In international relations, there are always trade-offs. If a head of state concentrates on foreign policy, domestic concerns are pushed aside. If a state’s economic policies are geared toward opening its doors to international trade and foreign investment, in-country workers, businesses and regulation standards may be threatened. Ultimately, international politics and economics are balancing acts between internal and external affairs, with potentially major consequences if weighed too heavily on either scale. In the past few years, President Obama has deposited all of his energy into rebuilding America’s role as a superpower, through diplomacy, multilateralism, and international trade agreements. By the same token, Obama’s leadership has fallen by the wayside in the domestic sphere, particularly concerning race relations and gun violence within our borders. Recent news coverage suggests Prime Minister Modi has weighed his authority similarly, with vigorous attention being paid to foreign affairs at the expense of economic development, job growth, public hygiene, and intensified religious intolerance. Modi has met with more heads of state than any former prime minister, has dealt with global trade negotiations, and has focused much attention on regional security measures and diplomacy, pivoting “West” and “East” in search of greater cooperation and profitable relationships. Critics, however, claim that “Mr. Modi cares more for the theatre of politics than the hard grind of passing laws or accomplishing reform through compromise” (“Lights, Camera, Inactions!”). Job growth has not improved this year, yet India is said to take China’s place by 2050 as the world’s fastest growing economy (Barry). This disconnect between India’s stance in the world, and how Indians view their stance within their country, is what I am interested in exploring this semester. Is there a direct correlation between a country’s domestic stability and their foreign policy? Is Modi leading India into greater prosperity by focusing on external relations at the expense of developing its domestic economy and social well-being?
Broadly, I am interested in how (if) domestic politics affects international relations. For instance, is increasing Hindu nationalism and religious intolerance incompatible with India’s stance as an up and coming economic and political power house? The juxtaposition of internal and external affairs will hopefully come through questions that allow room for discussion on individual sentiments about domestic politics and foreign affairs. Some guiding questions for my research and interviews in New Delhi, Varanasi, and Chennai will have will be 1) how much power do people feel they have in federal or regional politics in India and 2) how much power do people feel India has in the world’s economy and how much / what kind of influence does India have on the world? Another question I have concerning India’s position on the world stage, concerns why it has not been able to gain the “superpower” status of the U.S. or China, as it has been projected to do so. What economic factors are preventing India from growing and what political or social/cultural factors are influencing its current position?
This topic can be studied anywhere in India, no matter the city, because each state has a unique political, cultural and economic character that will offer different (or perhaps common) perspectives of political life and knowledge of external relations. I’m curious to see how the identity of cities across India, such as Varanasi, and similarly, how the identities of different people, reflect different ideas and values concerning domestic and international politics.
As I settle into Delhi, I’ll be curious to see how casual of a topic political life is. Perhaps it’s only something you discuss with close friends or family. Maybe everyone is talking about political society and the Modi administration, as Delhi is the capital city. New Delhi will be particularly interesting because it is the political center of India, as well the people we come across. I hope to interview people from different professions or castes, to see how the social organization or status plays a role in ones own political engagement and power in the system. I am particularly interested in the younger generation, so I hope to interview the students that we meet when we visit the University of Delhi.
I hope to visit Kolkata, which is an extremely political and vibrant city as well as being the former capital and center of political life during British rule. West Bengal has, since the time of the British, experienced great political tension and violence, due to the partition of Bengal in the early 20th century, then the creation of East Pakistan (currently Bangladesh). It was also home to the Bengal Renaissance: a region rich in culture, intellect, and social and political activism. I hope to contrast an active city, such as Kolkata or Delhi, with a city or region that is less apparent in its political zeal. Perhaps a city in Rajasthan or Gujarat, that are near the border of Pakistan. How did the partition effect party politics or political participation after independence? Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, will also be fascinating as it is home to a region that is said to be extremely nationalistic. I think the Nehru museum and library will be an important place to do research, to find archives on his views on independence, democracy, and foreign policy.
I hope to gage, during my first few weeks in Delhi, how casual or formal conversations about politics are in Indian society. Perhaps it differs from place to place, in which case my interviews may need to be more formal, rather than informal. I am most looking forward to interviewing young people in India, and I think a perfect place to start would be at the University of Delhi. Students and youth offer sometimes the best perspective on civil society and political engagement. I am also looking forward to hopefully connect with Neera Chandhoke, a political scientist at the University, who I met when she came to speak at Lewis & Clark’s International Affairs Symposium this past year. I hope to interview people with different occupations and social status (from different castes), so as to compare their views on how much political power they feel they have, and so forth.
As for materials and research sites, the Nehru Museum and Library will be useful to start out with in New Delhi. I hope to look through archives that describe the foundations of Indian democracy and foreign policy after independence. Nehru’s speeches and letters could be a great place to begin understanding such foundations. How has the history of the partition and the struggle for independence been translated into political life and foreign policy today? Other ideas could be to find out where “civil society” takes place. Are there certain meetings or groups that meet to discuss political issues? How does this differ in a village, as opposed to a cosmopolitan center like Mumbai?
Barry, Ellen. “After a Year of Outsize Expectations, Narendra Modi Adjusts His Plan for India.” New York Times. N.p., 25 May 2015. This article offers insight into how Modi’s plans for a booming economy and strong foreign policy might be jeopardized by his inaction in implementing new policy.
Bijukumar, V. “Economic Reform, Populism, and Party Politics in India.”The Indian Journal of Political Science., Apr. 2004. A look into the wisdom underneath the democratic system after India gained its independence will help with my research on how the government of India gains and maintains its legitimacy with its people. This will offer insight into the domestic realm of political life in India and how much power people feel they have in the country.
Dasgupta, Sunil, and Stephan P. Cohen. “Is India Ending Its Strategic Restraint Doctrine?” Washington Quarterly (2011). Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1 Apr. 2011. This piece is similar to Bijukumar’s piece, however, it offers a unique perspective into India’s foreign policy: where India’s foreign policy doctrine came from, where its headed, and why its changing in the 21st century.
Ganguly, Sumit. “Modi’s Balancing Act.” Foreign Affairs., 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. This article offers a perspective on the struggle Modi will face when internal relations become too difficult to handle as religious intolerance grows, whereby India’s status in the world may fall behind what Modi had hoped and planned for. This article suggests that there is a direct relationship between domestic and international politics.
Gudavarthy, Ajay. Re-framing Democracy and Agency in India. London: Anthem, 2014. Print. This book is a collection of research on political and civil life in India, with focuses on cities like Varanasi, and has debates on the importance of “interrogating” political society in India. The section on Varanasi discusses the many ways occupation and social class determines how political and active one is in society. For example, the middle class has more time and money to spare, and so they protest and demand more than the lower classes, whom follow institutions and protocol, which takes more time, but is safer and less costly.
“High Visibility.” The Economist., 23 May 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. This piece discusses Modi’s recent achievements in diplomacy, showing the positive effects of his intense focus on India’s global image and status.
“Lights, Camera, Inaction!” The Economist., 27 Aug. 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. This article offers an opposing perspective, and portrays Modi as a slow moving and ineffective prime minister, as domestic violence and riots erupt, he is still focusing on India’s global influence.
Krasner, Stephen. “Sovereignty: Organized Hypocrisy.” Princeton University Press., 1999. A scholar of international relations, Krasner argues that domestic sovereignty and international legal sovereignty are exclusive in that they do not influence each other. I believe this theory and approach to international politics will offer a different perspective on whether domestic identities and politics have any relationship with India’s identity on the global stage.
Wagner, Daniel. “India’s Political Influence in Asia.” The Huffington Post., 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. Another look into India’s shift in foreign policy, to focus more on regional stability in south and southeastern Asia.
“The Worldwide Web.” The Economist., 23 May 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2015. This article discusses the Indian diaspora. How will other countries benefit from India’s intellectual and prosperous immigrant population, and what will India lose?