Detractors and naysayers will dismiss this idea as a hyperbole and a utopian concept that stems from nationalism or jingoism. But from an aspirational standpoint, I feel it is a laudable objective and will propel the country to great heights. It is not a hollow, sentimental and an impractical idea and we cannot dismiss the proponents who harbour this vision as living in a fool’s paradise.
India is on the right track. You will have to be a Vishwa Mitra (a universal friend) first and with your soft power extend your sphere of influence across the globe. When the push came to the shove, examples abound, where India rose to the occasion, even in the recent past, extending a helping hand to people in distress. Instances in point—manufacturing and sharing the Covid vaccine to countries in dire need during the pandemic, sending help to earthquake ravaged Turkey and providing relief and succour, bringing back students belonging to neighbouring countries from the war zone during the Ukraine-Russia conflict. In such situations India has transcended narrow parochialism and exuded altruism. It is a defining Vishwa Guru trait and will always hold it in good stead in bilateral and multilateral fora.
India currently holds / held two important and vantage positions from where it can propagate and practice the ennobling concept of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family). It was holding the Presidency of the UN Security Council (is a non-permanent member) with aplomb and is the current Chairman of the G20. The point I am trying to drive home is that India’s opinion matters, and the world hears it with respect.
India was the one of the founding members of the non-aligned movement and it never really felt comfortable in being a part of a bloc and chartered its own trajectory. India never aspired to be a military power coveting other people’s territory or be a hegemon, but it does defend itself with all its might, if it is pushed around and has a professional trained army which can ward off attacks.
Before the foreign conquests, first the Moghuls and later the British, India had a thriving economy and supposedly its GDP was 36 per cent of the global economy. It had a share of 24.5 per cent of the World trade. It was the one of the first countries to introduce money-based trade. Its silk, spices, gold, cotton was sought after the world over and the appellation soney ki chidiya (golden sparrow) is still used to refer to our glorious past.
We become nostalgic and want to regain our past glory. Our territory extended from present day Afghanistan and our influence extended to far flung places like Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan and even China. How many of us know that Boddhidharman was an Indian monk from the South of India who went to China and established the Shaolin monastery and taught the now popular martial art Kung Fu. Our herbal medicine was also taught to the Chinese. There is tell-tale evidence of India’s influence in all these places.
Sanathana Dharma is the cornerstone of our civilizational ethos. Our pluralism and inclusiveness are because of this reality. We have given shelter to the persecuted Jews in the dark days of the holocaust, we gave refuge to the Parsis (Zorastrians) when they fled Iran. In these troubled times when there is strife torn swathes in various parts of the world and when the world is divided along various fault lines, the world needs India’s healing touch, leadership and its time-tested philosophy of Unity in Diversity. The Institution of Panchayati Raj is as ancient as India’s civilization. It is the bedrock on which the Indian democracy is founded. We may have borrowed a leaf or two from the Westerners, but Indians are inherently democratic.
As we approach Amrit Kaal the 25-year period from 75 to 100, India has proved the prophets of doom wrong many a times. JK Galbraith once said, “India is a functioning anarchy!” But India has come a long way since and has gone past many milestones and it has done it democratically without compromising on its principles. Even today transfer of power after elections are smooth and orderly adhering to its constitutional provisions. It can be a success template for many a country in the world.
India is poised to play a dominant role in the emerging multi-polar world order and can don the mantle of a Vishwa Guru as it has so much to offer. Yoga and Vegetarianism are sweeping the world. It will be a 5 trillion economy by 2025 and in due course beat Japan and Germany to be the third largest after the US and China. It will also very soon be a manufacturing hub of the world with far reaching policies like Atmanirbhar Bharat. It already is a key player in the services sector.
Its political class must metamorphose into enablers to create a nurturing ecosystem.
It is only a matter of time before India occupies a pride of place in the comity of nations. Unless something untoward happens, India is poised to take up a position of pre-eminence on the World Stage and be a beacon light to the World.
(The views reflected here are solely the author’s)
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Detractors/naysayers will dismiss this idea as a hyperbole & a utopian concept that stems from #nationalism or jingoism. But from an aspirational standpoint, I feel it is a laudable objective & will propel #India🇮🇳 to great heights. #TheIndianSun #Opinionhttps://t.co/b8Xgs1ACAp
— The Indian Sun (@The_Indian_Sun) February 20, 2023
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