Description
Despite the massive scholarly attention on rising India, what it means for a country to rise continues to be a debated topic. A critical review of the previous scholarship on rising India reveals that rise is not merely increased material capabilities; rather, it is a process of constructing national identity and reversing the colonial, Orientalist dichotomy of ‘the advanced West versus the backward India’. The next question is where to find the postcolonial ‘nation self’ of rising India, India’s aspirations for status, and its visions of a reversed international hierarchy. This paper argues that India’s ‘rising power identities’, entangled with postcolonial identities, are often conveyed through cultural events organised by the post-1990 Indian diplomatic elites.
This paper examines how India presented the image of ‘Vishwaguru’ (Teacher of the World) at the India International Science Festival, an official scientific cultural event launched by the Modi government in 2015. By highlighting the contribution of its traditional wisdom and science to the world, India not only rejects the colonial discourse of ‘India’s lack of reason’, but also envisions an international order where India occupies a critical position.
