"I do not want my house to be walled and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible, but I refuse to be blown off my feet by any one of them.".... Mahatma Gandhi

I have decided to start my presentation with the inimitable and profound words of Mahatma Gandhi as these are still relevant to any discussion on Cultural Matters. These are also topical, as Mahatma Gandhi as a Brand Name has become the subject of a recent controversy over the efforts of an American Company CMG Worldwide acquiring rights on the use of this name. Mahatma Gandhi beckons us to an important thought his faith in an open space and an open mind to other Cultures, but with a firm faith in one's own Culture. This openness paves way for promoting understanding between diverse Cultures across the world at the present juncture when we are in the throws of a clash of Civilizations.

When I decided to choose this topic, I did not realize its enon nity and complexity. I thought that it would be a cake walk , having practiced Cultural Diplomacy over the last 37 years in my diplomatic career. It had become a part of daily life routine as one organized one or another cultural activity. Now I find myself stumbling even over the definition of 'Cultural Diplomacy'. 1, therefore, plan to give a theoretical base to the topic, while I continue examining the same at the practical level. I plan to divide my Paper into a number of sub heads for purposes of easier understanding for myself and hope that in the process I succeed in doing the same for this team of scholars and experts. I plan to deal with the topic under sub heads such as Culture; Indian Culture; Cultural Diplomacy; India's Cultural Diplomacy at the global level; Policy Framework and Cultural Institutions; India's Cultural Links with the South East Asian Countries; India's Cultural Diplomacy in Singapore; and finally coming up with suggestions which are relevant in promoting cultural links between India and South East Asia, including Singapore.

To start with, it will be essential to understand what we mean by the term 'Culture' in the context of this Paper. Culture includes Art, Music, Dance, and Drama and is "a whole way of life and it is a 'sanskriti' or a process of refinement". Culture concerns "the entire gamut of human activity and achievement"'. In short, Culture is a total social heritage acquired by man as a member of the Society. Culture is shared and has distinctive forms (patterns) and shapes of human behaviour. Its essence is the values embodied in the beliefs of people and value orientation patterns become the essential 2 features of Culture . It is the 'summation of material and creative resources of a people living within identifiable geographical frontiers.'3 The Culture of a nation finds its manifestation through language and art, philosophy and religion, education and science, films and newspapers, radio and television, social habits and customs, political institutions and economic organizations.

We are adopting this holistic definition of Culture as UNESCO at its 1982 Conference in Mexico also adopted a similar one. It reads, 'Culture comprises the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterizes a society or social group. It includes not only the arts and letters, but also modes of life, ,4 the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs

Culture in the context of Nation States results in their acquiring a Personality of their own. Each Nation thus acquires a distinct personality and a national stereotype. At times such stereotypes are at variance with reality as it is the perceptions that matter. At times, such stereotypes are politically motivated to promote particular interests of the State. At times an effort is made to put across ideas which are in tune with different Cultures. George Bush's war against terrorism is now described as 'Operation Freedom' in replacement of the original epithet 'Operation Justice', when it became known that under Islam only God can mete out justice. His recent reference to Iraq, Iran and North Korea, as 'an Axis of Evil' is also couched in cultural terms, even though it has created some murmurs among Europeans.

Lee Kuan Yew recently commented in his book on such Cultural Stereotypes when he said:"The Tunku's simple belief was that 'politics was for Malays and business for the Chinese'. This might have been so in his father's time, but was not realistic in 1962."5 We hear of the Ugly American, the Russian Bear, the Asean Tigers, the Indian Elephant, the Hindu Rate of Growth. We all have not only heard but seen the working of the Asean Way, which is "to talk things out and settle most problems by 'Mushawara' 6 (consultation) and 'Muwafakat' (consensus).

Culture is an integrated whole and is not merely a sum total of its parts. Culture, as a totality of ways of life of a people, includes among others, economy of a society. Cultural development, therefore, refers to 'development of all aspects of a Society's life. Gunnar Myrdal's thesis in 'Asian Drama' that traditional societies could not modernize without giving up their beliefs and values is no more valid. Culture constitutes a balancing and a driving force of development and an objective of development itself. 7 * Culture is a living phenomenon and is dynamic and not static in nature. No Culture is either rigid enough not to allow for change or docile to allow itself to be submerged. Interaction among different Cultures, therefore, gives rise to acculturation' 8

Culture identifies for us an "entire people and eras in terms of the ways in which we think they see or saw the world. It helps us to place them viz. a viz. one another, usually with ourselves at the centre of the world and at the end of time. It is, in short, a way of organizing the world, its time and space"9.

Two things immediately strike about Indian Culture its pluralistic nature and its composite character. Indian Culture is not seen in a segmented way either in terms of language, region, or religion. We do not hear of a Hindu or Muslim or Christian view of Indian Culture nor do we hear of it being a Assamese or Bengali, or Punjabi or Tamil Culture.

Our Vice President Krishan Kant has beautifully summed up Indian Culture's pluralistic character, when he states that "Indian Constitution embodies the spirit of Indian Civilization, which visualizes the one in the many and the many in the one. India has always been a land of many religions, many ethnic strains and many languages. Acceptance of diversity or tolerance with us is more than what is usually connected by the concept of secularism. Mahatma Gandhi expressed the idea in the following words: 'There is in Hinduism room enough for Jesus, as there is for Mohammed, Zoroaster and Moses'. In the Indian concept unity represents truth, which is many faceted. This makes India 'a diversity in unity'. Vivekanand put this succinctly when he said that we not only 'tolerate' but 'accept' others faiths. The national poet Subrahmanya Bharati, in his famous poem, sang that Mother India spoke in eighteen languages. It is the very essence of our culture and an inseparable part of our outlook"10

Asghar Ali Engineer in an article 'Minorities: Many splendoured Contributions' highlights the fact that "no single community can claim the entire credit for the richness of its culture and traditions" and how it has inherited a "composite culture". He concludes "the strength of Indian democracy lies in its plurality. Historically we have a pluralist society and the more we recognize the role of pluralism in our country the better it will be for its future."11 Under Articles 25 to 30 of the Constitution of India, both religious as well as cultural and linguistic minorities are protected. Cultural pluralism and its protection were accepted as the duty of the king. His protection of 'dharma' was not religion in the modem sGience, for it enveloped the 'entire range of social obligations of which religious ritual was a part. '12

The four basic wheels of Indian Culture are family; religion; arts, music and drama; and literature and philosophy. These all have remained functional and have been renewed by successive generations, giving "continuity to India as a civilizational force."13

IV

The importance and role of Cultural Diplomacy depends on the role "Culture" is expected to play in shaping international relations. Its role has been viewed differently at different times in different societies. In the olden times culture followed trade in some cases, like the Silk Route, while in other cases, trade followed culture, like the spread of Buddhism in South East Asia. B.P. Singh considers Culture as a third important factor in determining the status of a country in the community of nations. In the post cold war scenario, the economic strength of a country as measured in terms of its share in international trade has emerged as the preponderant factor, replacing the military muscle as the most important factor in the global power game. It is "the cultural strength of a country that gives it cohesiveness, endurance and a memory to carry the country forward ,,14 as a civilization in the world .

I feel that Culture should take primacy over other factors as Culture can help us in creating an appropriate climate or environment, which is conducive for developing relations among different countries. This need for understanding was clearly spelt out by the then Prime Minister Nehru in 1950 at the time of the inauguration of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). He said "Therefore it becomes essential that we must try to understand each other in the right way. The right way is important. That right approach, the friendly approach is important, because a friendly approach brings a friendly response."15 M.C. Chagla, President of ICCR, in his inaugural address at a seminar organized by ICCR in 1966 on 'India and South East Asia' observed that "Culture has greater influence over minds than science or technology or industri a] growth and if there is that cultural bond that brings minds together, that is the more lasting bond than any other."16

What Nehru said in 1950, Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao put it in his own words in 1994 while delivering the Singapore Lecture that Indian Cultural Heritage would survive "all onslaughts from outside, integrating healthy influences and also influencing external factors in the process. The inforination revolution should have, as its natural corollary, an enlightened understanding of our cultural affinities and differences. The more we know of each other, the better we understand each other. Geographical, linguistic and legal barriers must come down."17

Cultural Diplomacy, therefore, would imply the use of the art of diplomacy in promoting Culture, which if we consider as a way of life of a group of people would amount to projecting a particular group to another, resulting in creating awareness of one and another. Such awareness leads to interaction among various players States and individuals. This could be achieved through organizations of Mega Events or through a series of cultural activities with which a particular nation state is identified. It would thus result in our using the instrumentality of 'Culture' in promoting a country I s diplomatic interests in commercial, political and strategic fields.

Cultural Diplomacy would, therefore, imply a two pronged action the vanguard action would be to "create a cultural presence " and the rear guard would be to "ensure how the other person or nation would recognize and understand the projecting nation."18 This would mean projecting Brand Equity of a Nation. Ambassador K.K.S. Rana dwells at length on Indian Brand Equity and states that the task of Cultural Diplomacy would be "to produce understanding that goes beyond stereotyped images and to mould perceptions in a favourable way."19

In practice, it would, however, be more preferable to project the correct image of a nation. In the case of India while projecting 'India Advantage' we should not shy away from recognizing 'India Disadvantage' as lasting relationship among nations can only be built up on the basis of credibility. Building up of a cultural image, therefore, becomes more difficult as it is an exercise in intangibles, resulting more from perceptions rather than reality.

V

India recognized the role and importance of Cultural Diplomacy, even prior to becoming Independent. It was at the Asian Relations Conference held in New Delhi in 1946 that it was resolved to set up the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) for "strengthening the ties of cultural cooperation and exchange between India and other Asian countries". The mandate of ICCR was, however, expanded to cover all other countries at the behest of Indian leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Abu] Kalam Azad.

1CCR, therefore, became the nodal Agency involved with the promotion of Indian cultural links with the world. It was set up in April 1950 and its objectives are defined in the Memorandum of Association, which read as follows:

To establish, revive and strengthen cultural relation and mutual understanding between India and other countries;

To promote cultural exchanges with other countries;

To adopt all other measures as may be required to further its objectives 20

ICCR has, in fact, taken upon itself the "twin task of promoting and interpreting abroad Indian culture in its widest sense as well as in establishing, reviving and strengthening cultural ties between India and other countries. 21

India's Education Minister, Maulana Abul Kalarn Azad was the first to recognize both the role of the State and its limitations which still forrn the broad contours of India's Cultural Policy. He said, "in a democratic regime, the arts can derive their sustenance only from people and the State as the organized manifestation of the people's will must, therefore, undertake its maintenance and development as one of its first responsibilities". Later the Haksar Committee recommended that more public funds would be "Invested in creating and maintaining a useful infrastructure for cultural activities rather than organizing cultural events". The government is, therefore, expected to play a restrictive role and not to get involved in the execution of cultural programmes or activities.

In keeping with this broad policy, Government set about establishing a number of institutions, such as three national academies Sangeet Natak Academy (1953), Lalit Kala Academy (1954) and Sahitya Academy (1954) and National Museum (1954) as well as National School of Drama (1959) and National Archives. Later other institutions such as the National Gallery of Modem Art and the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library were added. A new addition is Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) which has succeeded in establishing dialogue among the fields of science, technology, and humanities and the arts. A distinguishing feature has been the Centre's "multidisciplinary and cross cultural and multi media exhibitions, seminars, and publication s,"22 which are very important in creating interest among the new generation into the subtleties of culture.

India has adopted the instrumentality of bilateral Cultural Agreements in promoting cultural cooperation. While entering into these Agreements, India has adopted a broader definition of Culture, as these Agreements cover all the fields of human activities such as education, science and technology, sports, arts and literature, archives and heritage etc. India has until now signed Cultural Agreements with 112 countries. It may however be mentioned that cultural exchanges have taken place also with those countries with whom no such Agreements exist, such as USA, UK etc. where direct institutional links have been developed or already exist.

Cultural Agreements only provide for a broad framework for cooperation. The Implementation Arrangement is worked out through an Instrumentality called the Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP). CEP is for a specific period, which may vary from I to 3 years, and it lists out the specific areas for cooperation and the Implementation agencies thereof. There is always an element of reciprocity, as each Programme has a sending body and a host. CEP is in the form of a letter of intent, as implementation is not binding in character, as it depends upon the implementing agencies and availability of funds. India, at present, has 78 CEPs with different countries. The implementation record varies from country to country and had been the highest with the erstwhile Socialist Countries, which attached great importance to cultural linkages. A fifty per cent implementation of CEP would be a good track record.

TO BE CONTINUED.