The issue of India being a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council has fascinated me for a long time, compelling me to write my Master’s thesis on the topic. I have often wondered why a nation like India has been left out of the Council so far. Below I present my opinion on why it is time for India to become a permanent member of the UNSC.
There is no denying that India’s position in Asia has always been that of a great power which has had a strong impact on other Asian nations’ cultures, economies, identities et al. India continues to play an important role in the development of South Asia. India has come a long way since its independence in 1947 to today’s global information age. The following quote from Gurcharan Das’ book, ‘India Unbound’, perfectly explains this claim, “The ascent of a country from poverty to prosperity, from tradition to modernity, is a great and fascinating enterprise. India has recently emerged as a vibrant free- market democracy after the economic reforms in 1991, and it has begun to flex its muscles in the global information economy.”
Keeping in line with the most important feature of the realist school of thought that lays emphasis on national interest and security, India currently maintains the third largest active armed force in the world after China and the United States of America. The Indian government, during its Union Budget of 2010-2011, announced an increase in the allocation for Defence to US $31.9 billion as well as allocating US $12.9 billion for capital expenditure. Although India achieved independence through its policies of non- violence, circumstances and the changing world order have had an influence on the growth of the Indian Military. The Sino- Indian War of 1962 was seen as a catalyst in making defence a high priority between the 1960s and 1970s. Learning from its mistakes in the 1962 conflict, India successfully defeated Pakistan in the 1971 Indo- Pakistan War, thus establishing its military dominance in South Asia. Over the years India has demonstrated its military strength on a number of occasions. Apart from maintaining a large armed force, as of July 2010, India is also the third largest contributor of troops, after Pakistan and Bangladesh, to various UN Peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cyprus, Cambodia, Yemen, Somalia, Rwanda, Namibia, Sinai Peninsula etc.
Adding to its military capacity, India became a nuclear power in 1974 after conducting its first nuclear test, ‘Operation Smiling Buddha’. Further underground testing was carried out in 1998, resulting in India declaring itself a nuclear weapons state.
Measuring a country’s status on the world stage in terms of its ‘soft power’ is equally important. It won’t be wrong to borrow Joseph Nye’s idea here. According to him, instead of relying solely on coercive use of military and economic right, a nation should also make use of its culture and ideology as well as work towards the propagation of its norms and values. Although both forms of power ride on the ability to influence, Joseph Nye clearly believes soft power is the ability to attract, eventually leading to acquiescence. Just how using its soft power is likely to help India gain an entry into the UNSC is discussed below.
Despite a shaky start, India, after becoming independent in 1947, embarked upon ambitious plans of industrial development, thus encouraging the setting up of new industries in addition to the expansion of existing ones, the government’s main concern being the protection of Indian industries. India is seen as one of those few countries which used its stringent import policies for the successful development of local industries. A few years after independence India was short on foreign exchange, as a result of which imports had to be restricted. This gave the government the opportunity to encourage indigenous production. This restriction on international trade enabled Indian industries to develop and grow, thus making them self sufficient. Local industries were also encouraged to get into foreign collaborations in order to understand the technicalities behind production. India’s policy of protectionism also involved imposing higher tariffs in order to restrict imports. Moreover a number of products were banned, providing a sheltered market for Indian goods and a number of industries thrived within these protective walls. Initially, products produced in India did not comply with international quality norms, however, over time Indian goods have found a secure place in the international market. During this period Indian industries also manufactured industrial machines making industries more independent. This brought about a new dimension to India’s industrial development.
Apart from manufacturing competitive goods, the Indian Information Technology Industry has also seen rapid growth since the mid 1990s. There is no denying that India has been recognized a technology superpower. A nation with such credential needs to be taken into serious consideration where membership of an international organisation is concerned. India’s success in software and high technology has given some real content to the relationship between the world’s oldest democracy (the United States of America) and the world’s largest democracy (India). It is not wrong to say India is now one of the most important Asian states and other nations’ policies need to accommodate themselves to this new reality. Like Japan and China, India is acquiring the capability to influence developments throughout much of Asia and other regions of the world.
When it comes to gauging a nation’s suitability in becoming an integral member of an international organisation, taking into consideration that nation’s economic standing in the global perspective is one of the most important factors. Although traces of the past autarkic economic policies are still visible, India is slowly developing into an open- market globalised economy. Given the size and versatility of the nation, India has a diverse economy which includes traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts and a wide range of modern industries as well as a multitude of other services.
During the global financial crisis in early 2008, India managed to come out unscathed because of cautious banking policies and its relatively lower dependence on international trade.
Few facts to consider:
- In 2009, India’s nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was US$1.243 trillion, making India the eleventh largest economy in the world
- In terms of its Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world at US$3.561 trillion
- India’s per capita income of US$3,100 is a very impressive figure
India has also laid a lot of emphasis on the development of the financial infrastructure of the nation. In order to provide the necessary financial infrastructure, the government set up a number of development banks. These development banks helped promote the growth of local industries. As a result of setting up development banks, India today boasts of strong banks and financial institutions, which have played a big role in the expansion of various industries.
India also generates soft power through its public diplomacy. India introduced its own ‘Public Diplomacy Division’ in 2006. The aim behind establishing a separate Public Diplomacy Division was to “educate and influence global and domestic opinion on key policy issues and project a better image of the country, commensurate with its rising international standing.” India’s Public Diplomacy Division is inspired by the United States State Department. The aim is to “sensitise and influence think tanks, universities, media and experts to create a more nuanced understanding of the government’s stance on tricky issues.” The establishment of this division coincides with India’s aspirations of becoming a permanent member of the UNSC. Through its public diplomacy programme, India has been successfully portraying itself as an emerging power in the global world.
Although not a big deciding factor, India’s recent entry to the elite currency club will make India’s case stronger. Introduction of an official symbol to represent the Indian Rupee has made India only the fifth currency, after the Euro, US Dollar, British Pound and the Japanese Yen, to have a symbol of its own. This is an important move in order to being seen as a global power.
India is fast emerging as a major centre for Research and Development projects for Indian businesses as well as global multinationals. A number of companies ranging from the field of Information Technology, Telecommunications, Pharmaceutical, Biotech etc. have and continue to set up Research and Development projects in India. The motive behind this is two- fold; one is to be able to serve the Indian market and also to introduce new products faster in the global market. India being a hub of R&D projects makes it more attractive when being considered as an emerging world power.
If India is given an opportunity to be a permanent member of the UNSC, other developing nations will have a representative (India) to voice their concerns. India’s position in the Indian Subcontinent will be strengthened with a permanent seat in Council.
India enjoys strong support from other nations, thus further strengthening its position. As a member of the Group of 4 (G4), India has the support of fellow members, Brazil, Germany and Japan. Other countries like Bangladesh, Chile, Australia and members of the African Union have also openly shown their support for India’s candidacy.
Given the various factors that work in India’s favour, the time has come for the world to take note of India’s credentials. The world’s largest democracy cannot be offered a raw deal when it comes to being a member of an international organisation. Justice needs to be done to such a huge population.
