Neighbourhood Challenge

Context: To curb the rising Chinese influence, India needs to turn towards the principle of ‘together we grow’.

Concept of Soft Power Diplomacy/Skills

• Defining Soft Power: It denotes the ability of nations to influence others without using force (Joseph Nye)

• “Sanskritik mandala” or “cultural circle”: 
• Based on the Buddhist circle of influence;
• Included Ceylon, Burma, Nepal, Tibet, Central Asia, China, Japan, and Indo-china, which accepted the Buddha’s Middle Path.

Challenges to Soft Power Diplomacy in present times

• Theoretical Challenge: Kautilya’s theory of Rajamandala  i.e “circles of kings”, implies 12 concentric circles of neighbouring states with each of them as a friend or a foe. 
• Possibility of the immediate neighbours being inimical, while the neighbour of the neighbour, in the second circle, could be a friend.
• Weakening cultural circle: However in present times, neighbours and neighbours’ neighbours too are posing challenges:

• Recently Bangladesh decided to hand over the construction of its first submarine base near Cox’s Bazar to China.
• Iran recently decided to go ahead with the remaining work on the Chabahar port without India’s support and has increased economic and security partnership with China.
• Co-option of the Central Asian republics into Chabhar agreement challenges India’s ties with these republics and US-led programme of C5+1.

• For E.g. China’s “thousand talents” programme led to heightened suspicion about its soft power initiatives. 
• Misuse of soft power to spread dominance: is resulting in rising suspicion about each other’s soft power diplomacy.
• Rising urge for “uniqueness”: is making neighbourhood countries uncomfortable over the over-emphasis of “oneness” and acts as a hurdle to India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
• Not subjected to the righteous constraints of an open, democratic society or the rule of law.

Way Forward: 

• Include principle of “together we grow” in India’s foreign policy objectives.
• Ensure proactive diplomacy together with greater attention to the soft developmental needs of the neighbours.