Will India attain the title of “Vishwaguru”?
The term “Vishwaguru” has become especially widespread in India these days. The reason is not only that Prime Minister Modi has taken the country to a higher economic standing, but there are also reports that he aspires to see India as “Vishwaguru” by the nations of the world. Thinking ambitiously is one thing — getting corresponding support from all sides is another. With Donald Trump elected U.S. president a second time, the economic plans of many countries have been thrown into disarray.
In one sense, his own economic team has been reshuffled, but more importantly, in order to secure a stable position for his country, he has devised and implemented a variety of policies that few dare to oppose. The direction he has chosen, however, harkens back to older dominant practices, and nearly every nation has reacted in alarm. The word “tariff” has taken on new meanings.
Acting as if the entire global economic order rests in his hands — not only controlling his own financial systems but also interfering in the economies of friendly countries — he has imposed duties on your exports, made imports scarce for you, proclaimed his decrees as gospel, sung his own song and insisted his tune be followed. As he wields power in this controlling, authoritarian way, a silent opposition has begun to emerge.
With these developments, critics feel that India’s “Vishwaguru” idea — and even the word itself — has been sullied. In truth, it goes without saying that to earn the universal recognition and respect required to be called a “world teacher,” many qualifications are needed. Strong capabilities and social equity are essential, as is the mature intent to share benefits fairly.
Above all, an economy must be robust and institutionally backed by dependable resources; unless economic progress is demonstrably superior to that of other countries, and unless such strengths are present and recognized worldwide, claiming the title of “Vishwaguru” for ourselves feels somewhat presumptuous.
No one can fault efforts to achieve that status, but if the system isn’t thoroughly reformed and presented credibly to the world, the established powers will not accept it. That’s why the U.S. bluntly and decisively rejects such claims. When people talk about globalization, they often mean the free spread of goods and services, but that definition is incomplete.
In countries, especially those that have adopted democratic governance, there is a particular political method: societies and markets evolve in a way that fosters friendly trade relations with other nations, encouraging mutual cooperation and the spreading of each country’s systems. It’s hard to give globalization a perfect, all-encompassing definition; once you grasp the core principle, though, it’s clear: globalisation is tied to democracy, simplification, and global cooperation.
These days governments are no longer operating worldwide the way globalisation used to be understood. Each is reshaping economic strengths and alliances as they see fit and presenting new calculations to the world. For a long time it was almost taken for granted that America’s progress was driven by immigrants who came from other countries, settled in the U.S., and in countless ways helped make it the richest nation.
But now, with leaders like Donald Trump arguing that immigration threatens sovereignty and even the very existence of the nation, and implementing policies to systematically send people out in order to pursue “independent” progress, every system and country is taking notice of the change. That has raised a serious question about whether any country can still claim to be the “teacher” or leader of the world. With developments like these unfolding across the globe, it’s only natural to ask: what role will India play?
But by population and by area, India must be recognized as a very large country! Therefore no one can ignore our India — and until it reaches the top ranks economically, it cannot truly claim the title of “Vishwaguru” (world teacher)! Over the past 20 years we have failed to fully harness our country’s productive capacity based on its population. Socially, instead of unity we have politically cultivated and nurtured caste, religious and regional inequalities.
With poverty and a large population unable to gain political power struggling in dire conditions, the prospect of becoming a “Vishwaguru” seems a distant dream. However, “modernization” has become an important instrument of our national progress. With digitalization and efforts to reverse brain drain bringing our country’s top-tier brainpower back home, optimism is growing that we can stand strong economically.
That is an encouraging sign — as governments at the state and central levels broadly and continuously pursue self-reliance, economic development, and efforts to eliminate social inequalities with concrete actions, a quiet hope is emerging: why can’t we achieve it?
If rulers and political parties continue to run politics for their own benefit, without strengthening economic systems in unexpected ways, without removing economic inequality, and without eliminating social fluctuations, can the goal of “Vishwaguru” be achieved? Only time will tell. Yet no one can deny the weight of the spiritual path’s guidance.
(The writer is a retired IPS officer, who has served as an Additional DGP
of Andhra Pradesh)
