DOES INDIA NEED TO BECOME NEXT SUPER POWER?

WHEN-WHY -HOW
Does India have arrived to stage to become a super power? If so, what notion of
super power India has to pursue. What aspects of economic, diplomatic,
technological, socio- cultural spheres does India need to prioritize?
Above cited sentence is apparently rhetoric, but at the same time those are
the questions with embedded answers. We usually associate superpower word with
former colonies like 19 century Britain and 20th century USA and Russia (or former
USSR) because of their political and economic hegemony over world that ran almost
unchallenged. Post Soviet Union disintegration, America is the single world power
since then. We often ignore the fact that they evolved to present form from crises
that span from economic, cultural, ethnic, and political to the current levels. USA
continue to face problems like internal security vis-a vis gun shootings at colleges
and schools, sovereign debt, diplomatic slide (regarding Syria, Palestine gaining
hold in UN, Iran, BRIC countries planning to trade in their currencies, and in political
sphere its shut down over accepting budget in house of representatives). As
isolated events they do not leave a mark in USAs super power status. But it is
noteworthy that a super power is not a nation with big influence only but also a
nation with impeccable internal strength and support. Also, there are other
countries that have commendable position in other fields like Europe in services,
Scandinavian countries in technology( refining, financial ), east Asian nations in
manufacturing like cars, electronics and OPEC nations and African countries in
mineral resources. A small nation, Bhutan, took a brave step of pursuing happiness
as its goal than just economic development. Norway, on the other hand, is
emerging as a peace negotiator. Small European nations like Ireland and Sweden
are pursuing transparency and freedom of digital world. In other words, nations are
emerging in different aspects and judged differently from others standpoint.
Bhutan, Norway may be in eyes of their thinkers can be gauged as happy nations
than simple powerful nation.
Indias position::
Socio economic and political approach:
Indias idea of super power is gaining in last decade when it came out of
1991 crisis. Economic reforms (L P G) coupled with emergence of software, IT, ITES,
demographic dividend, 40 years of peace helped in proclaiming India as an
emerging economy. But great things are not simple ones. Economic divide is also
widened ever since. Achieving inclusive growth is tougher than achieving high
growth in terms of GDP. Even in political spheres also, India has just started
devolution of its powers to local bodies. These nascent institutions lack economic
independence and political autonomy. People as a whole are sporadically witnessing
rampant corruption, ethnic clashes like Kashmiri pundits expulsion and post Godhra

riots, anti Sikh riots, Assam clashes. National integrity is occasionally challenged
also. Economic divide abetted naxalism and other social evils as class- caste
continuum is still prevalent in India. India has not yet evolved into providing
universal rights from current reservation systems. However, RTI, MGNREGA, RTE are
starters and much more are needed like food security, health care security, etc.
Defense Diplomacy related:
No nation can choose its neighbors. India is no different and is rather
complex. (The epic duo of USA and USSR are not neighbors). India and Pakistan are
twins divided on a fateful nights and fighting ever since like blood enemies in three
wars and many more proxy wars till date. India can only become as world power
after developing mutual cooperation and perpetual peace with its neighbors.
China has natural and geological advantage of being at high Tibetan plateau.
Defense and attack are equally unviable to India in perpetuity. So settling border
disputes and revamping Indias intelligence and nuclear deterrence are viable
options.
Defense and diplomacy are like Siamese twins as far as India is concerned.
Mutual cooperation and peaceful coexistence is only way forward because trade
with these neighbors is not reached its full potential. To convert our demographic
dividend to practical reality, export- emigration-trade with other Asian neighbors is
inimitable. We need to learn this from USA- Japan, USA- china model. Although they
share uncomfortable memories, they are emerging with disproportionately high
trade and commerce.
In 21st century, shear force and advanced defense technologies wont serve
the purpose. A soft diplomacy of dialogue coupled with excellent intelligence is a
much needed complement.
Technology related:
India ruled call center and IT & ITES sectors in the last decade due to its
intrinsic advantages like having good proportion of English speaking skilled man
power at cheap. But, China is catching very fast and Philippines and china had even
taken over call center market from us. Over dependence on export based economy
is not a good choice economically. Indias structural economic imbalance is a great
dividing factor (our primary sector contributes to livelihood majority of the
population and incompatible secondary sector activities like food processing and
manufacturing coupled with revenue contributing service sector). Services like
insurance (life, non life, crop insurance), banking are not penetrated into core of
Indian rural economy. Once they penetrate, making them delivering the needs
would be a fresh item. Financial sector reforms like Pension, stock markets are
much needed and slowly moving currently.

Technologies for sustainable agriculture, climate change, defense, GPS,

manufacturing, energy are mostly imported (because of this, when IRAN crude oil
sanctions are imposed by USA, India is compelled to obey it or face the crisis of
being denied re- insurance, technology license for its oil refineries). So, lacking
indigenous technologies and the power of independent decision making, greatly
determine a countrys prospects of becoming super power.
Internal problems/security:
Balkanization of Indian society on the basis of region, religion, caste,
creed, class, language is a threat to nations integrity. Rise of regional and sub
regional parties (mostly for seeking autonomy or separate statehood like TRS, JMM
etc.) and political compulsions of coalition governments are making problems even
murkier. Economy disparity lead to social conflict and evolution of extremist
ideologies like naxalism and to counter it more money is being spent. Had we been
spending our time and money on the root cause, we could have averted the very
problem (Nutrition hygiene share similar analogy Vis a Vis healthcare in India).
So without mitigating the internal problems we cant engage in global arena.

Rights:
During our nascent days of independence, we took caste as a indicator to
social inequality because it was right one to that day and designed corrective
actions in providing reservations to backward classes. We took bit of complacency
and thought that providing a reservation is a magical stick. Unfortunately, other
follow up measures like universal approach and right based approach like current
RTE, MGNRGA are delayed for decades. As a result reservations are misunderstood
by other high and middle class non backward communities, which equally need
those benefits from the government, and that created social unease. Political
parties and associations are started to form solely to get reservations and other
benefits. This wider social pluralism is unique to India (even USA do not have wide
pluralism in terms of religion, language although it has ethnic diversity). Moreover,
India took a brave and harder challenge of secularism despite its plurality. So India
has to continue universal rights based approach in achieving socio economic
political equity
After touching socio economic political diplomatic aspects of
India, we need review the concept of super power afresh. Is it controlling (or
influencing) the globe as Britain, USSR, USA done or doing? Is it the power of a
nation to provide equity and justice, happiness, peace, socio economic inclusion to
its citizens perpetually? The second one is harder and the first one is relatively easy.
Its worth mentioning here that, Indian ethos from Vedic times has been Peaceful
co existence. If India follow this harder path to achieve super power status, one
day the world may forget the concept of super power which sounds like hegemony.

NARESH