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Sri Lanka Navy Journal 66

‘CONTINENTAL INDIA’– MOVING TOWARDS A TANGIBLE

GRAND STRATEGY

Lieutenant Commander (N) Chaminda Walakuluge MPA (NUS), BNS

Officer in Command - P 474
“Geography provides the scale of defence in depth, basis for survival; history
provides common fabric for continuity of human interactions also known as
civilization. India is rich in these two aspects and thus has inherited a distinctive
culture embraced in diversity. This, combination resulted in the defensive posture
embraced by India to-date. This could be the result of a strategic calculation in
preserving India’s cultural identity while understanding its vulnerability, in the
lack of material capacity for a force build-up. Indian strategic thinking continues
to be predominantly influenced by different manifestations with a blend of
‘hyperrealism’ and ‘neo-liberalism’ as discussed in the different phases of evolution
of strategic thought”.

Introduction

India over the years has failed to articulate a visible and distinctive grand
strategy, to the great dismay of many students of international discourse. The
absence of a persistent doctrine of the use of force and utility of international
relations exemplifies the issue. This may be attributed as being impaired
by its very own continental orientation, largely influenced by three major
schools of strategic thought in post-independence India: Nehruvianism,
Realpolitik (hyperrealism) and Neo-liberalism. The underlying argument
into India’s continental orientation is that, it is a manifestation of a common
strategic cultural source, influenced through geography, history by the Vedas,
Upanishads, in which morals of restraint, reservation dominates.
Meanwhile, Nehruvianism is identified as the most influential Indian
strategic discourse but is not blind to the fact that realpolitik and neo-liberalism
have had varying degrees of influences in defining and refining Indian strategic
st
thinking especially in the 21 century. The study vends-off Marxism, Hindutva
and Ghandhianism in the context of inherent limitations of wider acceptance in
the body of Indian statecraft and public.

Thus, it is suggested that, Nehruvianism while being the dominant strategy
influencing Indian strategic thought has four distinct phases (versions) under
different leaderships: Original Nehruvianism (1947-1965), Restrained Realism
(1965-1995), Limited Liberalism (1995-2014) and Nehruvianism 2.0 (2014
onwards). Further, the essay also attempts to illuminate Indian strategic
behaviour in lite of three contemporary episodes: the Pulawama bombing;
Wuhan summit and BRI and the Act East policy in drawing out evidences into
India’s lack of strategic coherence and shift towards transcendence utility
of international relations.