Book Review: Raj Kumar Kothari and Eyasin Khan, eds, India Becoming a Global Power in the Twenty-first Century: Rising Challenges and Newer Opportunities
| Date | 01 December 2016 |
| Author | Sanjukta Bhattacharya |
| Published date | 01 December 2016 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0973598416689615 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Book Reviews
Raj Kumar Kothari and Eyasin Khan, eds, India Becoming a Global Power in
the Twenty-first Century: Rising Challenges and Newer Opportunities. New Delhi:
Atlantic, 2017, 311 pp., `795.
What is a global power? According to most dictionaries, a world power
(which would be similar to if not a synonym of ‘global’ power) is a
state that possesses enough power to influence (or even change) events
or the course of events throughout the world. What then is ‘power’?
Again, interestingly, in the context of international relations or politics,
it is defined as the ability to cause or prevent an action, make things
happen, and have the discretion to act or not to act. It is also defined
as the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others
(read, states or nonstate actors) or the course of events. So, given these
background definitions, is India becoming a ‘global power’ in the
twenty-first century?
That is the subject matter of the book as the subtopic ‘rising challenges
and newer opportunities’ indicates, inherently acknowledging that the
path to becoming a global power is not smooth. Much has been written,
positively or negatively, about India’s increasing global clout. For instance,
Ashok Kapur (2006: 206), professor of political science at the University
of Waterloo, in his book India—From Regional to World Power, notes that
India’s ‘rise as a major power’ was the result of the abandonment of
Nehruvian attitudes and policies, and the drive to accumulate ‘Indian
power’ and draw new diplomatic and military strategies was based on the
principles of geopolitics, which also reshaped the idea of nationalism
bringing a new sense of nationalism, ‘Hindutva’ and ‘Indian-ness’, to the
fore. Overall, the book traces India’s ‘rising’ international power and
influence. On the other hand, David Brewster (2012: 3) in India as an Asia
Pacific Power writes that it will take a long time for India to consolidate
Jadavpur Journal of
International Relations
20(2) 206–216
2017 Jadavpur University
SAGE Publications
sagepub.in/home.nav
DOI: 10.1177/0973598416689615
http://jnr.sagepub.com
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