5 - Democracy, Culture and the Indian Diaspora

Summary

In today's world of rapid communication and globalization, mutuality of interests of comprehensive and human security which encompasses socio-political, economic or cultural dimension can make an important contribution to the building of security convergence between two nations. As non-traditional issues of security have become a major global concern, intrasociety or intranational aspects of security will also need close attention. The role of civil society or non-state players is on the rise and it is being witnessed in Southeast Asia and India. In fact, in the context of these countries, it should be recalled that from ancient times, the contact was mainly through non-state players like traders, artisans, scholars, priests and artists who weaved a strong fabric of intricate relationships between the two societies and countries. Their role would, therefore, be crucial in the future as well. Former Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas has stated that he believes:

India and ASEAN can do more for each other's security by cooperating in the field of economic and social development than if they cooperated in the political and security field alone. For if they succeed in that kind of cooperation they help remove the environment of poverty and ignorance in which terrorism thrives, they help remove the distrust and the tendency to miscalculation that often results in interstate wars, and also address the issue of globalization and the persistent socio-political issues of our time.

In dealing with the demands made by deepening globalization and increasing democratization, which includes large-scale movement of persons and cultural flows cutting across national boundaries, it is seen that the traditional definition and assumptions of security are inadequate to meet the new challenges. This is particularly witnessed when more non-state players such as terrorists are found to operate on a global level, or when a pandemic such as SARS or bird flu hits several countries, disrupting the lives of millions. Perhaps a retooling of the approach to address the socio-political or cultural needs of the people will have to be seriously thought of to overcome the limitations of the traditional parameters of security and where necessary, to duly supplement them.