India and Pakistan, two neighboring nations with a shared history, have long grappled with strained relations marred by terrorist activities and mutual distrust. The geopolitical landscape of South Asia has been overshadowed by conflicts and hostilities, hindering diplomatic progress and impeding prospects for peace. Amidst this backdrop, the concept of employing soft power, specifically through sports and cultural exchanges, emerges as a potential avenue to foster goodwill between the two countries. Soft power, characterized by non-coercive and persuasive influence, holds the promise of transcending political animosities and building bridges at the grassroots level. Sporting events, such as cricket matches, have historically provided a platform for people-to-people connections, offering moments of unity and shared enthusiasm that transcends political boundaries. Cultural exchanges, including art exhibitions, music festivals, and collaborative film productions, can contribute to a deeper understanding of each other’s societies, fostering empathy and breaking down stereotypes. Notable instances, like the resumption of cricket diplomacy in 2011, wherein India and Pakistan engaged in a series of cricket matches, underscore the potential of soft power initiatives in easing tensions and generating positive sentiments. Thus, while political challenges persist, the strategic deployment of soft power can catalyze building trust and goodwill between India and Pakistan.
Tag: India and its neighborhood- relations.
Decoding the Question:
- In the Introduction, you can write the timeline/chronology of events which brought India-Pakistan relations to a low point.
- In Body,
- Need to stress that the use of soft power diplomacy like sports and cultural exchanges could help generate goodwill between the two countries.
- Examples like World Cup matches, IPL, film industry, music can prove beneficial to the context.
- In Conclusion, try to show that soft power diplomacy is fruitful unless terrorist activities are not state-sponsored.
Answer:
Pakistan and India were almost on the brink of war in 2019 following the Pulwama terror attack which prompted India to carry out air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, which was followed by an aerial combat between Air Forces of the two countries. During this entire episode, an injured IAF pilot was captured. With several lows and highs in Indo-Pak ties solidify the fact that the mistrust between the two countries is deeper than perceived.
The use of Soft Powers can Generate Goodwill between the two Countries:
- Sports exchanges: The assumption that sport is a form of reconciliation is true to a degree. Countries often use sporting events to boost diplomacy, advance social interaction, and gain political favor. For Example, ten thousand Pakistanis crossed over to Mohali in 1999 to watch cricket. Pakistan issued 20,000 visas to Indians for a cricket series in 2004.
- Sport can at times act as political messenger as Pakistani players have not been invited to the Indian Premier League and Hockey India League and India declined to play alongside Pakistan at the 2017 Sultan of Johor Cup.
- Cricket as a strategic diplomatic tool is indeed capable of transcending the ethnic and social divide while dispelling historical stereotypes and age-old prejudices between the two countries. Expanding IPL to include cities from Pakistan and Kashmir could lay a strong foundation for a peaceful relationship between the two acrimonious and bitter neighbors.
- Cultural Exchanges: India and Pakistan share common cultural values in addition to divided families. The Indian film industry has a large following in Pakistan and Pakistani actors participate in Indian television programs. Even Pakistani television serials have a huge fan following in India.
- The Rekhta Concerts which is the world’s largest Urdu language literary festival showcases Urdu poetry, Urdu literature, Qawwali, and Islamic calligraphy, with performances such as Ghazal, Sufi music, also representing common cultural affiliation between India and Pakistan.
- The Coke Studio: Music Platforms like Coke Studio also serves an important diplomatic function for India-Pakistan relations. Coke Studio has proved to have a bigger influence on mainstream music in Pakistan and North India than perhaps any other musical phenomenon in the past decade.
The use of soft power like sports, cultural exchanges, etc. could help generate goodwill between the two countries. Soft power plays an important role in developing friendly and diplomatic relations with nations and cannot be neglected. This is not to say that hard power should be completely neglected given the futile situation between India and Pakistan. If Pakistan wishes to influence and have stable relations with India, it ought to stop terrorist activities against India.
In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.
For UPSC Prelims Resources, Click here
For Daily Updates and Study Material:
Join our Telegram Channel – Edukemy for IAS
- 1. Learn through Videos – here
- 2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs – here
- 3. Daily Newsletter – Get all your Current Affairs Covered – here
- 4. Mains Answer Writing Practice – here
