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Yoga As Soft Power: Rebranding India’s Global Image – Analysis ( Source- Eurasia Review / Author- Sanghamitra Kalita / South Asia Monitor)

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Source- Eurasia Review

Author- Sanghamitra Kalita / South Asia Monitor

Over the last decade, many scholars and analysts have assessed the emergence of India as a major global player in the context of military capabilities, economic growth and political dynamism. This has often resulted in the overlooking of India’s credentials for developing its soft power existing in the form of culture, values and policies. This new form of power called ‘soft power’ has gained credence in International relations discourse in the post-Cold War era.

The term ‘soft power’ which was coined by Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye, is the ability to obtain what one wants through attraction rather than coercion or payments. The smart power, according to Nye, is the combination of hard power and soft power. The concept of power is the mainstay of the traditional approaches to security studies in International Relations. Power is the ability of actor A to influence the behaviour of actor B to get the outcomes one wants. The behaviour of a state can be affected in three main ways: threats of coercion (“sticks”), inducement and payments (“carrots”), and attraction that makes the other want what you want.

The outcomes of soft power can be achieved by a particular country in world politics when other countries want to follow it, admiring its values and aspiring to its level of prosperity and openness. Therefore, it becomes pertinent to set the agenda straight and develop good communication between the states. The effects of soft power are long lasting but the results are not as immediate as hard power. India has an enormous potential to tap its soft power credentials. Former minister of state for external affairs during the United Progressive Alliance II (UPA) regime, Shashi Tharoor, has been vocal in support for India’s soft power approach. He has argued that the past classification of major power status has become archaic and India’s strength lies in its soft power. The point of argument lies in the fact that India may lag behind other great powers like US or China in respect to military capabilities and economy but it always had a ‘better story” to tell to qualify as a global power. The attractiveness towards India is showcased through the components of soft power which may be as diverse as Bollywood, yoga, ayurveda, political pluralism, religious diversity and openness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been relentless in his efforts to reposition India’s image as a major global player through his active diplomacy and also attempted to rebrand India with its philosophical and religious traditions in his foreign policy agenda. Yoga has been instrumental in this direction to promote India’s image as a global thought leader, a Vishwa Guru, or guru of the world. Modi’s pitch for making yoga a global phenomenon was witnessed last September when addressing the UN General Assembly, he described yoga as “India’s gift to the world” and successfully lobbied the forum to declare June 21 as World Yoga Day. This global recognisation of yoga will indeed enhance Prime Minister Modi’s efforts to make yoga as an instrument of his soft power diplomacy. A separate ministry called the Ministry of Ayush was formed last year which looks after Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.

The ancient practice of yoga has gained worldwide admiration and recognisation and has become a source of India’s soft power. Many names who have popularised yoga in Europe and America that comes to mind are Paramhansa Yogananda, B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi, and T. K.V. Desikachar. The mushrooming of yoga centres in several parts of the world is indeed a testimony to its popularity. Yoga has also gained popularity among many Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities.

India celebrated its first International Yoga Day on June 21 with full fervour and enthusiasm. The prime minister himself graced the occasion by performing several asanas (yoga exercises) at Rajpath, Delhi along with a gathering of nearly 36,000 people. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was in New York to commemorate the occasion at the UN Headquarters along with UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, President of the General Assembly Sam Kutesa, Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and several other diplomats. She reiterated the fact that the UN’s decision to commemorate the International Day of Yoga underlines the appreciation for India and its growing soft power.

Tens of thousands of yoga practioners and enthusiasts across the globe took to their mats in a symbol of universality of the ancient Indian discipline as they marked the first International Day of Yoga. The day also marked the setting of two new Guinness World Records, for the most individuals practicing yoga in Rajpath, Delhi which turned into “Yogpath” in the words of the prime minister, and for the largest number of nationalities in performing the exercises at a single venue.

There are many challenges in this direction as many minority religious groups have dubbed it as a Hindu religious act and as a conspiracy of the state to impose its Hindutva agenda. But the UN General Assembly resolution has vehemently disproved these ideas and reaffirmed the holistic significance of yoga for the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of all individuals.

 About the author- Sanghamitra Kalita, Jawaharlal Nehru University Research Scholar, CCUS&LAS, SIS. She can be reached at sanghamitra082@gmail.com

Click here to read the original article in Eurasia Review

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