The Significance of India’s National Identity in Foreign Policy to One

Belt One Road (OBOR)

Alam Syamsidar Mutu Manikam and Irfa Puspitasari

International Relations Department, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Universitas Airlangga

Keywords: India, Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), emerging power, China, One Belt One Road (OBOR).

Abstract: When China declared to revive the ‘silk road’ in the era of Xi Jinping’s leadership. The hope for the

creation of world integration is felt by several countries that support this project now known as One Belt

One Road (OBOR). However, there are some countries that reject Chinese foreign policy through this

OBOR. One of them is India which is trying to reject OBOR by forming Asia-Africa Growth Corridor

(AAGC) with Japan. India's foreign policy to establish the AAGC in order to reject this OBOR is to try to

author see through the national identity LoA. The national identity of India as a long-constructed emerging

power forms the basis for the formulation of India's foreign policy. The construction of that identity is due

to Indian history through Hindu religion and culture which says that India is destined to become a great

country in the world.

1 INTRODUCTION

The attitude of the state in building strength in the

international world one of them can be observed

from their foreign policy. One of the most

significant phenomena in this contemporary era is

China’s foreign policy. China in Xi Jinping era is

implementing the foreign policy one belt one road

(OBOR). One belt one road is an economic,

diplomatic, and multifaceted geopolitical effort

through soft diplomacy that calls for the

encouragement of the connectivity of the region

(Albert 2017). The OBOR policy can be said as one

of China’s efforts to build a great power

internationally and undoubtedly made the China’s

resurgence. Even former United States President

Barack Obama also acknowledged the rise of China.

“We welcome China’s peaceful rise and a strong and

prosperous China is one that can help bring stability

and prosperity to the region and the world”, one of

Obama’s quotes in 2015. Through OBOR project,

China try to take the role of a superpower country as

well as position itself as a champion of globalization

(Albert 2017). The project itself is expected to create

an infrastructure network that includes roads,

railways, telecommunications, energy pipelines and

ports. Thus it will enhance economic

interconnectivity and facilitate development in Asia,

Europe, and Africa (Jinchen 2016).

China policy through one belt one road actually

trying to revive the ancient trade routes network that

used to connect China with Central Asia and Arab

region (Jinchen 2016). This trade route itself has

begun since the era of the Zhang Qian empire and

formerly known as the ‘silk road’. The one belt one

road project in the opinion of the author is one of the

largest projects in the 21st century because of the

expansiveness of the project. The project will

involve approximately sixty countries across Asia,

Europe, and Africa. China’s seriousness in building

the project became increasingly visible during the

One Belt One Road Summit in Beijing on May 14-

15, 2017. The summit was attended by nearly 130

countries, 70 organizations and more than 1500

participants. All parties who attended the summit

had largely approved and supported the OBOR

project.

However, the OBOR summit was not attended

by one of the giants of South Asia, namely India.

The absence of India at the summit at the same time

indicates the Indian policy that rejects the initiative

of OBOR. One of the causes of India’s rejection of

OBOR is the fear of losing their sovereignty. This

can not be separated from this project that crosses

Khasmir territory which is a conflict region between

India and Pakistan. So when the project enters the

territory of Khasmir, India is worried about losing

claims over the region. In addition, another foreign

policy made by India to reject and counter the

428

Manikam, A. and Puspitasari, I.

The Signiﬁcance of India’s National Identity in Foreign Policy to One Belt One Road (OBOR).

DOI: 10.5220/0010278300002309

In Proceedings of Airlangga Conference on International Relations (ACIR 2018) - Politics, Economy, and Security in Changing Indo-Paciﬁc Region, pages 428-433

ISBN: 978-989-758-493-0

OBOR is the launch of Asia-Africa Growth Corridor

(AAGC) at the African Development Bank meeting

on May 22-26, 2017 in Gandhinagar (Panda 2017).

At the meeting, Prime Minister of India, Narendra

Modi stated that the AAGC program with Japan is

trying to develop more cooperation with the African

region (PMINDIA 2017). When viewed from the

national identity of India, identity as emerging

power can be said to be the basis of the formation of

the AAGC. India seeks to play a major role in the

international system. However, AAGC is slightly

different from OBOR. AAGC is more bilateral by

just involving India and Japan. Then OBOR is

unilateral with China as the initiator (Panda 2017).

The author will analyze Indian foreign policy using

the national identity level of analysis (LoA).

1.1 Elaboration of National Identity

Level of Analysis

National identity and culture plays an important role

in every aspect of life including in the formulation of

foreign policy. Hence the explanation of how the

state acts and describes itself in international

relations can be seen through the national identity

LoA. Turner (1985) said that the importance of this

aspect of national identity lays on its function to

shape the behavior or attitude of individuals within a

country. The importance of national identity itself is

inseparable because all human activity is both a

product and a component of identity and culture

(Dharmaputra 2017). The national identity and its

relation to foreign policy is retheorized and

generating national identity (Campbell 1990).

Identity and culture in a country describes the

relationship of self and others which means the

behavior of one individual is sometimes unable to

understand how the individual understands his own

behavior. Hudson (1999) explains that national

identity is not only a product produced by the history

of a country, but also become the product of

interaction of a country with other countries in a

certain period. The national identity as the LoA can

be reviewed from several concepts. Some of these

concepts can describe or represent the national

identity of a country. Identity, national self-image,

culture strategy, religion, national role, and ideology

can be some conception to look at national identity

of a country (Dharmaputra 2017).

The national identity LoA is heavily influenced

by the approach of constructivism. This is because

of the great contribution of constructivism in

explaining national identity which emphasizes inter-

subjectivity and cultural understanding in explaining

state behavior. Then the influence of national

identity on the formulation of foreign policy can be

said much influenced by the dominant culture in the

country. Alexander Wendt can be said to have a

major influence in explaining social construction of

foreign policy. Wendt (1992) says that state

behavior can’t be separated from the situation and

conditions that exist. So there are interaction

between structure and agency that able to shape the

behavior of the state in the international system. This

shows that in the international system the behavior

of the state is dynamic.

In addition, this identity is also important

because it can affect one’s behavior. Any action or

behavior is not determined by one value alone, the

individual will take the value that corresponds to

their identity (Swidler 1986). The definition of

national identity as the LoA is part of the stereotype

seen from within the nation itself then shared and

culturally perpetuated (Neack 2008). The national

identity and culture as the LoA itself has two views.

First, Neack (2008) describes that national identity

can be formed through cultural factors. This national

identity able to determine the direction of a

country’s foreign policy. This national identity itself

becomes part of the stereotype viewed from the

domestic level. Then the second view is the national

identity and culture of a country is an interpretation

of the image of a country by another country

(Clunan 2009). So the description of the state of a

country is also able to establish the identity of a

country itself.

This national identity is then shared through

cultures over the years and has been constructed in

society. The national identity of the LoA has some

basic assumptions. The first assumption is that the

dominant culture in a country will have an impact on

the form of state institutions that can determine the

national identity of the country. The second

assumption is how as the author has mentioned

above that the national identity is able to influence

the formulation of a country’s foreign policy. This is

especially applied in the dominant culture that forms

in the national identity of the nation. Refers to

Hudson (2007 in Dharmaputra 2017), national

identity can be categorized as who are ‘we’? what do

‘we’ do? and who are ‘they’? From this statement, it

can be seen that national identity is able to

distinguish one country from another. This can’t be

separated from how national identity represents the

role of the state in the international system. In

addition, the perception of other countries in view of

a country can also differentiate national identity

owned by a country.

The Signiﬁcance of India’s National Identity in Foreign Policy to One Belt One Road (OBOR)

429

1.2 Analysis of the Influence of India’s

National Identity on Foreign Policy

As the author mentioned earlier, India is not

participating in this one belt one road mega project.

Through the national identity LoA it can be seen that

there are several national identities in India that are

able to influence India’s foreign policy in rejecting

OBOR. There are at least several Indian national

identities, such as emerging power, regional power,

and developing country. Some of these identities can

be said to have been constructed in such a way since

the era of colonialism and imperialism. The national

identity of India as a country with great power even

seen since the era of British imperialism. There was

some resistance to England by the holy warriors in

India. This proves the greatness of India as a modern

state that embodies a great civilization. In addition

India feels that they represent the past of Europe as

well as its future because in the past Europe, India

has grown intensely with industrialization and

modernization (Guha 2007).

Based on its history, India is divided into three

periods namely Hindu, Muslim and British. Each of

these periods has influenced the social and cultural

life of Indian society. However, for the majority of

Indian society, the Hindu period became the most

dominant culture. This can be seen from the period

of Hinduism that developed over the centuries at the

same time laid the foundation of social and

philosophical thought of India. This also

strengthened with the dominance of Hindus in India

that lasted for centuries as well. Baxter et. al. (2002)

describes the overwhelming dominance of Hinduism

despite the challenges of Buddhism seeking to

dominate Indian identity. But the strength of Hindu

dominance is unshakable, so it remains able to

become the majority culture and religion in India.

Culture and Hinduism with its dominance in India

can influence and shape the mindset of foreign

policy makers in formulating India’s foreign policy.

One of the Hindu teachings in India which states

India is destined to become this great country also

influences the mindset of Indian society and foreign

policy.

The national identity of India as a great country

has been embedded and became a widespread belief

in Indian society. This developed especially when

India had gained independence from colonialism and

imperialism. With its national identity, India strives

to keep pace with the industrial world. Not only that,

India also has a purpose to improve people’s living

conditions. Then they believe that India will one day

play an important role in the international system.

With the ever-growing modern development, it can

be an asset for India to support their national

identity. One of these beliefs can be seen through

India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who

firmly says that with India’s strategic location, the

historical tradition of India can play an important

role in the region and Asia.

“India, constituted as she is, cannot play a

secondary part in the world. She will either count

for a great deal or not count at all. No middle

position attracted me. Nor did I think any

intermediate position feasible.” (Nehru 1956).

In addition, the leadership of the prime Minister

of India is considered capable of reaching a high

enough level, but still far below expectations.

Relating to the sluggishness of the Indian economy,

there are two images of India that contrast with the

Indian economy. First is the hope and aspirations of

the Indian elite against India’s position as a big

country. But India fails to reduce the great disparity

in society as well as India’s second image. It is a

dilemma for the Indian government. Because India’s

efforts as a great country are hindered by some

internal problems that have not been able to be

resolved. Unevenness of development in India is still

a problem other than infrastructure that has not met

the standards.

Basically, India does have the potential to

become a big country. With all its attributes and

resources it should be a tool for India to reach great

power level. But this is a contradiction because slow

economic growth is one of the inhibiting factors of

India’s ambitions. There have been several attempts

to lift India’s economy. One of them was in 1991

which enacted neo-liberal economic reforms that

began to open international trade and investment,

deregulation, tax reform, initiation, and

privatization. It is slowly able to bring India as a

country with a fairly stable economic rate. With the

stability of the Indian economy, it is expected to be

able to facilitate the way India to become a major

country in the international world.

In addition, another identity that exists in India is

emerging power. The rise of India as a country with

a new great power in the international system slowly

began to be seen. One of India’s strategic steps is to

become a regional power. India is a country with

considerable influence and dominance in the South

Asian region. This is at the same time the beginning

of India’s progressive to become a new force in the

international system. In addition, India’s

incorporation of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China)

has become one of the potentials to increase rapid

growth over the next 30 years. India’s conviction,

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430

especially for some strategic political communities

in New Delhi, further reinforces that India with its

history and civilization destined to become a great

country (Cohen 2001).

Source: Pew Research Center, Survey in 2010.

The picture above described the perception of

Indian society regarding India as an emerging

power. Almost half of Indian society (49%) agree

that India has become a country with great power.

As many as 38% of Indians or four out of ten people

in India call India has become one of the greatest

forces in the world. The change in Indian society’s

perception aside from its historical factor, is also

driven by India’s strategic behavior. Electronic

ownership is one of India’s steps to improve prestige

and autonomy at the international level. Although

the neighboring country, Pakistan also has nuclear

weapons, India still dominated military power in the

region. Surveys conducted in 2010 ago became a

fact of dominant perspective of India’s national

identity community as a country with great power

can be used in foreign policy.

One of India’s foreign policy is to reject the one

belt one road initiative that initiated by China. As

the authors mention above that India’s concern over

the loss of sovereignty due to Khasmir region

crossed by OBOR. This is because India considers

Khasmir as one of India’s identity as a big country.

Their full control of the Khasmir region against

Pakistan sought to be defended by several Indian

Prime Ministers who had served. To cope with that,

Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India seeks to

create a rival project for OBOR namely Asia Africa

Growth Corridor (AAGC) which in cooperation with

Japan. The idea of India through the AAGC is also

because of India’s identity as a big country that

encourage India to be a leader in the project to create

international integration.

Source: AAGC: A Vision Document

Through the picture above can be seen the spread

map of the AAGC project. Focus on the Asia-Africa

region and the Indian Ocean became the first step for

India and Japan to compete with OBOR. India with

Japan trying to expand its influence by

implementing development in the African region

through AAGC. The meeting in November 11

between Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe resulted in

an agreement that should promote the corridor and

network of industrialization in Asia and Africa in

particular. The AAGC focuses on four key targets.

The first is development and cooperation in Asia,

Africa and the Indo-Pacific region. The second is the

improvement of infrastructure quality and

institutional and digital connectivity. The third is to

improve the capability of human resources in the

region. Then the last is to improve the cooperation

between individuals from each region.

India’s seriousness to compete with OBOR

through AAGC is also conducted in collaboration

with the Research and Information System for

Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi, the

Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East

Asia (ERIA), Jakarta, and the Institute of

Developing Economies (ID-JETRO), Tokyo. All

these parties have developed several strategies for

this project to bring sustainable development in the

Asia-Africa region. Not only that, good relations

with Africa add India’s confidence to set foot as a

major country in the region. Relationship with

Africa, by Narendra Modi is based on cooperation

on new development that forming cooperation

The Signiﬁcance of India’s National Identity in Foreign Policy to One Belt One Road (OBOR)

431

model which need good condition. Cooperation in

the fields of energy, easier market access,

development of infrastructure, and also to stabilize

more integrated maritime relationship. Through the

graph below can be seen bilateral trade relations

with Africa. Although India is still less than China, it

is not an important issue for India to keep its

cooperation with Africa through AAGC.

Source : PMINDIA.gov

In addition, other relevance in India’s efforts to

lead and influence the world through the AAGC can

be reviewed through economic and geopolitical

issues. In the economic aspect, as the author has

mentioned above that India has experienced good

bilateral trade relations with Africa. As a country

that has both experienced colonialism and

imperialism, India and Africa are connected to the

anti-colonialism and anti-political struggle of

apartheid. India’s interest is also well responded by

Africa, which so far Africa is interested in

diversifying more focused trade to the Asian region.

In addition to good relations through the AAGC,

India and Africa are also able to achieve progressive

bilateral relations. One of them can be seen in 2008

which is the India-Africa Forum Summit and then

added with the number of Indian companies that

have a good reputation in Africa (Ganaphati 2014).

Then in the geopolitical aspect there are several

reasons that can be explained why the bilateral

relations of India and Japan so harmonious to form

AAGC. The harmonious relations between India and

Japan have been formed since the last two decades.

Especially when Shinzo Abe era that further

strengthen bilateral relations with India. India also

showed a good attitude with Japan through allowing

Japan to be the only country that invests in India’s

North Eastern Region and the Andaman Nicobar

Islands. Japan’s interest in working with India is

partly due to the fact that India is beginning to show

the rise as a major country in Asia (Basu 2014). In

geopolitics perspective, AAGC is more emphasis on

maritime, as evidenced by the trade through the sea

as much as 99.6%. With focus on the sea corridor,

the AAGC is like trying to control the Indian Ocean

as it is in the picture above. The presence and

strength of maritime both from India and Japan in

the region are needed here. From the Indian side,

reinforce their identity as a major country so that the

need for maritime supremacy in Asia, Africa and the

Indian Ocean also important for them

Through some of the above explanation, the

author argue, using the national identity LoA with

India’s foreign policy regarding one belt one road is

enough to give a significant influence. The author

here will attempt to use analysis through Alexander

Wendt’s structural constructivism. Some of the

major assumptions of structural constructivism are

that the state is the main unit as the actor being

analyzed. This can’t be separated because only

countries able to apply and enforce foreign policy.

The second is that the international structure is inter-

subjective not material. The third is the national

identity of a country is not something that is given

away. Rather it is formed because of the

construction of the social structure (Wendt 1999).

The analysis through structural constructivism

offered by Wendt (1999) can be explained like this.

First is the identity of a country that refers to what

and who the actors in the international system. In

this case, the actor is India. India here seeks to assert

India’s position as emerging power. This also makes

the second analysis of the interests of a country. The

third is behaviors that refer to the behavior of what

the country is doing to achieve its national interests.

In this case, India try to reject OBOR because of

India’s identity as a big country. India needs the

status to be a leader and initiate to integrate the

world. Therefore, India and Japan created Asia-

Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC). In addition, with

the majority of Hindus in India, which is becoming

such a dominant culture. In accordance with the first

assumption of national identity LoA. The dominant

Hindu culture here can influence the attitude of

Indian foreign policy makers in formulating foreign

policy. Hindu cultural impulse based on its history is

destined as a big country increasingly reinforce

India’s attitude to reject the OBOR and form AAGC

to become a major country in the world.

The Indian identity as an emerging power

influence foreign policy in rejecting OBOR. From

the long history of India, since the era of British

imperialism. India is trying to fight against

imperialism. The sense of greatness as a civilization

and a nation underlying India to fight. Then, it is

formed and constructed into an Indian identity as a

country with great power. In addition, the formation

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432

of national identity which is also influenced by the

state relations with neighbors in the region and other

countries in the international system. India relations

with the country in the region quite well, and India

has significantly big influence. Through this great

influence in the region, writers can say it is an

important capital for India to assert its identity as a

great country. So India needs to be an initiator in

creating international integration, so an AAGC is

formed. India here also doesn’t want to follow China

which is also the same as a great emerging country.

2 CONCLUSION

India’s foreign policy to reject OBOR can be seen

from its absence at the OBOR Summit. In addition,

the initiative to form AAGC is also one of India’s

policies to counter OBOR. Through the national

identity level of analysis (LoA), the author argue

that the long history of India since the era of

imperialism have influence the formation of national

identity of India. The rise of Hindu values which

became the religion of the majority of India also

influenced the resistance to the imperialism. This

resistance is due to India being predestined and

outlined as a big country and should not be

colonized by imperialists. In addition, the majority

of Hindus in India are also influential in the

formulation of foreign policy. Identity as a major

country has been constructed in Indian society. India

itself has indeed become a major country, especially

in the South Asia region. India’s position within the

region also influences their foreign policy towards

the international world. India’s reputation as a

dominant country in the region has prompted some

Indian foreign policy to propagate its dominance to

become a major country. In order to achieve a more

significant position in the international system in

accordance with the national identity that has been

constructed, India formed the AAGC. With the

AAGC project that seeks to embrace the Indian

Ocean, Asia and Africa, at least it can be a strategic

capital for India to further assert its identity as a

major country. The bilateral relations that are well

established with Japan, and some African facilitate

India’s ambition to become a major country in the

international system.

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