Buddhism, India’s soft power projection tool

Context: India recently hosted a global Buddhist summit in New Delhi, which saw the participation of key figures from the global Buddhist community, including the Dalai Lama.

Why in News?

There is much significance to India having hosted a two-day global Buddhist summit in New Delhi (April 20-21), which was organized by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation.
The summit saw the participation of key figures from the global Buddhist community, including the Dalai Lama.
The summit was a significant opportunity for India to project and connect with the Buddhist population around the world, thereby strengthening the country’s soft power.

Importance of Buddhism for India’s soft power diplomacy

Meaning:
- Soft power is the capacity to influence other nations through the use of persuasion and attraction rather than coercion or force. Soft power relies on culture, arts, and science.
Proponent:
- Joseph Nye was the first to coin the term “soft power”.

India’s Soft Power tools

Beginning Post independence:

From the time of Jawaharlal Nehru’s Panchsheel principles, India has been guided by the ideals of peaceful co-existence.
The foreign policies of India have always been based on the objectives of dialogue, peace, and building national and global agreements.
- It opts to predict better synergies with nations that have mutual goals such as safeguarding civil treaties, and regulations, promoting global peace, combating terrorism and political violence, and developing the fundamental foundations of a peaceful and prosperous world.

Art & culture:

India makes a lot of movies, music, books, and other forms of art that are enjoyed all over the world. This has increased India’s cultural influence in a big way.

Yoga:

India has also been using yoga diplomacy as a tool for cultural exchange and international cooperation. The flagship activity is International Yoga Day.
Sciences, spirituality & faith:
- Sciences, spirituality, art and faith that developed over millennia in the subcontinent found their way across other regions, earning India a considerable amount of ‘soft power’ long before the term itself was coined.
- Owing to this, present-day India is well poised to draw upon religious and faith-based associations with countries across the globe.

Religions:

The Indian subcontinent has given birth to a number of major religions in the world and over time has assimilated into its social fabric numerous others.
One of the more novel manifestations of these initiatives has been engagement in Buddhist diplomacy.

Conclusion

India recognises the importance of Buddhism as a means of conducting public diplomacy and has utilised it to its advantage.
However, India has not used its Buddhist Diplomacy to its fullest potential. Therefore, India must act to ensure that it remains a key player in the global Buddhist community.
As Buddha was the biggest preacher of peace, his teachings of peace and cooperation in these tough times can become the guiding light of Indian diplomacy on the world stage.