BUDDHISM AS A SOFT POWER – INTERNATIONAL
News: Buddhism,
India’s soft power projection tool
What's in the news?
● Recently,
India hosted a two-day global Buddhist
summit in New Delhi. It was organised by the Ministry of Culture in
collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation.
Key takeaways:
Global Buddhist Summit:
● Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi, laid emphasis on the continuing relevance of the
Buddha’s teachings in today’s world.
● The
summit was a significant opportunity for India to project and connect with the
Buddhist population around the world. It will strengthen the country’s soft
power.
● It
saw a diverse group of 171 foreign
delegates from South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, and Taiwan, along
with 150 delegates from Indian Buddhist organisations. It was attended by
prominent scholars, sangha leaders, and dharma practitioners.
● The
Indian government hopes to demonstrate its commitment to preserving and
promoting Buddhist culture and heritage.
Buddhism and Today's diplomacy:
● Today,
97 percent of the world’s Buddhist population lives in the Asian continent, and
a number of countries such as Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka conceive
of Buddhism as intrinsic to their national values and identity.
● The
Buddhist faith, due to its emphasis on peaceful
co-existence and its wide pan-Asian presence, lends itself well to soft-power
diplomacy.
India's potential in Buddhist diplomacy:
● For
India, Buddhism provided an identity of
peace and tranquillity after independence when there was intense violence
and division between Hinduism and Islam.
● India
is well-positioned to play a leading role in shaping the discourse around Buddhist
issues on the global stage.
● India
holds an advantage due to the faith’s origins in the country.
● The
current government’s guiding principles for foreign policy are Panchamrit
principles. It includes “Sanskriti Evam Sabhyata”. It means cultural and civilizational
links.
Steps taken by India in enhancing Buddhist diplomacy:
1. Buddhist tourist circuit:
● The
Indian government has been actively investing in its Buddhist diplomacy.
● India is currently home
to seven of the eight most significant Buddhist sites in the world.
● There
is a focus on promoting tourism through the development of the “Buddhist
tourist circuit”.
2. Visit to Buddhist sites abroad:
● In
speeches made on official international visits such as to Sri Lanka and China,
among others, India’s Prime Minister has made a conscious effort to emphasise
shared Buddhist heritage.
● PM
Modi is also visiting Buddhist sites during his Southeast and East Asian visits.
3. Hosting International Conferences:
● International
conferences have been organised and councils convened that facilitated
interaction between members across sectarian and national boundaries.
● ‘Buddhism in the 21st
Century’ conference that took place at Rajgir in 2017.
● In
October 2016, the ‘5th International
Buddhist Conclave’ was organised in Varanasi by the Ministry of Tourism
● In
2015, the ‘Hindu-Buddhist Initiative on
Conflict Avoidance’ was organised by the Vivekananda International
Foundation and the Tokyo Foundation in Bodh Gaya, and inaugurated by Prime
Minister himself.
4. Nalanda University:
● The
most important project in the domain of academia to have been undertaken is
that of Nalanda University.
● The
launch of the university was a pan-Asian initiative that was funded by numerous
countries.
Challenges in using Buddhism as a soft power
diplomacy:
1. China's presence:
● As in most other areas of political significance, India has found competition from China in the realm of Buddhist diplomacy.
2. Issue of Dalai Lama:
● The
most prominent manifestation of India and China’s rivalry in the sphere of
Buddhist diplomacy relates to the issue of the Dalai Lama.
● The
presence of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala
in North India has been a source of contention between India & China.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Edge over China:
● To
maintain its edge over China, more action is needed.
● China
is actively seeking to exert control over the appointment of the next Dalai
Lama.
● It
would be a blow to India’s efforts to project its soft power through Buddhism.
2. Ensuring its present:
● India
must act to ensure that it remains a key player in the global Buddhist
community.
● India
should continue promoting Buddhism at the highest levels of government, while
also organising cultural events to showcase the country’s rich Buddhist
history.
3. Role of ICCR:
● The
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) could play a significant role in
promoting such events within and outside India.
4. Hosting Key Buddhist summits:
● India
should work to strengthen its ties with key Buddhist institutions and leaders
around the world.
● The
Delhi summit was a step in the right
direction.
5. Use of Non-State Actors:
● India
also needs to utilise the reach of Bollywood in promoting its Buddhist
heritage.
● China,
with its influence over Hollywood, has completely dominated the narrative
around Buddhism through cinema. In contrast, India is behind in this domain.
6. Using G-20 Platform:
● India’s
G-20 presidency this year could be used to promote Buddhist diplomacy on a
bigger scale through various cultural meetings.
● Buddhist
teachings align with the motto of India’s G-20 presidency, ‘One Earth, One
Family, One Future’.
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.