DECODING KAUTILYA'S ARTHASHASHTRA: Present Day Challenges

摘要

Taking a page from the concept of Kautilyan rajamandala, India needs to work on its neighborhood policy. Before it can confidently project itself as the next big power, China has to deal with multiple issues ranging from territorial disputes to internal dissent and lack of a positive worldview. These discrepancies can be exploited by bringing together of the countries in India's neighbourhood that stand to lose out as a result of rising China. A shared history with cultural and traditional ties cannot be taken for granted to guarantee a natural inclination towards India vis-a-vis China. In fact, the recent past has adequately highlighted the shortcomings in India's policy towards its neighbours despite 'neighbourhood first' policy which has led to the powers at the rim of the Indian sub-continent to gravitate towards China. Instead of taking an active role as a leading regional power, actions such as walking out of the RCEP serve to further undermine India's standing.