New Delhi
The interest to know and understand about India is continuously increasing across the world. When China’s economy grew rapidly in the early 2000s, many books were written on it. Now that India is making its mark on the global stage, there is a lot of interest in this also. Meanwhile, former German Ambassador Walter J. Lindner has written a book on India. This book is from the time when he was the German Ambassador to India from 2019 to 2022. Before this he had also been State Secretary in the German Foreign Ministry.
Beginning of relations with India
Lindner’s relationship with India began on a backpacking trip in the 1970s. At that time he visited India and saw its diverse culture. He came under the target of Indian media when he was seen in a red Ambassador car on the streets of Delhi. After this he thought of writing a book on India in which he told what the West should learn from India.
India’s soft power
Walter J Lindner explains in his book that India is known for its soft power. India’s spirituality, culture, religion, music and history have made their mark across the world. Lindner says that India now has the largest population in the world and hence its importance is more than just soft power. It has become a country without whose opinion and participation the world cannot move forward.
India’s success in balancing
Lindner said that there are many political upheavals, wars and conflicts going on in the world nowadays. In such a situation, India has succeeded in creating a balance between the superpowers. Be it the solution to the water crisis, the running of big cities or the fight against plastic—solutions to all these issues can be found in India.
Important role of India’s foreign policy
Lindner also said that India’s foreign policy has changed significantly in the last few years and it has played a new role in the world. Especially in the context of Ukraine war and Gaza conflict, India is one of the countries which has good access to all the parties. While maintaining balance, India expressed its views and maintained dialogue with both the sides.
India’s global importance
India’s global importance has now become clear. Lindner said Western countries often put pressure on India to adopt similar voting patterns with Western countries at the United Nations and other international forums. In response to this, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had said that western countries often have double standards. He also said that India should adopt a smart political strategy that keeps it away from factional politics.
In the end, let us tell you that Lindner’s book presents a positive view of India’s changing role and its growing power. Today India is emerging not only as a soft power but also as a strong and balanced global player playing an important role in the entire world.
