Two-Day International Seminar on

“RE-EMERGING INDO-RUSSIAN

RELATIONS IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER”

On February 07 – 08, 2014

Organised by

Department of Political Science

Gulbarga University, Gulbarga

Cultural Diplomacy:
The Catalyst for Re-energising
Indo-Russian Relations in the
Modern Era

Submitted by –

Prof. Vidya Patil

Assistant Professor of English,
Govt. First Grade College, Humnabad.

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 Cultural Diplomacy:
The Catalyst for Re-energising
Indo-Russian Relations in the Modern Era

Prof. Vidya Patil

Asst. Prof. of English,
Govt. First Grade College,
Humnabad.

“I don’t want my home to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be

stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely
as possible, but I refuse to be blown off my feet, by any”
Mahatma Gandhi

This quote of Mahatma Gandhi echoes the philosophy of Indians since ages, which is
also very close to the very famous Vedantic concept of “vasudhaiv kutumbkam” - “the
whole world is a family”.

Cultural Diplomacy: It is a type of public diplomacy and soft power . It

includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art and other aspects of culture among
nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding." In essence "cultural
diplomacy reveals the soul of a nation". Though often overlooked, cultural diplomacy
can and does play an important role in achieving better bi-lateral ties among nations.
Ultimately, the goal of cultural diplomacy is to influence a foreign audience and
use that influence, which is built up over the long term, as a sort of good will to win
support for policies. It seeks to harness the elements of culture to induce foreigners to
have a positive view of the country's people, culture and policies and induce greater
cooperation between the two nations. In turn, cultural diplomacy can help a nation better
understand the foreign nation it is engaged with and foster mutual understanding.
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 Generally, cultural diplomacy is more focused on the long term and less on
specific policy matters. It allows the government to create a "foundation of trust" and
a “mutual understanding” that is neutral and built on people-to-people contact.
Another unique and important element of cultural diplomacy is its ability to reach youth,
non-elites and other audiences outside of the traditional embassy circuit. In short,
cultural diplomacy plants the seeds of ideals, ideas, political arguments, spiritual
perceptions and a general view point of the world that may or may not flourish in a
foreign nation.

Role of Culture in Improving Bi-lateral Ties between

Nation :
Culture has been used in the broadest sense of the term as a “way of life” which
includes history, art, sculpture, dance, music, traditional & contemporary achievements,
science & technology, perspectives for future development and aspirations of our
nations. Culture has no boundaries, and using it as the medium to interact with the
masses has been the most effective and proven way to win hearts in this era of
Globalisation. Interacting through culture gives us a chance to interact and understand
the great cultural heritage of the world.

UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity adopted in November 2001

defines culture as ‘the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional
features of a society or social group, and that encompasses, in addition to art and
literature, life styles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and belief.’
Acknowledging that cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for
nature, it notes that globalisation creates conditions for dialogue of cultures and
civilisations. The relevance of cultural interaction is highlighted in the new world.
Creativity draws on the roots of cultural tradition but it flourishes in contact with other
cultures. Culture in the modern world is ‘a world of ruptured boundaries’.
Cultural hybridity, not cultural purity, is an unavoidable outcome of this new trend and
tends to produce new forms of global mass culture.

The Indian culture has a relevance to the globalising world of today. The confluence
of ideas, values and traditions is inherent in the Indian culture. While maintaining
the purity of individual traditions, dance forms, music, literature and art, it accepts the
authenticity of others and often synthesises them into newer and richer forms.

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 The richness of values inherent in the Indian culture was known and appreciated long
before the era of present day globalisation. It left its imprint on the culture and
civilisation of East Asian, South-east Asian, Central Asian and West Asian lands. The
Western world too discovered some aspects of it in the colonial period. The new world
now taking shape amplifies and magnifies them. The essence of a common market, and
of a common political system, has induced intermingling. All of this finds reflection in
popular culture and above all in films. Many factors contribute to it: the speed of
connectivity, the number of Indians abroad, the popularity of commercial Hindi films and
yoga and of the literary products of Indian writers in English, the projection and
acceptance of the work of painters and sculptors etc in addition to philosophy and
classical music, classical dances, Indian films and other art forms. A milieu to these is
provided by the emergence of India as a major economic and political factor on the
global scene.

Maulana Azad said about the changing role of culture, “to break the chains forged by
centuries of custom and habit, belief and practice, and adopt a new line of thought and
action… to acquire a new body, a new mind, a new imagination, new senses…”. He
was thus responding to the intellectual awakening of the age and was perhaps an early
proponent of culture unbound by territoriality. Diversity is an Indian passion: we live
it, tolerate it, accommodate it, and relish it. There is every reason to anticipate an
expanding impact of Indian culture in the world of tomorrow.

Along with classical political diplomacy, which is nation to nation, economic diplomacy
which is corporation to corporation, cultural diplomacy places a emphasis on the
people to people dimension as a basis for dialogue. As explained by Prof. Joseph
Nye, it is a prime example of Soft Power or the ability to persuade through culture,
value and ideas as opposed to “hard power” which conquers or coerces through military
might. We believe in people’s diplomacy, and every step of ours is directed towards
enhancing the understanding between India and the nations and peoples of the world.
India’s rich civilizational heritage itself is a major aspect of its Soft Power.

Indo-Russian relations :

Indo-Russian relations refer to the bilateral relations between the Republic of

India and the Russian federation. Any scholarly publication or discussion about the
Indo-Russian relationship almost invariably mentions Raj Kapoor’s films and Indian
tea—both wildly popular in the Soviet Union decades ago. “If I had not come to Russia,
life’s pilgrimage would have remained incomplete”, wrote Rabindranath Tagore in
Letters from Russia. In the context of modern day Indo-Russia relations, these
sentiments are an abiding testimony to the cultural bonding between India and Russia

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which, more than six and a half decades later, remain the backbone of their strong
strategic partnership.

During the Cold War, India and the Soviet Union (USSR) enjoyed a strong strategic,
military, economic and diplomatic relationship. After the collapse of the USSR, Russia
inherited the close relationship with India. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union,
Russia has become the successor of the Soviet Union in the UN and international
relation. Strong political links grew between the two countries since 1960, as fallout of
the Cold War. Hence, a sense of mutual advantage came up from this relationship.

Russia’s relations with India have been considered as time tested and based on
continuity, trust and mutual understanding. Indo-Russian cooperation is based on a
constructive approach, which makes it possible for the two countries to work
successfully on comprehensive expansion and strengthening of strategic partnership.
Indo-Russian relation reflects the fact that there are obvious long-term interests
between the two countries. These bilateral ties need strengthening keeping in view the
new realities in both nations . The Indo-Russian relations must at this point be based on
realistic assessments of mutual strengths and opportunities as opposed to idealized and
impracticable views about the bright future of “Hindi-Russi Bhai Bhai.”

. This approach necessitates taking a look at the future of India—a country striving to
become a world power—and the future of Russia—a former superpower focused
on asserting its status as a great nation. Currently the Indo-Russian ties are based
on five dimensions: military, energy, trade, scientific, and cultural. There is a strong
foundation of trust between the two countries to enable new thinking and new energy in
their relationship.

The India-Russia relationship is based on substance not rhetoric. There is a unique

political consensus, cutting across party lines and amongst peoples in both countries,
over the high importance of close and friendly ties between the two countries. Both
countries consider the further deepening of cooperation as being among their top
foreign policy priorities. Russia is also India’s foremost partner in sectors like atomic
energy, defence, space, and science & technology. India’s largest Inter-Governmental
Commission (IGC) on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural
Cooperation is with Russia.

India and Russia have a common goal — to make the world more just, democratic and
secure and to facilitate resolving global and regional problems. They aim at
establishing a multi-polar world order. Joint steps in the international arena,
participation in the development of global trade and enhancing business, scientific and
technological and humanitarian ties form the basis for achieving a new quality of

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partnership. It is argued that while there is one superpower, there can be multiple
poles that are important centres of economic and political power, acting as
independent actors. This vision determines policies that work towards the further
strengthening and creation of a multi-polar world as opposed to the assertion of a uni-
polar world.

Cultural ties between India and Russia :

Humanitarian cooperation has a particular significance for India and Russia, which are
states with great cultural heritage and potential. The centuries-old history and culture of
India, majestic architectural monuments and museums of Delhi, Agra and Mumbai have
a unique attractive force. In its turn, Indian citizens with interest discover the wealth of
Russian music, literature and art.

Cultural and educational ties between India and Russia are the most woefully neglected
aspect of their relationship. Major efforts have to be undertaken by the two governments
to revive their once vibrant academic and cultural exchanges. India and Russia
historically enjoyed solid ties in the cultural sphere, the pre-1991 era being abundant in
long-term scholarly and student exchanges, culture festivals, and art exhibits in both
countries, as well as many new academic works touching on the bilateral relationship.
At present, however, there are exchange programs such as the University Grants
Scholarship, the Indian Council of Social Science Research, and the Indian Cultural
Relations Council with Russia’s Academy of Sciences. The year 2008 was celebrated
as the Year of Russia in India, while 2009 was celebrated as the Year of India in
Russia.

Mutual cultural awareness in both countries has suffered in recent decades. On an

everyday level, while Bollywood films and yoga are popular in Russia and some
Indian restaurants exist in major Russian cities, no parallel exposure to any aspect of
Russian popular culture exists among Indians. The Indo-Russian Cultural and
Friendship Society, has devolved into a small chapter based in Bangalore; its sister
organization, the Indo-Russian Friendship Society, is similarly inactive. The Russian
Centers for Science and Culture that exist in five cities (Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai,
Kolkata, and Thiruvananthapuram) organize some cultural activities, such as film
screenings and performances of touring music and dance companies, yet their
initiatives are not nearly sufficient. Another aspect of “soft power,” tourism, could be
much more vigorous between the two countries With very limited knowledge of
Russian history, literature, art and music, we in India can hardly understand what
ticks ‘the new Russia’ today. This must change.

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 Role of literature- Literature is one of the most complex of ways in which human
beings engage with and reflect on the world. Good literature is a global unifier.It is
inevitable that literature draws lines of connections and examines issues that affect
human beings in the world. "The fundamental point of departure for literature and art is
love, love of humanity." Literature has always been highly porous. Right from the
beginning, from the ancient epics, downwards to our age, stories and literature in
general do not respect political or social borders. In that sense too, they signify the fact
that despite all our differences we inhabit one world”. Many of us grew up savouring
the works of Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Gorky and Pasternak.

“One of the best ways of learning about a culture and a different way of life is to
study its literature. Literature helps us understand the norms and values of a
society. What was ugly can become beautiful. What was ridiculous can begin to
make sense. What seemed like cruelty can be seen as kindness. Our opinions
change with understanding. And yet, at the core of all these differences in the
way we live and love, literature also reveals that the most important values of
humanity—whether black, white, yellow or brown—are fundamentally the
same.”

Road-Map for Better Indo-Russian Ties in the 21st

Century :
The contemporary status of Indian culture in the global society is highly enviable.
Thus, we need to explore the role this vibrant culture can play to show the way to
peaceful co-existence in this beautiful but conflict-ridden world.
“Traditionally, warm and hearty contacts on a people-to people level and the co-
operation in the field of culture have always played a decisive role in the Russian-
Indian relations. Mutual affection has become a deep-rooted national Tradition in the
two countries”, said H. E Vyachaslav I. Trubnikov, Ambassador of Russian Federation
to India.
India’s cultural diplomacy to Russia should be strengthened. Cultural flows between
India and Russia have laid a solid foundation for social interactions between the two
countries. Culture—including language, food, art, literature, music, films, and
television—is also a major element of a country’s soft power. India should allow
Russians to gain more understanding of the art, culture and society of India, and more
Russian tourists could be attracted to India for either sightseeing or for cultural and
academic exchanges.

Cultural diplomacy can and does utilize every aspect of a nation’s culture. This includes:

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 The arts including films, dance, music, painting, sculpture, etc.
 Exhibitions which offer the potential to showcase numerous objects of culture
 Educational programs such as universities and language programs abroad
 Exchanges- scientific, artistic, educational etc.
 Literature- the establishment of libraries abroad and translation of popular and
national works
 Broadcasting of news and cultural programs
 Gifts to a nation, which demonstrates thoughtfulness and respect
 Religious diplomacy, including inter-religious dialogue
 Promotion and explanation of ideas and social policies

There is no doubt that awareness-raising and educational projects should be more

actively promoted and tourism and youth exchanges developed. In fact, they enrich our
citizens and add new contents to human dimension of bilateral relations which becomes
all the more significant and relevant today.

The key elements of the cultural diplomacy between India and Russia include : setting
up of new Indian Cultural Centres in Russia; organizing Indian Festivals abroad – often
on a reciprocal basis; creating new Chairs of Indian Studies; initiation of a Fellowship
Programme; organization of a series of Conferences on Indology/Indian Studies in
Russia; organization of seminars, providing fellowships to foreign scholars & students
and the release of grants to non-governmental organizations promoting Indian culture
abroad. These efforts will surely lead to an ultimately more productive framework of
joint modernization, development, peace, well-being and new impressive
achievements.

Conclusion :
Relations with Russia should be one of the most important foreign policy priorities of our
country. Our mutual ties of friendship are filled with sympathy, and trust, and openness
and were never overshadowed by disagreements or conflict. This understanding is
indeed the common heritage of our peoples. It is valued and cherished in Russia and in
India. There is enough fire in the current relationship between India and Russia to
reignite the magic of the past. What is needed is the urge on both sides to navigate
the challenges. As the cliché goes, when there is a will, there is a way!

A new level of partnership can be achieved by developing business, scientific and

technological, and humanitarian ties. India and Russia enjoy a deep, friendly, and
mutually beneficial relationship. It is the policy of India to preserve and promote
extensive, close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations between the
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people of India and the people of Russia. A robust relationship with Russia should
remain at the centre of India’s overall foreign relations and, non-governmental
interaction should form an important pillar in that relationship.

At a time when the whole civilization, face serious challenges such as unbalanced
global development, economic and social instability, lack of confidence and security,
India and Russia show an example of responsible leadership and collective actions in
the international arena. Cultural diplomacy can act as a bridge-builder in fostering closer
cultural ties between the two friendly countries. Pratibha Patil, the former President of
India, has rightly told about relations with Russia that,

“We are confident that India lives in the hearts of every Russian. In the
same way, I can assure you that Russia also lives in our souls as a
Homeland, as people who share our emotions, our feelings of mutual
respect and constant friendship. Long live our friendship!”

References :

1) V P Dutt, India’s Foreign policy in a changing world, Vikas pub house pvt ltd,
New Delhi, 2000.

2) V D Chopra, India’s Foreign Policy in the 21st Century, Kaplaz pub, Delhi,
2005.

3) Prem K Budhwar, India-Russia Relations : Past, Present and the Future,

Indian Foreign Affairs Journals, Vol.2, No.2, 2008.

4) Russian Embassy, see http://www.rusembassy.in.

5) Indian Embassy, see http://www.indianembassy.ru/cms/

6) India’s Ministry of External Affairs, see http://www.meaindia.nic.