Round The World
New
Delhi, 21 October 2014
Modi’s
Look East Policy
BUDDHA
DIPLOMACY A PANACEA
By Ashok B
Sharma
India’s Look East Policy has
undergone a significant change in its emphasis under the new dispensation with
Buddha occupying the central stage in diplomacy for the region. The Prime
Minister Narendra Modi indicated such a change in emphasis by his first
official visit abroad to a neighbouring Buddhist country, Bhutan and then to Nepal where Lord Buddha was born.
The emphasis in the policy is likely
to become more evident when the Prime Minister visits Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar for the
India-ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit slated in the second week next month.
Further edge to the new Look East Policy will be given when he visits Brisbane for G20 Summit
and has bilateral meetings with the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in
the middle of next month. Thereafter, Modi gets the chance of expressing his
Neighbours First Policy at the SAARC Summit slated in November 26-27 in Kathmandu.
People-to-people contact is one of
the cornerstones of Modi’s foreign policy. His plans for making this as central
to South Asia and then integrating with the South-East Asia makes his deploy
the soft power of Buddha diplomacy. With vast population of Buddhists in east
and south-east Asia, plans are afoot to make India
a Mecca for
world Buddhists. The work on phase-I Buddhists Tourist Circuit is gathering
pace. This includes Lumbini in Nepal where Lord Buddha was born, Bodhgaya where
he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh where
he delivered his first sermon, Rajgir in Bihar where he lived and taught,
Nalanda which became the centre of Buddhist learning and teaching, Kushinagar
in UP where he died, Kapilavastu on India-Nepal border where Lord Buddha spent
his first early years before embarking on long journey to enlightenment,
Vaishali in Bihar where he delivered his last sermon, Sravasi in UP where he
spent 24 rainy seasons at Jetavan monastery and Kausambi in UP where he
preached.
A study undertaken by the
International Finance Corporation has suggested an investment of Rs 500 crore
each by the public and private sector over a span of four years. The Government
has proposed some initial investment in the current budgetary proposals. As it
is bullish in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), Modi is expected take
up this issue with leaders of east and south-east Asian countries. As regards
revival of ancient Buddhist centre of learning, Nalanda University,
several countries in the region have already pledged their contribution. In the
subsequent phases there are plans to develop ancient Buddhist sites across 17
States in the country.
Several Buddhist countries have set
up their monasteries in India
particularly in Bodh Gaya where pilgrims visit. But in modern times the need is
to develop more luxurious accommodations and budget hotels for different
classes of tourists. Since the conception of a Buddhist Tourist Circuit in 1986
very little has been done as the country attracts a mere 0.005% of global
Buddhist tourists. Most of the tourist arrivals are in the winter season and
they miss out visiting Buddhist sites on major festive occasions such as Buddha
Jayanti in the month of Vaisakh (April/May). There are other festive occasions
celebrated in India like Lasar or the Tibetan New Year, Hemis Fair in Ladakh,
Ullambana, Sangha Dayor Magha Puja, Asatha Day and Pavarana Day.
While India
is seeking help for revival of Buddhist sites, it is also helping to revive
ancient Buddhist temples and ancient sites in South-East
Asia. Hence it seems to be on a quid pro quo basis of cooperation.
The Archaeological Society of India is engaged in reviving Angkor Wat and Ta
Prohm Temple in Siem Reap in Cambodia.
Vat Phou
Temple in Laos,
Ananda Temple
in Bagan in Myanmar, Thiruketeeswaram Temple
in Mannar in Sri Lanka.
It is slated to take works on My Son group of temples in Vietnam.
India has the excellent
opportunity to rope in Mahayana Buddhists from China,
South Korea, Japan, Taiwan,
Singapore and Vietnam, Theravada Buddhists from Cambodia, Thailand,
Laos, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
and Vajrayana Buddhists from Tibet,
Mongolia, Bhutan, western China,
Russia and Nepal. Sikkim in India is the home to all sects of
Buddhism.
Buddha in Indian diplomacy is a soft
power that can connect to the people in the east and south-east Asian region.
Particular interest to China
would be a travel route of the ancient Chinese scholars like Huein Tsang and
others. Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh host number of sites
which are of interests to Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhists. China which is ready to give alternative route
to the Hindu pilgrim site at Mansarovar in Tibet
via Nathu La in Sikkim should
be liberal in allowing Tibetan pilgrims to visit India.
After hosting the Olympics in Beijing, China
has become assertive in projecting its ancient cultural identity with pride.
Hence it has to look towards India
for its ancient linkage, particularly in matters of spread of Buddhism and the
visit of ancient Chinese scholars. Though its claim over Arunachal Pradesh has
remained a contentious issue between the two countries, many analysts believe
that ultimately it has to look towards India in quest for preserving its
ancient tradition and culture.
Buddha diplomacy, therefore, can be
an effective tool and soft power for India’s
engagement with in South Asia, South-East Asia, East Asia and Russia.
People-to-people contact and cultural exchanges can go a long way to resolve
contentious political issues in the near future. As a step ahead, Modi at the
UN General Assembly proposed UN Day for Yoga which received instant support
from Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It appealed to many
Buddhist countries also. India-Buddhist countries axis is a well thought of
plan in the country’s diplomacy for the entire India-Pacific region desirous of
looking back to its cultural past.
Can the Modi government attract
considerable foreign direct investment (FDI) for developing Buddhist Tourist
Circuit and make India a Mecca for global
Buddhists? Future can only predict how far India’s Buddha diplomacy would go
to bring about country’s bonhomie in the region and resolve contentious issues.
---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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