A Constructivist Analysis of Normative Transference in Indian Foreign Policy: Implications for Pakistan

Abstract

This paper undertakes a constructivist analysis of the normative transference in Indian foreign policy. The paper essentially argues that with its growing global power status, India is attempting to position itself as a normative power and achieve its foreign policy goals by transferring its norms and values, based on British colonial legacies and Hindutva-inspired social construct, to other countries in particular its neighboring countries, with the aim of blunting their identities for creating an enabling environment for realization of India’s expansive vision of ‘Ram Rajya’. The paper suggests that the norms propounded by India are guided by British colonial legacies under which India perceives herself as vanguard of western colonial interests as well as Hindutva-inspired ideals. These norms pervade the entire Indian political spectrum irrespective of their seemingly secular or right-wing political inklings. The paper suggests that for India, its notion of “Akhand Bharat” or “Greater India” remains at the core of the propounded norms including inter alia “Panchsheel”, “Panchamrit”, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum” and “Vishwaguru”. Through these norms, India has been and continues to attempt making its so-called cooperation with other countries contingent upon on their acceptance of Indian supremacy at the cost of their own identities. The paper suggests that unlike the European Union, India begins by having a social construct of other countries before undertaking normative transference. Subsequently, India follows the approach of delicately nullifying the identity of target countries through normative transference, alongside threats of punishment in case of defiance of Indian interests and supremacy. In this way, India attempts to normalize and diffuse its norms in the target country.  The paper also undertakes an analysis of Indian attempts of normative transference in case of Pakistan and suggests that this transference has been premised on the notion of ‘otherizing’ Pakistan as an ‘adversary’ owing to its Muslim character and aims at nullifying the very idea of Pakistan. The paper assesses that Pakistan’s attempts to counter Indian normative transference have remained largely restrained in nature. The implications of Indian normative transference in case of Pakistan could therefore be existential in nature if not addressed proactively. In order to counter this challenge, the paper recommends inter alia positing Pakistan as a normative power; patronizing academicians, historians and political scientists; identifying quislings in the academic and journalistic domains; as well as creating a “league of the willing” for raising global awareness regarding the insidious nature of Indian normative transference.