Introduction:

The Government of India’s ‘Act East policy’ aims at improving economic and political relations with the Southeast Asian region which has had close contacts with India for centuries and is linked culturally and geographically with it. Buddhism remained as the solid foundation for societal and cultural transformation in Asia. It still remains a key anchor for Asian identity and a phenomenon of unprecedented Pan-Asian importance, especially in terms of spiritual connectivity among nations with enduring impact.

Body:

India and Buddhism:

• Despite the fact that it is host to a relatively small population of Buddhists, India can claim legitimacy in its promotion of Buddhist diplomacy for a number of reasons.
• First, the Buddhist faith originated in India, therefore granting it singular historical legitimacy.
• Second, India has numerous sites of importance to the Buddhist faith, such as Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Nalanda.
• Third, India has nurtured an image of being a protector of the persecuted through the presence of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in Dharamshala.
• In addition, historical links to Theravada Buddhism mean that India is in a good position to further relations with other Buddhist countries and create conversation between multiple streams of this faith.
• Successfully leveraging these associations with other Buddhist countries could have an impact beyond the realm of cultural diplomacy, and aid in other areas of foreign policy as well.
• Deepening ties with Asian nations on the basis of Buddhism could potentially feed into the government’s larger policy objectives, for example, the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, and the ‘Act East’ policy.

Buddhism as a key linkage:

• Buddhism in India as a Soft Power is different from the conventional sense of the term. India talks about shared cultural development instead of export of culture.
• The values of peace, accommodation, inclusiveness, and compassion that are part of our societies can be attributed to the influence of the teachings of Lord Buddha and Buddhism.
• The ideals of Buddhism continue to intersect with the political and economic contexts of many Asian nations with 22% of the world’s population.
• Buddhism can act as an intensifying factor for Asian emotional bonding and connectivity as it is embedded into their “nationalistic” thinking and actions.
• Buddhism is not restricted to Asia and has been able to generate a spiritual awakening elsewhere in the world and influenced a stream of philosophical traditions world over.

Way Forward:

• Effective revitalisation of the Nalanda University project and encouragement of Buddhist studies in well-established universities will bring International community at a common platform.
• The promotion of Buddhist tourism reminiscent of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign is required to popularise India’s association with the faith internationally.
• The government faces the crucial challenge of effective execution. Buddhist diplomacy would go a long way in countering the rise of China, strengthening its relations with Asian countries, and helping it further down the path of its regional and global power ambitions.

Conclusion:

Buddhism could become a catalyst for building greater interaction within the Asian community. The country needs to end its apathy towards its heritage of global significance, which is lying largely unattended. It has to simply utilise the Buddhist heritage circuits, improve connectivity and infrastructure so that they could tap millions of Asian pilgrims annually. Most of all, India needs to raise its own capabilities to comprehend the Asian cultural complexities and foster a sense of responsibility towards deepening linkages with the Asian population.