Shashi Tharoor on "Soft Power"
Shashi Tharoor talks broadly about India approach towards being a soft power country in the world. Soft power in this context means the ability of India to attract other countries through cultural and economic influence. India seems to be determined to achieve the soft power strategy to its fullest which is witnessed by the way it treats foreigners who may wish to visit the country. For instance, India has cherished its overseas popularity in TV soap operas as well as its IT industry which hold the country’s culture (Tharoor, 2009).
The democracy of India has silently been boosting the soft power quality which has thrived the free media, the human rights groups, and the remarkable general elections which are leadership traits that are very rare to find within the structures of most developing countries. Tharoor also adds that India is currently enjoying the soft power which has grown naturally through the transformation of its image enabled by the members of Diaspora. All these advancements have put India at a potential position of becoming the next superpower (Tharoor, 2009).
In the information age, India is connected to the world with its headquarters situated at Mumbai. With Tata communication owning 3 land stations at this depot, connectivity through the internet and social media communication network has greatly expanded (Christakis & Fowler, 2011). For instance, India connects to Malaysia through a variety of cultural and historical ties. Through communication and information technology, India has excelled in education, research and economic sectors which are the strongholds of the country’s economy. However, the connectivity is still under development with many plans laid out to expand the information and communication networks. It is however less connected than Bangladesh (Christakis & Fowler, 2011).
References
Tharoor S., (2009) Why nations should pursue soft power
https://www.ted.com/talks/shashi_tharoor?language=en
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Christakis, N. A., & Fowler, J. H. (2011). Connected: The surprising power of our social networks and how they shape our lives : how your friends' friends' friends affect everything you feel, think, and do. New York: Back Bay Books.
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