Shivang Sethi’ essay

Gateway House Global Minds Essay Competition 2011

2nd prize: Shivang Sethi

Delhi Public School R.K. Puram

New Delhi, NTC

Ashoka or Arthashastra: which one can better shape India’s foreign policy and future?

The geopolitical spotlight over the last few years is firmly trained on Asia where India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing economies. With its growing international engagement, India’s interest would be of increasing influence in shaping the newglobal order. To expect India to pursuea straightforward alignment of its interests with the changing world order would betoo simplistic.

India has the benefit of hindsight and a rich legacy in international relations. Arthasharsta, embodying Kautilya’s principlesof politics, led to consolidation of Indian subcontinent and resulted in one of the strongest empires- the Mauryaempire. Deriving from rugged political realism of Arthashastra, harsh political measures were often implemented to achieve secularization of the empire.

This policy perhapssuited those times when nations were constantly interacting through dissension and force and one could ‘either conquer’ or ‘fall victim to conquests’. In contrast, Ashoka, having witnessed thetrauma of the Kalinga War, sought to conquer the world through peaceful meansand successfully consolidated a welfare-state.It may be arguedthat it was a result of the unification of the empire due to strategies of his predecessors that prepared India for subsequent moral transformation byAshoka. Yet this does not diminish the significance of Ashoka’s legacy. His principles are more suited to today’s realities when the future of our planet is threatened bynatural disasters and acts of terrorism.

It is in this context that India’s foreign policy ina yet unsettledworld would have to align withdiverse challenges. India’s diplomatic tango on the world stage should therefore be viewed through a kaleidoscope of entwined relationships, no longer determined narrowly by political contentions, but more by a burgeoning economic engagement. There may bedeep furrows of continuing suspicions, that should keep policy-makers alert, but these should be capped by pragmatism.

Further engagement among nations is no longer restricted to defending national boundaries. In a complex web of economic, political and social considerations there may appear many shades of grey that lie between the black and white of any ally and enemy. India’s foreign policy should therefore derive from the ancient wisdom of Kautilya’s political realismin building its defense capabilities but stay deep-rooted in Ashoka’s values of peaceful co-existence. Above all it should contribute to India’s emergence as the‘knowledge power’, willing to share its growing dynamism with all nations.

This does not imply that foreign policy should not give due consideration to security threats. However, it may have to hinge more on dimensions that go beyond preparing the country for conflict. Moreover it must focus on creating the right environment and right global networks for India to continue its economic engagement. There may remain polarization on key issues among countries, for instance border issues in India’s engagement with Pakistan or China, but these should not be allowed to derail long termties. Arthshastra’s Mandala theory has its limitations and cannot dictate India’s foreign policy, even towards its Asian neighbours.

India has grown to be a significant soft power with enviable software skills and should leverage on these to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships. As Indian corporations transcend national boundary, diplomacy should encourage ‘flag to follow businesses’ andstrengthen India’s integration with the world economy.

Moreover, foreign policy should project India in the correct perspective: not as an ‘extractive or exploiting investor’ but as a partner seeking to buildwin-win partnerships through mutual complementarities. Such initiatives would win India new friends in emerging markets of Africa and Latin America.

Through strategic and diplomatic thinkingIndia should alsofocus on ensuring that its voice is heard in global decision-making process, be it the WTO or the UN. As a young nation working on frontiers of cutting-edge technology, India must consolidate its gains and carve for itself a new leadership role on the world stage. This is possible if India strengthens its engagement with other developing countries and develops consensus on issues ranging from climate change to global economic slowdown.

While India should assert its right to develop its nuclear power capabilities, untrammeled by dictates of others, diplomacy should be at work to convince the world that this is for peaceful purposes. A fine balance would work best in India’s interests where its military strength should go hand in hand with strategies to increase regional influence. This is where India should enhance its soft powerthrough regional and multilateral arrangements.

Today challenges facing foreign policy are more intriguing and complex. India’s relationship with some countries continues to simmer, leaving open the possibility that one or more contentious issue might bubble over into open acrimony.

Over the last few years the subcontinent has seen countries engage in a game of strategic one-upmanship as several countries like China and Pakistan are investing in bigger military to protect their interests. Non-state actors have further sown seeds of distrust whichsometimes clouds decision-making. Tensions simmer not only over territorial issues, but also on a wide-range of foreign policy issues from India’s bid for permanent place in the UNSecurity Council to the region’s stance on Iran and North Korea.

This is where India would benefit by amalgamating Ashoka’s values with the kind of preparedness advocated by Arthashastra. India should take all measures to counter terrorism and strengthen its military capabilities, while simultaneously investing in strategic economic diplomacy to protect its global economic interests. Goal of foreign policy should be to ensure stability and economic future of the entire region and the world. By leveraging on its economic relationships, India could apply effective brakes on any conflict before it becomes serious enough to threaten the benefits of such an engagement. Disputes should ideally be isolated and managed through regular bilateral dialogues.

India must also promote ties with South Asia in all their thorny complexity. By sharing its knowledge, India couldbuild trust and mould minds of future generations in the region. Stress on commerce rather than conflict should determine the contours of India’s foreign policy. Upgrading of economic ties could further take some of the heat off the simmering contentious issues and political suspicions. This would be the right path to transcend boundaries and lead tomatured relationships. India should thus view foreign policy in a long-term perspective, as born out of necessity to emerge as a global leader.

While Arthshastra could guide India in doing what is right for its own people, India cannot be swayed by vision of‘rule by the strongest’. Foreign policy should stay deep-rooted in Ashoka’s dhamma encompassing right conduct, social justice, and responsibility for “the common good of the world”. It is only in an equitable and sustainable world order that India’s interests would be best servedand India should strive to spread the ‘arc of democracy’ with other democratic nations.   

As world faces threats of climate change, war and natural disasters, foreign policy should be tuned into the global space. Guided by Ashoka’s values, India should strive to emerge as the knowledge leader and expand this vision across t
he international community. India has a great opportunity to not only exemplify Ashoka’s values, but through its foreign policy propagate these values to secure the future of our planet.