Dr. Pentapati Pullarao
The is a lot of yearning amongst Indians to see India recognized as a ” Superpower”. In the past decade, as India’s economics profile has risen , we feel that India deserves a place at the high table. Aiming to become a superpower requires a more serious understanding of history and also requires an impartial determination what is the minimum required for India to be viewed as a superpower.
There is no precise definition of a superpower. The earliest Superpowers in human history were perhaps the Greek , Persian and Roman empires. They spread out over large areas and different nationalities. They sustained themselves by having a subdued population and assure revenue collection, either by taxes or pillage. The recent Empires were the Turkish and British empires. They were successful models and they had great tenures. The Turkish Empire lasted hundreds of years till it collapsed in 1921 and the British Empire similarly had a tenure of over 200 years.
There were some common attributes for all empires.
Durability is perhaps the most visible attribute. To be recognized as a modern superpower, a nation must have durability. A nation cannot be a superpower for a decade or a few years. It must last or look to last for a very long time. India has to have the wherewithal to look enduring and solid. There cannot seem to be a collapsible economy or national will.
A sustainable economic model is needed. A superpower must have multi-faceted strengths and its economy cannot be either resource-dependent or simply an exporter. A superpower must have numerous economic strengths and a great fallback source.
Institutional memory is perhaps a most visible requirement. For institutional memory, you must have an ” Establishment “. All empires had an institutional memory simply because they had Courts and dynasties represented in courts. There was a generational continuity and memories were preserved and used. In India, we do not have any institutional memory. Neither is there any ” Establishment “. This is perhaps a very critical requirement for India to aspire to ” Superpower ” status. There is just no “Establishment ” in India. Right from the Roman empire to the current Superpower USA, they had or have great establishments, which allowed ” institutional memories “. India has to have such a model. Just look at the hundreds of Think Tanks and Universities which are totally devoted to find solutions in the USA. They are both watchdogs and also banks of intellectual capital.
Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye coined the term ” soft power” nearly 35 years ago. Nye identified ” soft power” as something as powerful as military power. Any aspiring superpower must have ” soft power” or acquire it. Though Japan is a huge economic giant as is Germany, they cannot acquire superpower status simply because they have very little ” soft power”. The Romans and Turks had great soft power in their day. Everyone wanted adopt their life styles and they became cultural aspirational models. Then the British and the French also used their soft power in their heyday. Today, we find that USA has immense soft power and that is begin sued to gain dominance in all sectors. India does have a lot of soft power . Even though China and Japan are way ahead of India in economics or China in the military , India outbids the, in the ” soft power” sector. This is something which India should try to strengthen and project. Soft power is not some thing like a mineral asset. It has to be nurtured and constantly strengthened.
There is however a tendency in India to take ” soft power ” for granted. A lot more has to be done to preserve and grow our soft power. It is more than Bollywood or yoga. Superpowers should have a lot of soft power. India can meet this requirement if we make an effort. Soft power simply means that other countries want to emulate us or imitate us in many areas. This happens when we achieve great standards of excellence in at least some fields.
It is not only the rise of Empires or Superpowers which can teach lessons. But the fall of Empires that hold even greater lessons for India, if it wants to be a a Superpower. . . There is no point in committing the same missteps that other Empires or aspiring empires did.
The path to Super powerdom is distinct for every nation. Usually if you look back, many nations filled in a vacuum or it was an accidental rise. Whether India achieves superpower status or not is not important. If we think we deserve it or can achieve it, that itself raises our self- esteem and prepares us for challenges. if India tries to put itself in a well- planned path to super power status, that itself allows us to strive for excellence and also puts India on a Great trajectory.
The fact that we try to pass a competitive examination itself educates us ,whether we pass the exam or not. The effort itself is ennobling since it raises our consciousness and there will be many many collateral benefits. There will be great economic, social ,diplomatic and political benefits for India to set itself on the high road to superpower status. The very fact that we consider ourselves of being a potential superpower increase our worldwide profile. Let us try to put ourselves on such an ambitious path. But that means we have to be prepared for sacrifices and pain.
Dr Pentapati Pullarao
