London, September 2010

At a recent symposium organized by the Nyenrode Business School in the Netherlands, Indian historian Ramachandra Guha claimed there are ten good reasons why India will never be a superpower. According to Guha the remarkable economic growth that the country has experienced in recent years hides a “multitude of sins” that are exposed when dissecting a nation that he calls “a unique political experiment” that “was not designed to survive as a nation”.

The ten reasons he lists are:

1.       Nepotism determines opportunities and success

2.       Unchecked degradation of the environment

3.       Religious extremism

4.       Left wing extremism

5.       Right wing extremism

6.       The gap between rich and poor

7.       Lack of objective criticism in the media

8.       No long-term government policy

9.       Internal disharmony between regions

10.   Difficult border relations

Guha says, “The Indian state is not built on unified nationalism, but on the embrace of pluralism. And 60 years after the efforts of Gandhi, a revival of India’s internal threats seems a reality. There are too many fault-lines in the Indian society to be a superpower. As a historian, I say ‘we are not prepared’ and as an Indian citizen I say ‘we should not even attempt it’. India should adhere to its constitutional ideals, fight national fires and try to heal and harmonize.”

Ends --

For the full article see here:

www.nyenrode.nl/businesstopics/europeindia