India and China can do the unthinkable

By Ritvvij Parrikh

Chinese sea lines from the Middle East to its ports in South China Sea pass through many choke points, most importantly the Straits of Malacca. In times of conflict, they are places where the supply of crude oil and iron ore needed to keep the Chinese economy growing could be cut.

Being a sensible world power, China is trying to mitigate the risks. First it has invested in a series of ports dotted all across the Indian Ocean, in the Seychelles, Pakistan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Next, China is investing in road
and rail links, and possibly gas pipelines, from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Recipients of this aid get improved infrastructure, foreign investment and a chance to earn transit fees from China. In return, the China builds alternate trade routes and its goods gain access to new markets. It is a win-win deal for all - except India.

India sees these Chinese investments with mistrust and as an attempt to encircle it. Accordingly, in turn, India is boosting its defense budgets, setting up new corps in the areas bordering China, investing in nuclear submarines and increasing the prowess of its navy.

China is expanding its railway network deep into Tibetan Autonomous Region. It is building a 770-kilometer railway line connecting Lhasa to Nepal and there are plans to extend the line all the way to Nathu La, a mountain pass connecting Tibet with India. These investments have allowed China to pour in troops into Tibet to quell unrests.

Since 2008, the Indian economy has been facing policy paralysis, unabated inflation, huge public debt and budget deficit. India is trying hard to woo foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country. The government first tried to bring in FDI in multi-brand retail, which was voted out by the government’s allies.

During his visit to South Korea for the Nuclear Security Summit in March, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pitched for Korean investment in India's infrastructure sector. Later, at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, he did the same, this time with the outgoing Chinese premier. And now, the government is planning to allow up to 49% in foreign direct investment in the airline industry.

Against the backdrop of tense border relations and a need for ties between their markets, one must ask how India and China want to see their respective relations shape up in the coming years? Does China want India to team up with the US, Japan, Vietnam and Australia? Does India want China to keep it holed up in the subcontinent? India will have to think out of the box to solve these issues and perhaps do the unthinkable, just as then United States president Richard Nixon did by visiting China in 1972.

Taking all of this into consideration, New Delhi must proactively offer Beijing a secured transit route. The Indian navy ships will protect and ensure safe delivery of Chinese cargo ships to an Indian port in either the state of Karnataka, Gujarat or West Bengal. From there, the cargo can be transported via a dedicated rail corridor to mainland China through either the Nathula pass in Sikkim or Nepal or from Jammu and Kashmir, onto Gilgit Baltistan and finally through the Karakoram.

How does a transit route for Chinese cargo through India help India and China? It is a win-win situation. China gets an alternate route through a more stable and lawful country than through Pakistan or Myanmar. India on the other hand can receive immediate Chinese investments in infrastructure. And most importantly, both countries sign a strategic cooperative deal.

How does this affect Indian security in case of a conflict between the two nations in the future? For India successfully defend and hold its territory in the north-eastern states, India has to invest in improving if not matching Chinese investments in infrastructure. Improved infrastructure will only improve India’s security state.

Ritvvij Parrikh is a Mumbai-based social entrepreneur and a geopolitics enthusiast, who can be contacted at ritvij.j@gmail.com

 India's service sector is losing its sheen 

China has overtaken India in global commercial services exports


by Suparna Karmakar / Apr 30, 2012, 00:22 IST

The writing on the wall is gradually becoming clearer. India’s service sector prowess is already under challenge, and will be entirely overshadowed unless our policymakers wake up from their current complacent slumber, and pretty quickly at that.

A tiny sliver of hope comes from the fact that the Economic Survey of India this year finally reported what was a known fact for the past five years — that India is rapidly losing ground to China when it comes to global exports of commercial services. Data from the World Trade Organisation indicate that although software and IT services exports have so far continued to be steady and India’s share of global service exports rose to 4.4 per cent in 2010, China overtook India in the second half of the last decade and now accounts for 6.1 per cent of global commercial service exports (excluding intra-European Union).

It is true that the composition of service export baskets of the two countries is vastly different. India largely specialises in business service exports (reflected in the high share of “other commercial services” in total service trade). Chinese exports are focused more on transport and travel services, the two together accounting for nearly 50 per cent of China’s commercial service exports in 2010 compared to less than a quarter for India. It is also possible that China’s net importer status has encouraged analysts and politicians to gloss over the consistent growth in its service trade performance.

However, that state of affairs may change soon, as a closer look at the composition of trade data suggests. China’s exports of commercial services expanded by 32 per cent, nipping at the heels of India’s 33 per cent expansion in 2010 (the countries were ranked 3rd and 5th respectively in the list of leading exporters of commercial services). India’s cause for concern, however, emanates from the fact that while China has been a net importer of services, for a few years now it has been a net exporter of “other commercial services”. In 2010, China’s net surplus of “other commercial services” trade was $16.19 billion, a little less than half of India’s surplus of $36.78 billion, presumably supported by the impressive growth in the infrastructure and trade-related services.

Comparing the change in shares of exports and imports in other commercial services further supports my case. Between 2005 and 2010, the growth in China’s other commercial exports to the world averaged 25 per cent to the 18 per cent growth in its other commercial imports. The corresponding export and import shares for India are a mirror opposite at 20 and 24 per cent respectively. The picture becomes a little more stark if we take the 2010 data; the growth rates of other commercial services exports and imports in China was 38 and nine per cent, compared to India’s 36 and 66 per cent respectively. It is, thus, not difficult to postulate that very soon India may post a net deficit in its other commercial services trade with the rest of the world.

Also notable is that India’s net commercial services surplus was a mere $7.14 billion in 2010, presumably owing to a more rapid increase in the imports of transportation services in recent years, which grew at a rate 10 percentage points higher than the exports of transportation services from India. Transportation services imports were around 40 per cent of India’s total commercial services imports in 2010.

A second cause for worry is that a recent forecast from the US-based Hackett Group is that offshoring of jobs (in finance, IT, and other business services) to India will begin to decline starting 2014, and will reach the end of its life-cycle in eight years. Should that forecast come true, it will have serious implications for sectoral revenues and export earnings, and the last bastion of India’s supremacy in services trade would have been breached. Despite the finding being contested by other research firms like KPMG and AT Kearney that sees sustained prospects for the sector, it is undeniable that a demand-led slowdown in the domestic industry and increasing competition from other outsourcing hubs in the region will pose serious challenges in this decade. In fact, the large build-up of capacity in some countries (including China), even in the sector of India’s demonstrated global competitive advantage – IT and IT-enabled services – suggests that they might act as barriers to entering new markets.

India’s particular development path has relied on fast growing services, accounting for 56.3 per cent of GDP in 2011-12 (according to the Advance Estimates), which has boosted its overall economic growth rates, social development indicators and even literacy levels for nearly two decades. But the outlook for some of the services in the economy is now linked to global prospects, and the unfolding events in the euro area could lead to some sluggishness in the export-oriented parts of the sector. Course correction calls for urgent policy interventions from policymakers, in the form of implementing more liberal service sector market access policies (including for services incidental to manufacturing) and speeding up non-interventionist regulatory and administrative reforms, both in the traded and non-traded service sectors. Also, a more flexible official stance in the multilateral negotiations may prove helpful in improving sentiments, if only by boosting the morale of foreign investors and trade partners. Desperate situations call for proactive measures.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The author is a trade economist

Chinese immigrants | A shrinking community

Chinese immigrants in India face the challenge of passing on their cultural heritage to the younger generation, who are moving to the West

Manish Basu

Source:Livemint

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Kolkata: The 3,000-odd “Chinese-Indians” staying in the narrow alleys of Tangra near the Eastern Metropolitan bypass in Kolkata are an endangered community, with at least 75% of the new generation moving out to settle in the West.
While it is common now with young Kolkatans to scout for better career opportunities elsewhere, the rate of migration is much higher among the people of Chinese origin. “Our hearts sink to see the size of our families shrink, but we must encourage our children to explore better livelihoods,” says Liu Kuo-chao, president of Tangra Welfare Society.

Losing ground: A group of senior citizens gather at Pei May Chinese High School in Tangra, Kolkata. Photo by Indranil Bhoumik/Mint.

Ironically, when the Chinese first crossed borders and started to settle in Kolkata more than 250 years ago, they were attracted by the jobs on offer in the docks of Babughat and Budge Budge. More than 20,000 made their way to Kolkata and settled into three main professions—leather tanning, shoemaking and dentistry.
Most of these settlers came from Canton (or Guangdong), while people belonging to the Hubei community, who were dentists by profession, came from the eponymous neighbouring province.
The people of Canton were mostly a travelling class, moving to make a living in their family businesses of carpentry, leather tanning and laundry.
The southern province of Guangdong, which was a global trading centre, also became a crucial port of exit for labourers looking to migrate to South-East Asian countries, says Peter Liu, who is in his early 60s and owns a tannery in Tangra.
They stayed through a few generations in Hunan, where they were known as hakka or guests, before crossing the border to enter Burma, now Myanmar, and finally settling in Kolkata, then Calcutta.
“We have always been guests wherever we went,” says Peter.
Watch Video
Despite hardships, Chinese immigrants have made Kolkata’s Tangra their home for generations. But many are now leaving their adopted city and country for better opportunities elsewhere.

The transition

Monica Liu, owner of Beijing Restaurant, works in her eatery’s kitchen.Photo by Indranil Bhoumik/Mint.

It was only in Kolkata that the community was “transformed” from its nomadic lifestyle into permanent settlers, Peter says.
Their peaceful existence in Kolkata for over a century was threatened in 1962 with the beginning of the war with China over a border dispute.
Though many returned to China during the war and a large number gradually dispersed to other parts of the country and abroad, there were nearly 8,000 of them in Kolkata even 10 years ago, recalls Liu.
The Chinese prefer Kolkata to India’s other big cities because of its more relaxed pace of life and affordable living standards. “But life in Kolkata, too, is becoming hard,” he says.
The biggest setback to the community in recent times came from a directive by the Supreme Court in 1996 to shift all tanneries, the key business the community is involved in, from Tangra and adjacent areas to a new facility in Bantala, about 14km away.
The idea behind the move was to get the polluting industry out of the city limits and develop an organized cluster on the fringes. The tannery owners, however, say that infrastructure at the Bantala leather complex is inadequate.
Large investments were made in the Tangra tanneries, which will make it difficult for owners to bear the cost of relocation, Peter says. Even years after the complex was first conceptualized in the mid-1990s, only 30% of the tanneries have so far shifted base, says C.L. Ping, a Tangra resident who used to own a tannery.
Most others, like Ping, have converted their tanneries into restaurants, making Tangra a popular destination for affordable Chinese cuisine, much like a small alley in downtown Bow Bazar where Chinese breakfast is a tradition.
“They are right now in a crucial transition phase, but they have the ability to withstand the challenges and stay on,” says Zhang Lizhong, consul general of China in Kolkata.
Margins aren’t as good in the food business as in leather, says Li Kuang-wi, a restaurant owner. “It barely helps us sustain,” he says.
The Chinese cuisine of Kolkata has earned repute for its unique flavour, which makes it different from that in China, says Chen Chuan-lung, who is in his late 70s. The younger generation, he says, was earning “good money” in the US and Canada running restaurants that serve Tangra specialities.
The shoe business, once a monopoly of the Chinese in Kolkata, is also under stress due to stiff competition from China, says Peter.
The cultural challenge

K.T. Chang, editor of the Overseas Chinese Commerce of India, at his office. Photo by Indranil Bhoumik/Mint.

The other big challenge for the community is to pass on its cultural heritage to the younger generation, says K.T. Chang, who runs the only Chinese language newspaper in India, theOverseas Chinese Commerce of India, from a small office in Tangra with the help of one employee.
The circulation of the paper has dropped from at least 800 when it started in 1969 to 180, as fewer youngsters are taught to read the language, K.T. Chang says. Parents would rather send their children to English-medium schools than teach them Chinese, he says. “I don’t know how long people will read my paper, but I am determined to continue printing it till the end of my life,” says K.T. Chang, a retired tannery worker.
The four-page paper earns its revenue from advertisements announcing marriages and other social events in the neighbourhood.
Though a majority of the community’s members were born in Kolkata, they hesitate to call it home. “We are Indians at heart, but still 50% different from you people,” says Philip Chung, whose children work in the US.
The disconnect dates back to the war in 1962. Monica Liu, 60, who spent her childhood and adolescence in a Shillong jail and a refugee camp in Rajasthan along with her family, is one of the many Chinese who were offered Indian citizenship decades after thewar ended. About 100 of the Chinese settlers in Tangra still hold Chinese passports.
“I still get worried whenever there is any news of cross-border problems,” says Monica, now the owner of three popular restaurants in Kolkata.
Though India and China are believed to be in a so-called golden period of “friendly bilateral relationship”, a stand reiterated by Chinese President Hu Jintao during his recent visit to New Delhi, occasional border spats still surface in the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and the barren plateau of Ladakh in Kashmir.
“It is time to turn a new page in international relations,” says Zhang. Diplomatic relations between the neighbours are on the right track, the consul general says, as seen in the bilateral trade volume that has increased 25 times over the past decade to reach $70 billion (Rs. 3.6 trillion today) in 2011.
The Chinese of Kolkata could play a vital role in “bridging the communication gap” between the businessmen of the two countries, Zhang says. “We are extremely proud that the community has still kept alive the traditions of China here, be it the celebrations of Chinese New Year in February or the legendary lion dance, which is rare even in China now,” he adds.
This is the eighth of a 10-part series that profiles foreign communities that are contributing to India’s cosmopolitan culture.


manish.b@livemint.com

China’s old-age population touches 123 million 

PTI
Share  ·   print   ·   T+   Share  Beijing, April 7:  China had over 123 million people aged over 65 in 2011 constituting about 9.1 per cent of the total population, an official report said today.

Chinese seniors aged 80 or above are expected to make up 30 per cent of the population aged 65 or above in 2050, state-run Xinhua said quoting participants at a symposium on health issues relating to the aged population.

China’s ageing population is increasing rapidly while the country’s birth rate remains low. It is estimated that the percentage of China’s ageing population will reach 16.7 per cent of the total population in the next five years, the CNWCA said.

According to international standards, a country or region is considered to have an “ageing society” when the number of people at and above 60 reaches 10 per cent or more of its total population.

Besides grim prospects of a rapid increase in old population, China which has a population of about 1.34 billion is weighed down by low birth rate as a result of one child policy.

The annual growth has been slowing down from 1.07 per cent to 0.57 per cent in the last decade. According to latest population census, 16.6 per cent of the country’s population was aged 14 or younger, which was 6.29 percentage points lower than that in the 2000 census.

China’s ageing population and the deteriorating natural environment will constrain economic growth, Mr Ma Jiantang, head of the National Bureau of Statistics, has said.

Who says India wants to be a superpower?

by Arjun Subramaniam

Source: Hindu   

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GRAND PLAYER: What needs more attention are our deterrent capabilities. The file picture is of the President’s Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam. Photo: K. R. Deepak

Forget the hype, the country is still to make the grade from developing to developed nation.

A recent report from the London School of Economics (LSE) titled “India: The Next Super Power?” — and, very surprisingly, given excessive mileage by various sections of the media — reflects a new obsession among certain global think tanks and research institutions of the need to remind India that it has a long way to go before it can join the “high table.”

The report posed the question in the context of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 2009 visit to India when she said she considered India to be a global rather than a regional power. Do we really need to take cognisance of preachy sermons on how “India has miles to go before it can sleep,” or would we rather be driven by Rabindranath Tagore's dream of an India “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high … Into that heaven of freedom let my country awake?” I think most Indians would still prefer the latter. So let me try and explain why this argument of India aspiring to be a superpower is both historically and contextually a “no-brainer” argument.

A superpower's reach

A superpower, according to many international relations theorists, should have the ability to both exert influence and exercise power in its areas of interest, wherever that may be across the globe. Today, that area has extended into the realms of outer space. More importantly, modern neo-realists also believe that true superpower status is reflected in a willingness to engineer regime changes to protect your own way of life or interests, or even to pursue altruistic agendas of “keeping the world a safer place to live in.” No Indian in his right mind, leave alone policymakers and strategists, could ever dream of subscribing to such fanciful ambitions. I would even go to the extent of wagering my entire savings that even if all the fissures and cracks cited by the panel of LSE experts were to be filled up in a few decades, India could never get around to becoming a superpower of the likes of the U.S. of today or the yesteryear Soviet Union, or for that matter, an emerging China.

This argument of mine has historical backing. Unlike the Greeks, Romans, Mongolians, the participants of the Crusades, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union or the U.S. which had their own reasons for conquest or “expansive doctrines,” India, for centuries, was a “potpourri” of small nation states, satisfied within the boundaries of its geographical expanse, religious tolerance, cultural diversity and abundant natural/water resources. Modern India, ravaged for two centuries by colonial exploitation, is still a nation in the making, benignly looking outward in recent times, primarily to seek energy resources and develop its vast human capital. Nothing exemplifies this aspiration more than the consistent statements of the strategic establishment that all current national strategies including those relating to security would first revolve around India's progression from a developing to a fully developed nation — a tall order by any yardstick.

‘Compellance'

Let me now dwell a bit on “hard power” and see how it is factored into this whole business of fingerprinting a “superpower.” Capability is never equal to power unless it is backed by intent and willingness to use the power in pursuit of national interests. The development cycle of hard power in respect of superpowers or potential superpowers usually commences with a preponderance of deterrent capabilities, re-enforced as time passes with significant coercive or offensive capabilities, until a stage is reached when this coercive capability offers prospects of widespread “compellance.” Incidentally, compellance is a term propagated by the eminent political scientist, Thomas C. Schelling, during the Cold War and is still widely discussed in the global discourse on power equations. Going by these characteristics, where does India stand in this imaginary and premature quest for superpower status? India's development of force projection capability has always been governed by an overarching strategic direction of responsibility, restraint, resilience and respect for sovereignty. This has meant that deterrence has always occupied pole position, with coercive and expeditionary capabilities taking a back seat.

Our objectives too have been well calibrated with our own territorial sovereignty and regional stability being more important than influencing global affairs. Some commentators look at India's interest in the Indian Ocean Region as a logical manifestation of great power yearning; little realising that this interest is primarily driven by the need to provide a deterrent umbrella to our energy interests and the millions of expatriate Indian citizens who not only contribute to the economy of the region they reside in, but also to India's economy. In short, does our hard power support the prognosis of an emerging superpower? No way! And we should not be perturbed at all beyond the fact that maybe our deterrent capabilities need greater attention.

Finally, such reports may be nothing more than mere reality checks because a growing number of Indians are cognizant of the challenges that their country faces and are willing to make contributions in myriad ways.

(Air Vice-Marshal Arjun Subramaniam is the Assistant Chief of Air Staff looking after Space, Concepts and Doctrine at Air Headquarters, New Delhi.)

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Comments:

Utter rubbish article..Why can't we invade places like Somalia and Burma
and make them better for people overthere to live in??instead of just
looking for national interests?

from:  Shan

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 00:27 IST

Absolutely right observations the writer has made. With History being
proof of India acting never as an interfering, pain-in-your-ass country
for any one. It is expected we strive towards the noble dream of Tagore,
to have our head held high with confidence and due removal of ignorance,
both social and unscientific ought to be poured in.

from:  Saurav jha

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 00:29 IST

Other than traditional superpowers like US, Europe and former Soviet Union, One must consider Japan as model superpower, with no army and nuclear weapons, it still provides its citizens good living standards while exerting constructive influence on the rest of the world.

from:  Ganesh

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 00:45 IST

I so gladly forwarded this article to my friends who constantly joke Military
Intelligence is an oxymoron. Thank you Vice-Marshall for stating "Capability is never equal to power unless it is backed by intent and willingness to use the power" ...I also believe India should not even have even a stretch goal of being a Global super power. The Indian genetic selection does not breed warrior clan. You need to wield the stick to be a super power in the world. The Indian genetic selection is not breed capitalist mentality. Which is another trait which brings in the facade of Global domination. Indian genetic selection is based of the power of knowledge and the ability to adapt to adversity. We should strive to be the "Good Country" of the world
which feeds the World and contributes to the intellectual development of the human race. History has clearly shown, the glory of a super power is short lived and is just biding time before a violent demise.

from:  Anand

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 01:35 IST

It is unrealistic to foresee India or China having as much influence as US or UK had in 20th century and 19th century respectively. That is because at the height of US power, ie. perhaps in 1950s, US's share of global GDP was about 40-50%. Even if India and China become big powers, surpassing GDP of US and Europe, in terms of percentage of global GDP, India's and China's may be at most 25% each. US and Europe are continuing to be major powers. Along with this Latin America, especially Brazil, Russia, etc. are also coming up as major powers. But I also wonder whether the author is not mistaking superpower status with aggressive power, like US and Europe employ. India doesn't have to change regimes or impose its thinking on rest of the world to be a superpower. A big GDP along with growths in other areas bring a lot of power. Along with the soft power India has, India can indeed become a "superpower". If we don't like that word, we don't have to use that though.

from:  Haridas Ramakrishnan

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 02:52 IST

well said AVM Arjun subramaniam, it is very objective and down to earth assesment on the indian capabilities and mindset, Congratulations for educating the countrymen and superpower hype minority

from:  srihari

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 03:33 IST

India being a Soft power wins hearts and has a greater influence than
any other power. If i go by your definition of Super Power "Should
have the ability to both exert influence and exercise power in its
areas of interest, wherever that may be across the globe", i think
India is definitely a Super Power as it is already influencing many
countries via its Soft Power.You don't have to be an aggressive nation
to exert influence on other Countries. In the coming centuries, the
power of a country may not be determined only by its Military
strength, so India will play a greater role than any other country.

from:  Viswanathan

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 03:45 IST

Forget about India being a super power,India can not even become a
developed nation in the next 100 years or so, as exploding population,
high corruption, infighting, chaotic diverisity and democracy, blind
faith, unorganised industrial and govt.,machinaries are detrimental to
any country's progress.

from:  Vishwanathan

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 04:45 IST

One of the main ingredients for becoming and maintaining any status is a committment to meet the targeted goals which has meet set. This sense of committment is lacking in Indians on all fronts whether it is in industry, education, medicine,science, etc. An employee of an American multinational is given goals to achieve and his committment makes him achieve the target set. In the case of an Indian in place of committment you find the Indian's most important priority is filling his bank account to the highest level in the most shortest time irrespective of anything else. From the President down to the beggar on the street in India there is no committment and this most important of traits lacking in Indians will never make India into a regional power let alone a superpower

from:  Singh

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 04:58 IST

If India aspires to be a super power in some distant time frame it has to first set its priorities in the areas of infrastucture development, education, health, emplyment, rural development etc. Most importantly our elected officials, public service officials, and the so called educated sector must do some introspection and eradicate the many many hurdles the country is facing. Unless , as a nation, India understands that freedom is not itself an end but an essential means to achieve peace and prosperity to its people, it is not worth dreaming. The day it can share its experiences of success with the entire world and work for the upliftment of the downtrodden all around the world the adjective will atomaticaly be accepted.It is a long way to be a super power as we all see it today.May God help and guide.

from:  Sampath chakraverthy Mallur, New York

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 05:38 IST

First of all let us come out of infighting in parties, blame game etc. and focus on development in all spheres starting from clean rest rooms (.e.Toilets) and then we can boast of something one day for sure.

from:  Mani Iyer

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 06:34 IST

The Inclusiveness in every factor that shape INDIA as a powerful
nation cannot be realised until we leverage our freedom and intellect
with the motivation to reach higher echelons, and that endeavour to
perform work rather than the "still thinking of rational move" type
mentality. This is applicable to people as well as governments, both
collectively represents a nation. The political power in India mainly cares about the consolidation of its position for Exploitation and Tenures. Histories have proved that such nature of political power are temporary and eventually get fragile. It is time political power realise a long term interests on good administration which alone would bring capacities of inclusiveness shaping our country as a prosperous and dignified.

from:  Jagadeeswara Reddy

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 06:37 IST

India has lot of time to be a superpower...it is not that easy to
become superpower unless we have strong powerful governance with more
international significance, more developed infrastructure, mentioning
its right position as a mediator, leader with good relationship with
our neighboring countries...etc...many more things are required...

just GDP growth on paper doesnt make us superpower at all...

from:  rahul

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 07:38 IST

I am just curious if India will be willing to protect its critical business interests in other places? Show the flag as it were? This is perhaps the safest, least controversial measure of global power. At the moment Sudan/South Sudan comes to mind. India has huge investments at risk, is loosing $400k per day, and took the unusual step of sending an emissary to help? mediate? a means to restart oil supplies. In such a volatile place, what if fighting restarted, will India walk away fron the investment? What if a hostile regime decided to nationalize assets India had built? Or in South China Sea, if India does a deal with one nation to extract oil, will it step back if another nation says the territory is really theirs? Or will India simply forgo the oil without even starting? These are not matters of coercive power, but will affect how confident India industry is in doing business overseas. If India back away at each challenge, then Indian industry needed to develop will lose confidence

from:  Ed

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 08:11 IST

I think the article is missing on all the corners though you highlighted well the reality of India and Indians as saying that India or we never tried to look beyond our boundaries of interest and hence not pour more of efforts on global stage but this is till date. If your article based on historical evidences it is absolutely fine But today the world is not the world in centuries BC or AD today it the world where you seat on your desk and communicate with the nation, and information where shared with fraction of time, today one day of consumption of nations energy, food, industrial where the whole years consumptions level just a century back, Armies of today are not only designed to kill the enemy force but equipped with the arms to destroy the whole generations of the disputed state. This is 21st century sir and it is for Asia to come back on the table where West or Russia is:
I support more aggressive approach then what you mention in the article.

from:  Purnesh

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 08:20 IST

This LSE study was the work of a group headed by Ramachandra Guha, known as a cricket writer not a policy analyst. He has little knowledge of history or philosophy let alone military history. The rest of the group is made up of lightweights. If India ever becomes a superpower, it will not need to be certified by such people. Civilizationally India is a superpower-- just visit Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, etc. And practices like Yoga and meditation are spreading in the West including America. So why bother with a report from LSE whaich has produced a horde of economists that went home to destroy their economies?

from:  N.S. Rajaram

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 08:42 IST

Hard core reality.Superpower can only be a dream if india is treading
upon the same path, it has been walking upon for centuries.

from:  prashant mudgal

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 09:18 IST

A very pgarmatic article by a serviing officer! As stated India neither has the intent nor the willingness to pursue a dogged policy of power projection beyond its territorial waters - let alone the lands beyond. India is still caught between myriad forces and needs - from a political hard stand to suave international relations.

from:  Ramakrishnan Ramani

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 10:34 IST

Hats off to the author. The article truly captures the innate nature of
Indians from time immemorial and still our belief and values are deep
rooted in this subcontinent. So the ultimatum is more or less to provide
a stable environment at the vicinity of the Indian subcontinent rather
than manipulating and horse trading in the internal matters of the other
countries. This type of walking the rope can be aptly called as the
INDIAN WAY of diplomacy in the World arena...

from:  Kathirvel

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 11:08 IST

Excellent analysis.India is just a developing country,not more.Now where paraphernalia of Super power are found in India. Historically Indians loved to be ruled by foreign rulers.Neither did they possess required power to resist the foreign aggressions too. Furthermore, India was never a unitary state.It was a conglomeration of few hundred small states having no bond to one another.
Consequently, Sectarian attitudes dominated the minds of the people and patriotism of one nation was found absence. Besides,Indian people are not labourious. Nor do they possess high ambition and vision of progress.
Even after India attained independence in 1947,sectarian attitude is dominating the minds of millions of India. Patriotism is confined to few ones.

from:  Maheswar Deka

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 11:11 IST

The article is brilliant and worth a read because the author has written it with great clarity and precision. I totally agree with his remark that “this argument of India aspiring to be a superpower is both historically and contextually a “no-brainer” argument.” I wish to add that it should serve us well to rise to the challenge of overcoming myriad problems we are confronted with.

from:  Sreehari Pusuluri

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 11:21 IST

It took around 200 years with civil wars, world wars, cold war and a lot other factors to make USA a super power. India has just seen 65 years and should be proud of what we are today. Let us not get obsessed by the thought of being a super power for it will come when we deserve it. Miles are few feets for a man of patience. so lets wait.

from:  Vishnu

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 12:00 IST

Congraulations Mr.Subramaniam and the Hindu for making this article.India CANNOT be a Super Power or a Power in keeping with its size and the Strength of its Army.Our security lies on the following.
1.Unity of the People-Unfortunately the blunder of Division of the Union as Linguistic States ,Cultural and Caste/Religious Divides kept on burning by unscrupulous people
2.LACK OF INTENT and LACK OF COMMITMENT-we have not succeeded in setting up fool proof systems to protect our borders and sea coast from intruders and smugglers of arms and FAKE Notes.
3.We have not been able to establish an association of sorts with
our immediate neighbours.
4We have failed in instilling a" NATION"sense in our people-especially the ruling class."We will STOP Water to Tamil Nadu"one
C.M declared recently.
5.Successive proposals for more integration (Nation Rriver Grid for example) have been torpidoed.
May be We spent the Highest on Defence-but not value for money
achievement

from:  ajith kumar

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 12:00 IST

Rather than "aspiring", India will naturally flow into near superpower status in the next 10 years. Already today India has a major seat on the negotiating table for several world treaties, showing new courage on Iran, Sudan, Afghanistan, Vietnam etc something which was unthinkable even 10 years ago.India's economic and military profile will undergo a dramatic change in the next 10 years. Both the US and former Soviet Union have achieved practically nothing by their previous interventions but suffered massive casualties all over the world (Iraq, Afghanistan are recent examples). Superpower status does not mean need to intervene in other countries but India may use its power to protect its economic interests worldwide. There is no doubt that India will have significant internal challenges for decades to come but people forget that US and Soviet Union had significant internal problems which are more out in the open today

from:  Sudhir

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 12:09 IST

Can best describe article as anachronistic devoid of any resemblance
with current global socio-economic problems and geopolitical situations.
.

from:  L. Purohit

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 13:34 IST

Today India faces all the same problems from poverty to corruption was once faced by industrial revolutionized American and Europian nations about 100 year ago. The rise of Nazis and advent of Capitalism growth made them innovative in Power offcoarse Hard, science and tech etc. But as LSE preaches expertise on Indian growth is in every field not only Millitary and Strategic global balance of power. Here, the author should not be specific. India shud have resources to atleast fill the stomach of dieing obesitive children Apart frm fillin the globally recognised seat of SOFT POWER and parmanent seat of the Security Council.

from:  Eishan S Deo

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 13:48 IST

Before India and Indians aspire to be superpower, we must be able to
stabilize the internal problems. Corruption, poverty, economic
inequality must all be driven out of India. How shameful it is that we
are growing at super fast pace and yet we receive monetary support
from external countries, foundations, etc. As long as India is unable
to solve its own problems itself, it shouldn't look at being a
superpower. Its so weird that India is one country where you have
Billionaires who are among the richest in the world and the same
country's government fixes less than 50 cents a day for a person to be
called 'not poor'. Its because of the stupid think-tanks like the NAC,
Planning commission, etc. that we Indians are always under the wrong
impression about ourselves. Wake up Indians! We are nowhere near being
a Superpower.

from:  Vinay

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 14:16 IST

Interesting article. However, why strive to become a superpower as defined by Western historians and political theorists? Why not redefine the word according to ones owns values and principles?

from:  Arjun

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 14:17 IST

very well said and cannot agree more. Takes me back a few years when according to me things went offtrack with this whole branding excercise. First on the tourism front it was Incredible India, a powerful statement but was India ready for it in terms of infrastructure to attract tourists ? afraid not and still we have a long way to go. Taking of from this was a rather poor and silly India Shining which was a contemptous attempt to portray to the world an India which was a dream - a dream that remains one because the average citizen is still worried where his or her next meal is coming from, where their children will go to study or where they & their old parents will go for medical care!
I am sorry but I think it is time we stop taking cover behind words like Superpower, BRIC, Incredible, Jugaad etc etc and instead just focus on education, food and shelter for all and most imporantly care for one another.

from:  shanker

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 14:41 IST

One area where India can occupy the top table at ease is economics. Be an economic superpower; the world would wag its tail and rally behind India.

from:  Srini

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 14:58 IST

India can never be a power until we first identify our priorities as a nation and a society. We first need all our citizens to believe in our country- only this self belief will propel us to become a power. This self belief will come only when the nation inspires confidence in its' people. As such, it is more important to provide the basic needs such as food, water, shelter,education, infrastructure and security to our people- we are still a long way from achieving even this, after 6 decades of independence!!! We neither have hard nor soft power, the only power to us is money power. All the ideals which propelled us to independence seem to have been forfeited, thanks to our political and administrative class, helped by the fatalistic attitude of our citizens. We have many great achievements, true, but there still needs a lot more to be done until we can secure the basic necessities and rights for our people. This is far more important than being called a superpower by the USA

from:  Arun Radhakrishnan

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 15:40 IST

Beautiful article. The Indian psyche is explained with much clarity.

The west usually harps on how India cannot be a superpower and should
stay within its humble limits. But at times, it tells how India has to
take more interest in global affairs to match its financial clout
(Usually when the west wants India to support some or other western
position) And right now, they haven't figured out where to place us,
how to read us or even been able to accommodate us as something more
than a banana republic. (The US is better at tuning into current
realities, Britain still holds on to colonial world views and shows
inability to adapt) Most articles from British and American sources
display these confusions. French scholars actually seem to understand
us much better. They place us right, discuss our strengths and
weaknesses without excessive admiration or ridicule and even show an
understanding of the cultural framework from which we are likely to
act.

from:  sana

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 16:13 IST

The article is interesting and develops an approach to which we are not accustomed.
If we relate to distant and immediate history, we can consider that the argumentation of the author is correct.What have become today Sparta or Athens? What remains today of the Egyptians, Assyrians or Persians? Yet at the time it was great powers.And what about French, English, Spanish past powers?These countries continue to exercise a certain influence today. They have an illusion to be Great powers. But they are not. And what about Soviet Union who after Yalta compete with the United States and launched into a disastrous arms race. The fall of the Berlin Wall, showed well the failure of this big policy. The specialists know that this country was not able to maintain the foundations of his past greatness. Just look to the submarine fleet in some Siberian ports. The reductions that the United States started in defence should also ask questions on the future of American supremacy. Remains the case of China, which like India has always existed despite the colonial past. Today the growth of Chinese military spending at a high rate may lead to the fiasco known by the USSR.In conclusion, India does not need to be a great power to exist. She just need to continue on the path that belongs to her . She will shine as it shone in the past and as she will in the future. She must be vigilant not to fall asleep. India must remain India and must not forget that the world change. But history has taught this.

from:  MAYOURA Sougoumar

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 16:13 IST

I wholeheartedly agree with the author and his point of view. While the Chinese have been strategically wooing oil-rich African nations using loans and subsidies, India is still betting on its "friendly and helpful big brother" persona (something created decades ago), which rarely works in this cut-throat diplomacy fueled world. We are a nation of billion people, but do we ever act like one? In a country whose Army Chief is at loggerheads with the ruling Government in such an open manner with free-for-all verbal matches, thereby breaking one of the most sacrosanct rules of national security, it is a wild goose chase to attain "superpower" status when in reality, there is no power at all, let alone super!

from:  Divya

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 16:27 IST

India like other view aspects of superpower but we had greater impact
in politics in South-Asian Nation ie UNSC, We r able to check
dictatorship of tyrancies or autocracy in middle east and african
nations. India stated aspirin for UNSC membership along with emerging
countries it is indirectly convening to global powers as the future
world won't b dictated by superpowers on the basis of imerging as
India playing a greater role on world politics.
So the word Superpower itself will find no meaning within a decade or
so after

from:  Tamil

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 16:33 IST

Excellent piece. Aspiring for the superpower status is an endless race and often a
mindless selfish game. What we require in the present world is the power within our
people and the country so that no superpower can lure us into greed, dominance of
others and wars to justify our commercial interests and also to be part of the so-
called superpower club.

from:  Sathya

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 17:29 IST

Another fringe article in The Hindu indirectly advocating weak India while keeping silent on China. India already is exerting power in various areas of the world so India's ascent into superpower status is inevitable. India and China are powering future world growth while the western economies are resigned to 0-2% growth for the future. Indian armed forces will be inducting significantly higher capability equipment in the coming years further strengthening India's profile. China has significant internal problems perhaps even more than India, but nobody is saying that China will not be a superpower. Similarly India will march towards superpower status while simultaneously dealing with internal issues. The defeatist mentality represented by the article was partly responsible for holding back India in the 70s/80s but the next generation is more assertive and more strategic in thinking and action

from:  Sastri

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 17:48 IST

I agree that India have never interfered the sovereignty of any nation from the past.World should agree that India's status to be a permanent nation in UNO will help it to play a better constructive role and shape the world .With rise in contribution to the world GDP,and a nation of a huge population,world power's should favor for India's presence on world stage

from:  A.R.Venkatesh palani prabhu

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 17:48 IST

Why even aspire to the thought of super power status, when we cannot feed our
people or give them jobs? Can we rid ourselves of the corruption, and its
practitioners? If we do that, we will have achieved a status better than super
power'dom'.

from:  Ramgopal Dass

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 17:51 IST

I totally agree with the author. India is still struggling at the
grass-roots level on many issues. Why, they are not even ready to
persecute a terrorist caught red-handed waging a war against India in
2008. First of all, India should become a power to reckon with before
thinking of becoming a super power.
Firstly corruption has to be removed and each Indian should be infused
with a sense of identity and National Pride. I think most of the youth
today like to identify themselves with the western culture and imitate
(poorly) their mannerisms and behaviour. Indians should be made to
understand that they are second to none. A civic feeling of developing
the nation should be inculcated into the people's mind. This will
slowly lead to India becoming a power to reckon with.
Let's think about super power after that.

from:  Deepak Krishnamurthy

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 18:29 IST

Who cares about super power? We should just try to be super content. This means prioritising healthcare and education, cutting corporate tax discounts from 10 billion dollars, and halfing the defense budget.

from:  Shahid Khan N

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 18:49 IST

Remove poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, infanticide, corruption,
infrastructure issues first. Next, try to promote peace through
diplomacy and support for programs which do the above things in other
countries. Trying to become a military superpower only squanders
resources and breeds hate for the supposed superpower, as demonstrated
in wars around the world.

from:  Krishna

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 19:07 IST

If I say "I still beleive that India has chance of becoming a Super Power",my statement may draw the feelings of over enthusiasm.Nice article to bring awareness among the Indians about how we are,what we are on the globe.
A part from the above comments and definition of the article,I state three major reasons for underdevelopment of India.They are:
1.Caste,religion and regionalism.
Yes these three cocepts influence much in our country where they create obstacles for development.
Lot more to discuss about the topic.But concisely,"Indian super power optimists should concentrate on internal development with strong leadership which inturn provides opportunity to lead the world"
Thanks to the author who brought the terms for discussion.

from:  Venugopal

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 20:19 IST

India is no Superpower,more like a "Jugaad"-power. Everything that is
done in India is arbitrary. Right from getting your birth certificate to death certificate, registering a house or a business,voting in or voting out governments, nothing is done according to a plan.India first needs a good government,not the thieves that are currently sitting in Delhi.The author was right that India has never tried to influence other nations, that's because Indians never tire of fighting themselves, forget trying to project power abroad!!! When India's top general says that there the majority of the Indian Army is obsolete, then where is all the money going? Why is India still building expressways that look like local roads in the US? Why can China build far better roads? Why do Indians exult when a metro network is built in one city of Delhi, when countries like Russia, US and China have massive metro networks in all major cities? Forget superpowerdom,trying being a normal developed country first!

from:  Prahlad

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 21:20 IST

Compared to other so called super powers in world history, India is already a major power based principally on its tolerance of diversity - a sort of litmus test in global politics today. However, in order to be recognized (by its competitors) as global power of substance India has a long road ahead of its current course: total removal of poverty and illiteracy; better and more intellectually coherent governance at state and centre;
elimination of gerontology in domestic politics (retire them all by law at 65 or earlier!); introduce merit based social development and eliminate once and for all times current caste system of social order (eg. recent UP elections); and debate without rancor the cost/benefit of guns vs. butter.

from:  dr.hari naidu

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 21:42 IST

Great piece!

from:  Bhaskar Mothali

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 21:45 IST

So, if Arjun Subramaniam were to live during 1920-30s, he would had written a similar article on the ways and means of Gandhiji to earn freedom. Why?, because nowhere in history there is an instance of any country earning their freedom by non-violence. The fact is India sets the example. Also, I would question the definition of super-power. Think about it - can today's superpower rule the entire world? The answer is NO. Agreed that we have to work on some grass root level issues but that doesn't mean super-powers don't have to deal with that either (if you have eye for grass root details of super powers). I agree with Sana, that India has and will chart its own course to it destiny and need not fall in line or meet expectations of certain definition or nations in so called "super power" league.

from:  Harshad Patel

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 21:59 IST

Sir.
Enemies are of two types. One, who have no qualms in showing their animosity, and the other who pretend to be friends and flatter you to boost your ego and make you do things that you can’t, and thus put you to hardship and shame. India is indeed a big power, and I am sure that its people are mature enough to avoid the fate of superpowers after looking into what happened to Soviet Union and America shouldering the responsibilities of a superpower under the advice of thinkers like Fawad Ajami. Pursuing national interest is Ok, but we should not forget that we all share the same planet.

from:  Dr Basheer A Khan

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 22:05 IST

India is certainly not he country where I hold my head high and mind is without fear.

from:  Santosh

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 22:22 IST

I don't agree with the author and with most of the comments but no one seems to realise the meaning of a Superpower. Before you even think of talking about super power a "Country" MUST provide basic necessities to the citizens for better lives. In my opinion the article is a joke.

from:  Rahul

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 22:50 IST

India is a functioning anarchy given the lack of discipline, team work, consensus to implement minimum goals on poverty, hunger, education and health issues and poor utilization of its resources including millions of its citizens who are forced to go overseas for opportunities not to mention the rampant corruption. The lack of discipline at the highest levels of government, legislature, judiciary, civil service, media and now the armed forces does not inspire confidence in the ability to become developed even to the levels of Asian tigers.

from:  RAMAKRISHNAN

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 23:57 IST

We don't need re-instatement of problems instead author can spend effort to show the direction. There is NO SUPERPOWER. Every country has its own set of ethnic/economic/socio-politic problems and dilemmas. No country is SUPERPOWER based on military and economic strength. If so - there is no moral/human fibre. India has to eradicate its own set of problems what haunts the entire nation. Still holds the highest poverty rate,biggest corruption,health care and to avoid PPL(Thanks Sainath). A body is healthy only if its internal organs are strong and working soundly. India Policy makers has to think on social realities and our policies should be based on for long-term interests. Govt should show political will to recover the stashed billions from Swiss. Voters has to think. Education, i mean real education of mind needs to be improved. We dont need literates(We have crores of them with no thinking/use). We dont have to worry about wrong things again and miss the primary needs of a country.

from:  Satish

Posted on: Apr 6, 2012 at 23:59 IST

Yes, India is either already or ready to become a Superpower. On an unrelated note, I am writing this from a battery-operated tablet because there is no electricity in the home since Tamilnadu has a power-cut situation.

from:  Ravi

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 00:11 IST

Rather facile and puerile basis on which a spurious article is built; surely the relevant point is not what superpower comprises as the writer sees it, but the reality that even a decent society for all its people is eons away still, perhaps not before century end.

from:  K Kitchlu

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 01:33 IST

India does not deserve for a super power status due to the following reasons:
More than half of its population is under malnutrition; no basic amenities; Patriotic zeal is missing in most of the politicians. Political parties are the family business establishments; Very Very Poor maintenance of public toilets at the bus-stands, railway stations, crowded market place(seems to be a ‘hell’. Most of the public toilets were locked for want of water. Agriculture is not promoted by the govts by giving fertilisers and other essential commodities required for cultivating paddy, wheat, etc free of cost. Moreover democracy is not maintained at all by political parties; A political party president or secretary remain in the post for ever as if the party is the property of his / her family; The electorate does not have the power to command the people’s representatives to serve for the people’s welfare.

from:  Paranthaman

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 02:37 IST

Agreed. I can't imagine India ascending the Superpower platform even in the next 100 years. To become a Superpower leaders must be willing to stake everything to protect its own interests first and foremost. You simply can't become a Superpower with an appeasement attitude. While corruption is global, in a country like US, it is negligibly small. With ramphant corruption in India, even remote chances to attain Superpower status could certainly get compromised.
To India, what's more important is get rid of corruption, poverty, provide equal rights to women, resolve all problems with its neighbors, and lead the world's largest democracy peacefully. That would mean much more than a Superpower.

from:  Murali Sampath

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 03:37 IST

I don't agree with any talk of any sort of "power" that a nation needs to be. Why do we need to exert any sort of influence on other nations or people? Our primary goal of providing peace and prosperity, health and happiness to our people should be of paramount importance. That will do. Who are we in competition with? Our own egos? The happiest countries in the world, where people live with high standards, are hardly any sort of "power"s.

from:  B S Kumar

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 09:18 IST

The answer is APJ Abdul Kalam Indian President 2002 to 2007. The headline question is like your website asking primary class mathematical sums every time we submit a comment.

from:  Sastri Arunachala

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 11:09 IST

Superperb article! Excellant self evaluation with the true picture! It is really a wakeup call to the young generation, who needs to know the real India's capacity and its loosing time spirit! Change, Change to the need of hour,.... is the most inevitable slogan to breath, practice, to live with......Stop talking..... put in to action..... we can reach the goal with true spirit and dedication. Corruption..... the cancer eating up the development and the opportunities. Look back your acts, change now. still you can! don't give up! be positive! every thing is possible with the strong willpower under good leadership!!

from:  Govindha

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 13:19 IST

India has a lot more work to do on the home front. Air crafts, air ports, well dressed and painted people in and around the country's prominent places are certainly not forming the bulk of our population. The real life is in our villages and fields.

Kids in our villages need to be provided with safe drinking water, toilets, well-staffed primary schools, nutrition, decent class rooms, play grounds, healthcare facilities and possibilities to recreate. During the monsoons the approach roads leading to some of our village schools turn into deep pools of murk and red water. Year after year it is the same story.

Our State run hospitals and medical college hospitals need careful monitoring. Often one hears sick "Aam Aadmi without proper connections is mortally scared of our hospitals".

We need to take care of our farming community. Our senior citizens need to be given proper care and attention during their final years around. Such super human ways can take us to the real Superpower stage.

from:  Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 15:35 IST

I agree with the author. Kudos to The Hindu and Arjun Subramaniam. In my view India can and should become only a 'Motherly Global Power' always using her soft skills and powers to influence people, nations across the world without pain and suffering to beings. The fatherly brute power works only till such time that the other party is grown up fully. e.g. today's US and China or Russia to some extent. But a loving mother with her conviction, persistence and persuasion can exert her soft powers at any age or time. No civilization or nation of the world today has this exercisable soft power like Mother India.

from:  KVSKumar

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 16:58 IST

We don't India to be super power, but we should make our country
that no superpower can influence us in any areas, we must take our
own decisions, simply we don't want to control anybody, also we have
ever done, but no one should be able to control us in any case.

For that we must set our targets beyond the existence, which means,
we should stop thinking about making India as USA or, Darjeeling as Switzerland or Chennai as Singapore. We should be as unique as we
can, and should make it best or best.

from:  Dinesh

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 17:42 IST

A very well written, thought provoking article. It is more significant
coming from a serving defence officer. Congratulations.

To extrapolate from India's past to decide on how she will act in the
future may lead to an erroneous conclusion. These are unprecedented
times that are changing very fast. India's internal challenges may not
have a bearing on how she 'behaves' with the rest of the World. More
than geographic or military dominance, India will assert her economic
muscle. Not from massive GDPs or dominance in exports, but from sheer
buying power that her growing population possesses. A sample of this
strength is the way India plays the Big Brother in the world of
cricket. No one can ignore the voice of a billion remote controls.
Hence whether India will become a super power or not will not be
decided by the military, but by the fifteen year old Indian who can
shape a nation's voice through one viral tweet of his social network.

from:  Ajay Shrivastava

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 19:09 IST

Wonderful Article, also interesting to see the wide range of discussion about what people think of power and how it manifests itself.

from:  Anil

Posted on: Apr 7, 2012 at 19:58 IST