fast and should be ready before the big
election of 2024, the timing of which should pay dividends. Moreover, Modi’s
appeal or claim of providing a sense of security and stability to the voters
appears to be going in favour of the BJP.
With caste-class and religion playing a big
role in present-day elections, it’s about time the Congress weaves a new
framework based on societal consolidation, economic recovery and spread the
same among subaltern communities. It exuberates confidence that Rahul’s
yatra,touching on the masses’ problems and calling for transformation of the
socio-economic order, will yield dividends in the coming year. The Himachal
result has given it this confidence. Whether it will percolate down to results
is anybody’s guess, but a resurrection is a big challenge. A bigger one being
of countering the Modi magic. ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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German FM in India: EXPLORING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, D.K.Giri, 10 December 2022 |
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Round The World
New Delhi, 10
December 2022
German FM in India
Exploring Economic Opportunities
D.K.Giri
The Foreign
Minister of Germany Annalena Baerbock was in India this week on a two-day
visit. The purpose and the timing of the visit coincided with Germany finishing
its term as the president of G-7 group this month as India takes over as the
president of G-20 countries. Some observers suggest that it was a make-up visit
after the youngish Foreign Minister of the Green Party of Germany had advocated
international involvement in resolution of the Kashmir issue between India and
Pakistan.
However, in the
words of the foreign Minister, the focus of her visit consisted of three areas;
economic cooperation, climate crisis mainly dealing with the energy question
that enhances the use of renewables, and the security. Germany leading in the
replacement of fossil fuel and nuclear energy will help India to make that
change-over in the energy sector. The
ForeignMinister said, “We are not making empty promises when we say that we
want to further strengthen our economic, climate and security-policy cooperation
with India, beyond what we are already doing through our strategic partnership.
This is why, while in New Delhi, I will also be signing a Mobility Partnership
Agreement that will make it easier for our citizens to study, conduct research
and work in each other’s’ countries”.
Be the motivation
of the visit as it may, let us decipher from her statements, and interactions
with her counterpart and other officials, Germany’s current strategy on India
that may impact the growth of relations between two countries. For a start, it
was assumed that the western counties including Germany were looking for a substitute
country to China for their investment. Germany had specifically mentioned India
as an obvious destination. This perceptionwas clearly dispelled by Baerbock.
She said “no” in response to a specific query that Germany was treating India
as a replacement for China.
Baerbock made a
distinction between Germany’s policy on China and that with India. She said
that they have a value partnership with India where as their relations with
China are economic. Germany has been maintaining that China poses ‘systemic
threat to the world”. Baerbock reiterated that position in New Delhi. Referring to Beijing as a “systemic
rival", Baerbock made clear that Germany’s policy would be more muscular
and competitive. She said, “China has changed very much over the last few
years and the whole region can see this. Therefore, the exchange with actors
from the region is very important to us, especially with India, which is a
direct neighbour (of China),"
Berlin, Baerbok added, would pursue an Indo-Pacific strategy that
focused on deepening cooperation with partners like India and Japan while
cutting dependence on China.“There is huge potential for cooperation with India
not only on the economic side but also on the security situation.” The Minister
emphasised that Germany was always willing and striving to reinforce a
rule-based international order in the world including a in the India-pacific
region.
Baerbock backed her assertion by invoking the sailing of
Brandenburg-class of German navy to Mumbai. She said, “With the visit of the
frigate Bayern to Mumbai at the beginning of the year, we have shown that we
will underpin our (Indo-Pacific) guidelines with concrete action. In the
future, we want to further intensify German-Indian cooperation in the field of
security policy.” She also announced that Germany would also look to engage
with Prime Minister Modi’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
The intentional politicalobservers wonder whether theForeign Minister’s
statements on China and India-pacificThe German Foreign Minister’s comments sit
somewhat awkwardly with the more conciliatory position towards China taken by
Chancellor Olaf Scholz.GermanChancellor recently visited China to meet with
President Xi Jinping after the latter was reflected by the Communist Party Congress.
Scholz was accompanied by a high-powered group of businessmen from Germany’s
largest corporations. China has been Germany’s largest economic partner since
2016, with the latter’s firms pouring around 10 billion euros in new
investments into the Chinese market in 2022 alone.
Chancellor Scholz also controversially approved Chinese investments in
Hamburg port, which is Germany’s largest port. The deal was pushed through by
the Chancellor despite concerns from numerous ministries about the national
security risks posed by the deal.
The clear gap between Scholz’s
actions and Baerbock’s statements seem to signal a divide over China in the
coalition government that replaced Angela Merkel in December 2021.
Scholzbelongs to centre-left Social Democratic Party while Baerbock belongs to
the Alliance 90/The Green Party, another part on the left of the political
spectrum.
Is there a divide really? On deeper
examination, we may find that Germany policy could really be consistent. Germany
is the strongest economy in the European Union. It has built its economic power
systematically and assiduously. German foreign policy is a function of its
economic strength. Germany will even
want to separate their economic interest from the security concerns. Whilst it
may go with NATO for its security imperatives, it will deal with China for its
economic needs. The Foreign Minster said it would be better if the political
values and economic needs are co-terminus. If not, the economic interests will
override the other priorities. That is the logic that drove the European Union
Project with Germany on the driver’s seat along with a few co-pilots from time
to time.
New Delhi has not yet grasped the
urgency of building its economy. Given the size and potential of the market in
India, the entire democratic world including Germany will like India to grow
and be ready to absorb the investment. But the priorities of the leadership in
Delhi do not seem to respond to this need. China will continue to draw the attention
of big economies until they find viable alternativesmatching China’s size and
structures it has build so far. New Delhi must be wary of this gap.
The other strategic difference New
Delhi must be wary of is that for Europe, Russia is the elephant in the room,
and they are deeply concerned about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Beijing is not
their security concern as much as it is for India purely because of
geo-political reasons. They are wary of India’s attitude towards Russia as New
Delhi is about Europe’s towards China. New Delhi could use it as bargaining
tool by being pro-active in the Ukrainian war in terms of bring about a
case-fire if not complete cessation of the conflict.
Yet, the other strategic option is
to explore a “third way’ between being Pro-USA or Pro-China. Germany may be
exploring this as a pragmatic and progressive line of thinking based on the
concept of strategic autonomy. New Delhi has a similar approach. There is then
a clear convergence between Germany and India. Is it worth pursuing? At the
same time, if Europe can impress upon Beijing to give up its expansionism, and
India can persuade Russia to avoid military aggression, we could fast progress
towards a rule-based world order!---INFA
(Copyright, India News
& Feature Alliance)
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Corruption In Public Life: RISING, NEEDS URGENT HALT, By Dr OisheeMukherjee, 9 December 2022 |
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Spotlight
New Delhi, 9 December 2022
Corruption In Public Life
RISING, NEEDS URGENT HALT
By Dr OisheeMukherjee
Corruption has for long been a
subject of much debate and ways and means of its eradication have been outlined
by various organisations and experts. But unfortunately, political corruption
in India has shown an upwards trend with centralization of power at the helm. Thus,
it can very well be said corruption in public life is a means of obtaining
personal benefit through illicit means and the abuse of public office and
property.
This is demonstrated by the
increasing wealth of political personalities all over the country. A few days
back the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) survey revealed that the
average assets of the candidates for the first phase of Gujarat polls have gone
up by 44 percent this time from Rs 2 crore in 2017 to Rs 2.9 crore this year.
Party-wise, the average assets increased from Rs 10 crore to Rs 13.4 crore for
the BJP, from Rs 8 crore for Congress to Rs 8.4 crore and from Rs 1 crore to Rs
2 crore for AAP. The repeat candidates have reported a significant rise in
their assets. This clearly reveals that being in power helps in increasing
wealth and it is very much the case of India.
Another form of corruption has been
the seizure of hundreds of crores of rupees in the homes of politicians in West
Bengal, leading to possibly the biggest educational scam in recent years
pertaining to the appointment of school teachers, non-teaching staff in schools
etc. in the state. It needs to be pointed out here that all this has come to
light only due to a meritorious and bold judge of the Calcutta High Court. The
education system it seems has collapsed because the political class and even some
professors and teachers are going all out to make that extra buck. It is also
in this state that a top-level politician of the ruling party, engaged in cow
smuggling to neighbouring Bangladesh and related illegal activities, was found
to turn black money into white through forcibly grabbing the first prize
lottery ticket from the genuine winner.
Thus, corruption in public life sadly
has been very much manifest as politicians are indulging in unethical behaviour
and there is abuse of public office and property. Similarly, private-sector
corruption is all about making unjust profits by exploiting employees and
consumers while skirting government regulations. It may not be wrong to say
that corruption exists in every sector and at every level of government in the
country. It has been manifest that the number of people in the public and
private sectors employing corrupt methods and unfair methods has been on the
rise and reports have confirmed it.
As per a research conducted by
Transparency International way back in 2005, over 62 percent of Indians have
paid a bribe to a public official at some time in their lives. Another report
from 2008 found that about half of Indians had first-hand experience paying
bribes or using contacts to get services from government agencies. The Corruption
Perception Index (CPI) ranked the country 78th out of 180 countries in 2018,
indicating a steady decline in public perception of corruption.
India’s government, whichever it may
be, and political parties are notorious in corruption scandals. The political
class is entangled in corruption for a number of causes, which include the
social fibre changing, a lack of good education, sincerity and work culture, lack
of genuine involvement with the masses and little incentive to work honestly
and diligently. In India, anyone can enter politics and form a political party,
like perhaps other countries, and need not have educational qualifications as
these are not part of the eligibility criteria. Ministers have been appointed
who have never had school education and are not well-versed with the politics
and the political system. Besides, there is a rise in number of people who are
well-known political leaders who have been convicted of a crime.
Only candidates who meet minimum
educational requirements and have a clean criminal record should be allowed to
run for public office. After winning the election, the candidates should go
through some form of training to be able to handle numerous roles and
responsibilities that are given to them. A well-educated and well-trained
individual in all probability could lead the country more effectively than
others. For everything, there must be a set policy, and ministers’ activities
must be watched by the higher authorities and ensure they are going by the rule
book.
Corruption is less frequent in a
society where people are educated, and the awareness level is high. The vast
majority of people still does not recognise the value of education, which
contributes to an increase in corruption, which is also a result of unbridled
greed and increased market competitiveness. People have become exceedingly
selfish, jealous and arrogant in recent years, all as a result of induction of
materialistic values in society.
Corruption has well-established
causes. It is believed that identifying the root of an issue is half the battle
won. Rather than debating the issue repeatedly, it is now time to seek for
answers. The government and civil society must rid India of corruption. It is
easier said than done. Apart from the thrust on education, there’s a need for reigniting
value system, which has over decades got eroded. We as a people need to fight
corruption and not fall a prey to unscrupulous tendencies, which are rampant in
society.
People and those in power, who
engage in corrupt practices such as receiving and offering bribes, using
unlawful means to build their enterprises, acquiring black money, and other
advantages that they do not have legal access to, must face harsh penalties.
They must be made accountable. Sting operations have in the past been
successful in exposing the corrupt– whether politicians, bureaucrats,
businessmen or individuals in various industries, and should be encouraged. These
operations will not only expose corrupt individuals, butshall deter others from
engaging in such behaviour. Each of us must accept it as a personal obligation
to follow the proper procedure for getting things done rather than paying
bribes to get things done or avoid fines.
There hangs a big question mark
whether corruption can be reduced. There is a need for certain measures that
could be taken for which strong political will and determination is necessary
to transform the country. Only raising education levels may not help, unless
the judicial system is strengthened at all levels to take up cases of corrupt
practices and those indulging in fast track mode. Dispensation of justice must
be prompt as it will act as a deterrent. The Election Commission must have its
machinery in place too and ensure that its officers are not pliable or coerced.
While our political leaders and
governments talk of transparency and accountability, the ground reality is
different. Corruption is eating into the system. For an emerging economy like
India, it stands in the way of a balanced development and inclusive growth. For
if becoming rich is the aim, it is the masses who suffer. ---INFA
Copyright, India News & Feature
Alliance)
(The writer is a maxillofacial
surgeon working as Associate Consultant in AMRI Hospitals, Kolkata)
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Gujarat & Goal 2024: EMOTIONS TO SURPASS ECONOMY, By Shivaji Sarkar, 12 December 2022 |
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Economic Highlights
New Delhi, 12 December 2022
Gujarat & Goal 2024
EMOTIONS TO SURPASS ECONOMY
By Shivaji Sarkar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi magic
spells witha record victory of 156 Gujarat seats for the BJP as he toils hard
withUnion Home Minister Amit Shah. From now on it may be an intense Hindu
makeover, surpassing the economy, to continue the spree till 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The party prefers to go beyond
economics and politics. It is setting the agenda for an open debate before the
poll process begins in February 2023. The BJP starts methodical work to pave
the pitch for the national elections to be preceded by elections to nine State
assemblies and four with the Lok Sabha.
The economic rhetoric of five
trillion would remain there as it was also in Gujarat for a State GDP of one
trillion, though it could not create the mood that the party may have liked.
That led its leaders to walk the extra mile -- 50 km and 10 km patch for the
astounding victory. The magic attraction of Modi finally did the trick as also
party’s capability to muster over 16 lakh people at the polling stations in a
jiffy in the second phase on December 5. The party’s financial and manpower
strength virtually wiped out the opposition parties, particularly the Congress
and the AAP.
An issueless poll makes the BJP’sjob
tougher as the Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi MCD elections testify. The
big election of 2024 once again may not be contested on an economic blueprint
as it is not easy to make it a reality in an inflation and recession-hit world
economy torn by wars, sanctions, low or little growth and millions jobless.
India may be doing better with over 6 percent growth, but it may not be enough
to lure voters or provide work to the needy.
The G20 presidentship would be
utilised to penetrate 50 venues in States with 200 meets starting from Jammu &Kashmir.
But recreating a Gujarat phenomenon across the country though not impossible,will
have a cost on the party cadre and leaders. It did not work in Himachal Pradesh
and Delhi. The BJP proceeds with a cafeteria approach of campaigning. It would
be different in each of the nine States in 2023: in North East-- Meghalaya,
Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura; South -- Karnataka, Telangana; Centre --
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and West – Rajasthan. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal
Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim are likely to go to polls with the Lok Sabha
elections in April 2024.
The controversies, BJP poll managers
know, are vote catchers. It may again gamble on polarisation, population or the
divide with unique packs in each State.It has almost now centred on the Uniform
Civil Code (UCC) to create a waive across the country. The discussion on the
issue of personal laws touches almost all Indians. That gives an opportunity to
woo communities and widen the divide.
A small instance with larger import
was witnessed in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, December 9, with introduction of a
private member’s bill by BJP MP, Kirodi Lal Meena. He demanded a panel to
prepare and implement the UCC. It divides the House. Expectedly the Congress,
TMC, DMK, CPI-M, CPI, IUML, MDMK, Samajwadi Party and RJD lodged strong
protests amid uproar. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar called for division and the
motion was cleared with 63 votes in favour and 23 against. The controversy
officially begins.
Yes, notwithstanding controversies,
the UCC has become the next major agenda and vote drawer. The adage that the BJP
is always in campaign mode becomes a reality. It takes precedence over the Union
Budget preparations, allocations or populist moves that a government puts on
the agenda. Each State is likely to have different allocations for high
sounding programmes for appeal to the local populace. Bullet train, Vande
Bharat trains, small airports and similar feats would be on the popular agenda.
The UCC would be garnished with the population control policy for sharpening
the campaign.
If the BJP concentrates on scrapping
the junking of ten-year-new cars, startedby UPA-Congress, in all the States, it
would touch the heart of several crore people and families. It can be a game
changer as Switzerland has taken the first step to do away with improper tech
electricity guzzler electric vehicles (EV). Anger simmering against the forced
junking of cars and tractors is increasingly being witnessed among kisans of Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Punjab and several others.
It is being touted as a move of the
automobile lobby to boost sales hit by low sales during Covid-19 and even
before. The authorisation of major car makers to lift the ten-year cars is
causing commotion and discontent even among the party workers. Prime Minister
Modi might move differently than Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, a vocal
supporter of car junking.
And there may or may not be freebies,
the free food dole is likely to get an extension till the Lok Sabha polls along
with many other programmes for the tribals, and disadvantaged groups. The
programme is likely to be extended to May 2024, in phases.The minorities are to
be given special favour in allotments of PM Avas Yojana houses, jobs in EWS
quota, allocations to religious schools, madrasas and some other
programmes. It is interesting to note that backward minority communities are
gradually being attracted to the Hindu party. The subtle campaigning among
minority groups of different religions by RSS leader Indresh Kumar has caught
their fancy.
The minority denominated
constituencies in the North East, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka would
be approached by the party cadre for the next one year religiously to lure them
to vote for the BJP. The party is in touch with different churches. Various
programmes tailored for each of the States is aimed at swinging the mood for
the saffron party. The approach, packaging and methods are special to each State
concentrating on welfare and the popular imaging.
Additionally, local religious icons
too would be projected in many ways. In Arunachal Pradesh, Donyi-Polo – Sun-Moon
temple is getting keen attention. This following Modi opening the Donyi-Polo
airport sometime back. Nagaland is varied and so are other States in the region
and according to a RSS leader the sangh has been catering to NE tribals groups
for past decades.
The novel campaign plank has been
designed to surpass the economic issues and capture the electorate’s
imagination. The clear aim being to win the elections with a mix of emotions,
connect and divide and to perpetuate its rule till 2047 or the centenary of
Independence. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature
Alliance)
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ExternalisingIndia’s Image: USING CULTURAL DIPLOMACY, By Dr D.K. Giri, 2 December 2022 |
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Round The World
New Delhi, 2 December 2022
ExternalisingIndia’s Image
USING CULTURAL DIPLOMACY
By Dr D.K. Giri
(Prof International Relations, JIMMC)
On my visit last week to Jakarta,
Indonesia, I accompanied the international delegation to sight-seeing in the
capital city of Jakarta. About 20 of us from 14 countries were taken to the old
town where we were exposed to a puppet show. To my utter delight as well as
surprise, the show was about the Indian epic Ramayana. In a Muslim-majority
country in the capital city, not in Bali, where people of Indian origin
populate, a Hindu epic embraced in cultural events like puppet show was indeed
amazing. There are similar Indian spiritual-cultural influences in other
South-East Asian countries, indeed in many other parts of the world where
Indians have migrated to in the past and are a sizeable population now.
Another anecdote, I was told by a
diplomat friend that an old lady in Tanzania walked some four kilometres to
watch a video on an Indian feature film. Mumbai-produced feature films are
quite popular across the world. On one of my visits to Kabul, I met youngsters
who knew about Sanjay Dutt and Shahrukh Khan more than about anyoneelse in
India. Both these experiences signify the soft power that India possesses,
which emanate from India’s culture. Is India using this soft power effectively
or engaging in cultural diplomacy?
To understand the significance and
impact of cultural diplomacy, let us scan some of the formulations made by
world leaders. Dr. Mari ElkaPangestu, World Bank Managing Director of
Development Policy and Partnerships, former Minister of Tourism and Creative
Economy of Indonesia said, “I think Cultural Diplomacy
plays a large role in overcoming challenges that arise in multilateral trade
negotiations. ‘Soft power’ often does help during hard negotiations. When you
are learning about each other, whether it’s through cooperation in culture, the
arts, collaboration between films, or collaboration between music, that does so
much for increasing the understanding between any two countries or group of
countries, which I believe often paves the way for a better environment during
the more economical/political negotiations”.
Obviously,
the dividends from cultural diplomacy are many. Yet, foreign policies of many
countries focus more on trade and security issues than the cultural aspects. The
cultural affinity between two countries creates a climate of confidence, trust
and understanding. Why is culture then underplayed in diplomatic negotiations! This
is perhaps due to uncertainty on the part of leadership, which culture, or
particular aspects of a culture should be projected.
Cultural
diplomacy is a way of presenting a country to the world, using the cultural
riches of that country. Following from the above premise, what are the cultural
assets? Different countries in the world have specific cultural riches and, in
some cases, similar ones, if they had a shared history. In the Indian case, it
is the co-existence of several identities creating diversity and harnessing the
power of that diversity.
The politics
of identity, however, is a pejorative concept. Karl Marx had said that religion
is the opiate of the people: religion constitutes the bulk of a culture. Ever
since, identities based on religion, race, ethnicity are discarded in public
discourse. Alarmingly, people have been divided into various segments based on
religion, race, gender and nationality. The right-wing populists are exploiting
these divisions to gain political support. Aggravated by pandemic, financial
crises, and wars, insecurity among majority of population fuels nationalism and
extremism.
Enzo
Traverso, Italian scholar of European intellectual history described this trend
as an attempt to destroy democracy. He suggested that the rise of the far-right
also underscores the increasing importance of identity politics in the early 21st
century. Meant as a form of collective action, identity politics seeks to
articulate the needs and demands that arise from the shared experiences of
certain social groups.
In the
West, immigration has caused the consolidation of majoritarianism as a reaction
to globalisation and to the multi-cultural world that it is creating. As the
national economies integrate through trade and direct foreign investments,
profound demographic changes are taking place as migrants move to the West to
either study or work. This is causing considerable anxiety among the white
majorities who are fearful that growing religious and ethnic diversity may
overshadow their own established identity.
In Asia,
where India has considerable cultural influence, diversity has long been a
hallmark of their cultures. Asia has given birth to five major religions and
has hundreds of ethnic groups scattered across 48 countries and 11 different
time zones. Despite their obvious differences, most ethnic and religious groups
have lived in harmony with one another, enriching the arts, traditions and
culture of the region.
Sadly, in
recent years, various conservative and populist parties have come to power by
weaponising identity. In India, the concern exists in some quarters that the
majority is threatening the country’s cultural and religious minorities and
upending the multi-cultural structure of the society.
Malaysia has
recently experienced polarisation. Parties such as UMNO (United Malays National
Organisation) have used the identity card to fracture Malaysian voters along
religious and racial divides. Malaysia had long-established policy of
affirmative action to improve the material conditions of the country’s bhumiputra
or ethnic Malays.
Indonesia
has been experiencing ethnic and religious pluralism insulating identity-based
conflicts and politics. The country, however, saw a steady rise in divisive
rhetoric after 2016 when Islamist groups launched a massive campaign to remove Jakarta’s
Christian Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who they accused of blasphemy for
insulting the Quran.
Progressives
across the world have stayed away from identity politics. That is precisely the
issue and challenge that India can address. Also, this is where India can
contribute to the world politics with its culture of pluralism and synthesis.
Multiple identities are the essence of diversity, which in turn, sustains
democracy. Identities need not conflict and can easily co-exist as they are
always contextual. An individual can embody multiple identities on the basis of
language, ethnicity, race, gender, region, profession, religion and in Indian
case, caste.
There are
two kinds of identities – ascribed, which people are born into, the other,
acquired, which can change. However, identities can be transcended into newer
and higher forms depending on the context. For instance, your language identity
can operate in the same language group, but you need to shed it and acquire
another language while communicating with a person outside your language group.
Indian culture,
composed of religions and traditions, is inherently diverse containing multiple
identities. It has survived for centuries using the practice of co-existence as
well as synthesis. India can use the unique traits of harmony, pluralism and
synthesis in its culture and harness it in cultural diplomacy. This will
enhance India’s chance of emerging as a global power, a super power. Trade and
securityissues are led by US and China at present. What is missing in the
world, which is divided and polarised, is a new political culturediscussed
here. Will India fill the void? ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
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