INDIAN CULTURE AND SOFT POWER IN THE 21ST CENTURY

India has been the land of art, music, sculpture and drama that has spread its influence to the USA in the West and to Japan in the East. 

- 

The terminology soft power was coined by Joseph Nye in the late 20th century incorporating all forms of cultural heritage, literature, arts and crafts and education within itself. A widely said couplet goes like this, “Jahan kaam aaye sui, wahan kya kare talwari” which means that if a cloth can be stitched by a needle (without violence), the use of the sword is not needed. It can rip off the cloth. In the same way, the use of violence in maintaining harmony is certainly unjustified. Much before Mr. Nye, the renowned Indian guru Chanakya had spoken about soft power in his Arthashastra as Sama (conciliation and alliances) and Dama (gifts and compensation). He had clearly mentioned that eff orts should be taken to put off a war by these ways and violence (Danda and Bheda) should be the last resort.