India as a Voice from the Global South: The Knowledge Dimension

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Working Group: A V Balasubramanian (Convener), Amit Basole, Sunil Sahasrabudhey, Srishtee Bajpai, Unnikrishnan PM

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The Background:
The larger historical context for a discussion on this topic, has to start with the recognition that in the pre Columbus era for well over twenty centuries or more, India has had rich and extensive links with her Eastern and Southern neighbors in Asia and also perhaps across the Western waters and lands with parts of Africa and Middle East. The exchanges were over vast and varied domains of knowledge and culture including (but not limited to) – language, grammar, literature, medicine,
agriculture, natural resources, astronomy, mathematics, material science,  navigation and ship building. Such links and exchanges seem to have continued through religious exchanges and pilgrimages of Buddhist Scholars- this has continued through centuries and institutions from Kanchipuram in the South to Nalanda bear ample testimony to these links. Trade and interaction through the seas are also recorded extensively and may have reached its peak around the 11th century during the period of Rajendra Chola.

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One often encounters a response to this interaction which is a mixture of wonder and a sense of admiration which has survived in some form even into the modern era. The Chinese diplomat, scholar and philosopher Hu Shih (1891-1962) is quoted as having stated-“India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border”.

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The dawn of India’s Asian- African Internationalism of the modern era can perhaps be traced to the –“Asian Relations Conference” which was convened in New Delhi between 23rd March and 17th April 1947. It was the eve of Indian Independence – an era of declining colonial empires and emerging independent States across the South. The Conference was attended by representatives from 28 Asian and other countries and had observers from six other regions. The major topics for discussion were naturally those of immediate concern such as – transition from colonial to national economy, agriculture reconstruction and industrial development, national movements for freedom, etc. Even at that time ,the conference raised concerns from the West of a possible –“Asian Block” and Jawaharlal Nehru had to affirm that –“.....the Conference would not be opposed in any way to America or the Soviet Union or any other power or group of powers”.

Right from the early days of Indian independence ,developments in India were watched with keen interest by the Asian and African neighbours .It was as if we were under a lens, as a “ Test case” , for the World at large to figure out if this whole experiment of decolonization would “ work” . Immediately after freedom in 1947, India faced severe food shortages and the memories of the 1943 famine were still fresh. India not only averted a famine but also managed to avoid mass hunger
(though with several ups and downs ). The General Elections of 1952 were held peacefully in what was recognized as “The Worlds Largest Democratic Experiment” with one sixth of the World’s population casting their votes! The next year Sudan invited the Chief Election Commissioner of India Sukumar Sen to conduct their first general election in 1953 . It was expected that India would be a strong voice of the South for several reasons, including her economic and military strength , vast capabilities in many sectors of modern science , technology and Industry .

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For many of India’s African and Asian neighbours , India continues to be a land that they look up to -- while the reasons may be many, the following are among the few that find repeated mention:

1. India is a “ robust democracy” – our elections are held regularly, the transfer of power after elections have always been smooth and peaceful and our armed forces have never interfered with our political process

2. The way we are managing our tremendous and complex diversity – religious, linguistic, ethnic etc.-- as a modern nation state is keenly watched. While it is still a –“ work in progress”, it is believed to have implications and lessons not only for our Southern neighbours but also for the rest of the World

3. We have made tremendous progress in various sectors of our economy,built extensive infrastructure and moved towards self sufficiency in Food, Agriculture and other key sectors; while concerns of equity are still very serious ,the progress is indeed significant

4. India is acknowledged as a friend who can be counted upon to share what she has with her Southern neighbours. To cite an example ,India has been hailed as the “ World’s Pharmacy”. Our pharmaceutical sector is a major source of Life Saving drugs at low prices to countries that need this the most -- a role that we have continued to play right up to the era of the COVID pandemic While there is a lot more that can be and ought to be done , there is no doubt that there is a very favorable disposition towards India.

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The Panel Discussion in the Convention:
The theme “India as a Voice from the Global South: Th Knowledge Dimension” would be presented in the form of a Panel Discussion.

In terms of our links to the Global South what have we achieved since 1947 ? Can we hold a mirror to reflect upon what have we achieved , how has this fared in comparison with the expectations, our own and those of our Southern neighbors?

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Some of the specific questions to be reflected upon by the Panel would include –

1. What is the current shape and status of exchange of knowledge, traditions and experiences between the Nations of the South- could we look into some specific domains such as Health and Medicine, governance and justice, natural resources management, etc.

2. Today much of what India knows/believes/experiences about the South is heavily colored and dominated by scholarship from the West and received through Western media, news agencies and in English and European languages. How can we move towards better communication and deeper mutual understanding ?..

3. Besides academic research and scholarship in areas like Science and Technology there also need to understand the implications and impact of our knowledge and traditions including music, dance,arts, crafts and cultural traditions ,food, yoga and so on in our relationship with the South .

4. There are also emerging voices in India and the South that are involved in a deeper examination and understanding of ideas of state , governance , knowledge Systems etc.; drawing from their own experiences and values which are significantly different from the thinking from the North ( both mainstream and alternative !!). Some of these are from outside the formal institutions and academia and their content and implications need to be reflected upon.

5. How does one provide support and strength and be more effective as a “ Voice of the South” without acquiring a “big brother” attitude? It appears that suspicions of Indian or Chinese Hegemony held by other Nations (and mutually between India and China) are serious and cannot be lightly wished away. We also need to move away from an approach that sees the South solely as a market for various emerging goods, services and technologies from India.

6. Even after Independence right down to the recent times it is seen that ideas from the Indian Freedom Movement rooted in Gandhian thinking -- Swaraj and Non-violent approaches to political actions -- have continued to inspire people from different parts of the world including Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and more recently the Arab Spring. A strong articulation and a development of these ideas in today's context can surely be a valuable contribution from India.