The ideas of religious moderation and social modernization have been steadily pushed on the defensive in the four decades since 1979. Any effort to reverse 1979, therefore, must be welcomed in the Subcontinent.
Purposeful engagement with religious communities around the world can increase the efficacy of India’s international relations, but only when handled with great care and diplomatic competence.
It is easy to forget that domestic stability holds the key to a successful foreign policy.
The United Nations General Assembly recently declared an annual International Day of Yoga. This small step underlines the immense possibilities for projecting India’s soft power under Modi.
In his outreach to leaders in the subcontinent and Asia, from Nepal to Japan and China to Myanmar, Modi has projected Buddhism as one of India’s bridges to these nations.
