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Continuity and Change in Indian Foreign Policy

India's foreign policy under Prime Minister Modi has elements of both continuity and change from previous administrations. On the continuity side, India has maintained its relationships with Southeast Asian countries and pursued similar policies regarding China and in multilateral forums. However, there have also been innovations in developing strategic narratives, increasing emphasis on soft power and the diaspora, and more explicit links between diplomacy and development. While the ends of non-alignment and strategic autonomy have remained the same, the means of achieving them have shifted, with Modi placing greater emphasis on alignment with powers like the US and use of "smart power".

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1K views2 pages

Continuity and Change in Indian Foreign Policy

India's foreign policy under Prime Minister Modi has elements of both continuity and change from previous administrations. On the continuity side, India has maintained its relationships with Southeast Asian countries and pursued similar policies regarding China and in multilateral forums. However, there have also been innovations in developing strategic narratives, increasing emphasis on soft power and the diaspora, and more explicit links between diplomacy and development. While the ends of non-alignment and strategic autonomy have remained the same, the means of achieving them have shifted, with Modi placing greater emphasis on alignment with powers like the US and use of "smart power".

Uploaded by

Ram Shankar Mishra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Discuss the elements of continuity and change in India's foreign policy.

Answer: Explain foreign policy of a country A country's foreign policy consists of self-interest
strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its own goals
through relations with other countries. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with
other countries. Indian foreign policy has been centered on the ideas of power culture, and
cultural heritage due to civilizational history of State. India's Foreign Policy is not just to secure
National Interest, but also to shape world order based on toleration, non-violence,
cosmopolitanism. India's world view has never been entirely realist, always there is strong
ideational element.

Arvind Virmani in his article "Recalibrating India’s foreign policy" says that every country’s foreign
policy has elements of continuity and change following a change in government. India’s policy
under Mr. Modi is no different. The changes have not necessarily been explicitly articulated, but
are implicit in the government’s actions and view of the world.

Discuss the elements of change in India’s foreign policy S Jaishankar termed changes as
“decisive conclusions to an otherwise unfinished national agenda” that the bigger shifts were in
how India was conducting itself on the world stage and the tools of statecraft it was using in this
process. In terms of conduct, Jaishankar seemed to suggest that India’s added confidence and
larger footprint was indicative of a new proactive foreign policy in the works focused on actively
shaping and driving events as opposed to just reacting to them; on being active and nimble
rather than neutral and riskaverse. S Jaishankar talks of five “innovations” in the way India was
using the tools of statecraft to further this proactive foreign policy – narratives; lexicon and
imagery; soft power; the Indian diaspora; and the link between foreign policy and national
development. First, the Modi government was developing a narrative as part of a transition to
making India a leading power. Second, the creation of a new lexicon and imagery – whether it is
from a “Look East” to “Act East” policy or the image of a “first responder” in humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief – has been critical in signaling and driving foreign policy change.
Third, the Modi government has emphasized the use of soft power in Indian foreign policy, as
evidenced by the International Day of Yoga and its links with the country’s culture and heritage.
The fourth “innovation” is related to the Indian diaspora. While their achievements have long
been broadly appreciated, the Modi government has been more direct thus far in engaging with
overseas Indians, as evidenced by the turnout at Madison Square Garden during his visit to the
United States earlier this year. Fifth and finally, there has also been a more explicit link made
between diplomacy and national development efforts, with India working hard to leverage its
international relationships to bring resources, technology and best practices to further its own
development such as through the Make in India initiative.

Discuss the elements of continuity in India’s foreign policy Shashi Tharoor claims that India’s
economic and political engagement with the Southeast Asian countries and forms an integral part
of India’s Look-East Policy is a continuity of previous decades. Uttara Sahasrabuddhe says that the
policy on China, however, reflects more continuity. In case of multilateral fora, whether it is
acceptance of Shanghai as the headquarters of the proposed Brics Development Bank in exchange
for the first presidency of the bank; or negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO),
particularly over the issue of food subsidy; the Modi government has not made any significant
departure from the previous government’s policies. S Jaishankar recently noted that among other
things, a reasonable but at times firm neighborhood first policy, the forward momentum on the
nuclear deal with the United States, and a coherent Indian Ocean strategy now in the works were
all examples of changes from the previous government led by Manmohan Singh.

Conclude on following lines However, as Teresita Schaffer in her book "India at the Global High
Table" says that between Modiji and Jawahar Lal Nehru, only ends have remained same but means
have changed. Earlier Non-Alignment, 3rd world solidarity and soft power were the key
essentials. Now strategic autonomy, alignment with USA and Russia, use of smart power has
become the key pillars of India’s foreign policy. It can be concluded that Nehru’s foreign policies
were inspired by Buddhism and Ashoka whereas PM Modi’s foreign policies are inspired from
Kautilya and Chandra Gupta Maurya.

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