India doesn’t need to work on influencing public opinion abroad because other countries don’t really matter anymore
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One of the stranger things I noticed a couple of weeks ago — this was during those feverish days when a lot of our countrymen were busy applauding drone strikes, explaining how drone strikes worked, or writing LinkedIn posts about the importance of drone strikes — was a lack of enthusiasm from the outside world. Countries that would otherwise be vocal about how much they respected us were almost mute and abstained from offering strong words of support. There were cursory statements issued from the offices of some political leaders, but no solid signs of solidarity of the kind that usually crop up when something bad happens to another country.
I am aware that India is now such a powerful, developed nation that it doesn’t care for advice or help from anyone, but I couldn’t stop wondering if this was a good thing. Co-operation and mutual respect are critical for growth, after all, whether this is about relationships between people or nations. What I saw, during those days of dramatic monologues masquerading as news reports on television, was a worrying hint of apathy when it came to how the world now sees us.
This could be my imagination, of course, because it’s possible that there were protests on European streets and fundraisers for India raised in cities and towns I have never heard of, but none of these attracted enough attention. I didn’t see foreigners online expressing love and admiration for India or Indians, a sentiment that is increasingly reflected in the power of the Indian passport. It also made me wonder if our elected representatives have heard of ‘soft power’ and its importance.
Some countries do this better than others and have perfected it over a sustained period. Take the West, which has it in spades and has used its entertainment industry to gently peddle its brand of propaganda with box office success as the icing on that cake. It’s how it has successfully managed to oversee so many atrocities in so many countries over the course of recent history, without any significant loss of face. That it manages to do this despite access to military force or coercion is testament to how critical soft power can be when used effectively.
I seem to recall a time when India had it too, that innate ability to garner admiration or applause not just for the people who represented us on the world stage, but for the art, ideas, and ideals we stood for. I don’t think of Bollywood or cricket as cultural currency, despite how often they are both trotted out, but I believe there was something about warmth, hospitality, and the path of non-violence that compelled so many people in so many countries to think of India and Indians as honourable. That sentiment no longer exists, and it may have something to do with the bigotry, hate, and arrogance that now runs rampant in our public and private discourse.
Countries that rely upon soft power to exert influence do it in multiple ways, sometimes through cultural exchange programs or hosting major events to which other countries are invited, or in subtle ways by cultivating a reputation that is built upon the upholding of human rights.
If I consider the former example, I am reminded of our poor record when it comes to playing host. There was the G20 summit, which was remembered less for successful economic policy making than for the government putting up green curtains to hide poor neighbourhoods from the eyes of foreign visitors. I also recall the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which garnered headlines around the world for its violations of labour laws at construction sites, evidence of child labour, no tolerance zones for beggars, widespread corruption related to the organisation of many events, lack of training, and allegations of racism towards representatives of some countries. So, no, hosting may not be a great idea.
As for human rights, the less said the better. We aren’t allowed to discuss why the country’s Human Freedom Index score has only declined over the past decade, because to bring that up would open one to allegations of anti-nationalism.
I suppose the thing to do is accept that we have forgotten about soft power and are going to embrace the notion of PR-driven brute force, going forward. What the world has to say about us will cease to matter as we hurtle towards a future where we all applaud every official press release like patriotic sheep in a vast echo chamber. Jai Hind.
When he isn’t ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira
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