BY DEVIKA C. MEHTA
LONG BEACH, CA - India and China have been seen as competing powers in South Asia for a long time, but their journey is not new, in fact, their turbulent relationship goes back to 1950s when they were `frenemies.’ Ascertaining this fact was Professor Amitav Acharya at the 16th Annual Solanki Lecture: `Bending like Bandung: India,
LONG BEACH, CA - India and China have been seen as competing powers in South Asia for a long time, but their journey is not new, in fact, their turbulent relationship goes back to 1950s when they were `frenemies.’ Ascertaining this fact was Professor Amitav Acharya at the 16th Annual Solanki Lecture: `Bending like Bandung: India,
China and the Reshaping of Asian & International Order’, which was presented by The Yadunandan Center for India Studies at Walter Pyramid, at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) on March 20 amid the presence of noted society members and intellectuals and drew an audience of about 200 guests.
Introducing Acharya was Prof. Tim Kern who highlighted the scope and achievements of the Yadunandan Center of Indian Dtudies and how he has witnessed it grow by leaps and bounds in the last 16 years. Talking about Acharya, he mentioned, “through his work, Amitav discusses the complexities and challenges of a multiplex world, the importance of regionalism and the intricacies of relationship between China and India and it’s impact on the South Asian region.”
Acharya, a Distinguished Professor of International Relations and the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance at the School of International Service at American University, laid emphasis on the significance and legacies of the 1955 Bandung conference.
Through his hour long presentation, the author discussed the evolution of the Sino-India post-war international order, the emergence of a South-East Asian regionalism and how it impacted the global international relations.
“It is worth recalling how worried the western world hailed the summit as ‘the first intercontinental conference of colored peoples in the history of mankind’. They were concerned about the emerging trend in Asia, led by India’s Nehru, and the emergence of communist China. They feared the conference would “enhance communist prestige in the area and weaken that of the west,” Acharya pointed.
He then considered ways in which the Bandung Conference key legacies challenged conventional norms, exposed Western attempts of ‘sabotage’, strengthened emergent global norms affirming decolonization, gave way to universalism and the United Nations and helped in the initiation of the Non-Aligned Movement.
After giving a detailed picture, Acharya then canvassed negative approaches of the conference, including the polarization of Asia and the encouragement of authoritarian tendencies and regional interventionist impulses.
He finally concluded by drawing implications of the conference for the study of global international relations.
“The world has changed considerably since 1955 and the countries in the region are doing better than before. China, India and Japan are among the biggest players in the global economy today. However, Asia’s future depends not just on its impressive growth rates or its immense natural resources and human talent; rather, it also hinges on the quality of leadership provided by the major nations and associations of Asia, and their ability to overcome persisting rivalries and respond to new transnational challenges,” Acharya rested.
Acharya, author of 30 books including Constructing Global Order ; East of India, South of China and The End of American World Order , interacted with the audience and answered queries regarding the region. Later, talking about the successful lecture, philanthropist Uka Solanki, mentioned, “India has an exceptionally rich and globally-significant history. However, most Americans know very little of India. This is where the Yadunandan Center is playing a major role.” Importantly, the Yadunandan Center for India Studies, established in 2005 with a generous donation from. the Uka and Nalini Solanki Foundation, champions the impartial study of India’s cultures, peoples and history. The two-hour lecture program started with a sumptuous dinner and networking.
Introducing Acharya was Prof. Tim Kern who highlighted the scope and achievements of the Yadunandan Center of Indian Dtudies and how he has witnessed it grow by leaps and bounds in the last 16 years. Talking about Acharya, he mentioned, “through his work, Amitav discusses the complexities and challenges of a multiplex world, the importance of regionalism and the intricacies of relationship between China and India and it’s impact on the South Asian region.”
Acharya, a Distinguished Professor of International Relations and the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance at the School of International Service at American University, laid emphasis on the significance and legacies of the 1955 Bandung conference.
Through his hour long presentation, the author discussed the evolution of the Sino-India post-war international order, the emergence of a South-East Asian regionalism and how it impacted the global international relations.
“It is worth recalling how worried the western world hailed the summit as ‘the first intercontinental conference of colored peoples in the history of mankind’. They were concerned about the emerging trend in Asia, led by India’s Nehru, and the emergence of communist China. They feared the conference would “enhance communist prestige in the area and weaken that of the west,” Acharya pointed.
He then considered ways in which the Bandung Conference key legacies challenged conventional norms, exposed Western attempts of ‘sabotage’, strengthened emergent global norms affirming decolonization, gave way to universalism and the United Nations and helped in the initiation of the Non-Aligned Movement.
After giving a detailed picture, Acharya then canvassed negative approaches of the conference, including the polarization of Asia and the encouragement of authoritarian tendencies and regional interventionist impulses.
He finally concluded by drawing implications of the conference for the study of global international relations.
“The world has changed considerably since 1955 and the countries in the region are doing better than before. China, India and Japan are among the biggest players in the global economy today. However, Asia’s future depends not just on its impressive growth rates or its immense natural resources and human talent; rather, it also hinges on the quality of leadership provided by the major nations and associations of Asia, and their ability to overcome persisting rivalries and respond to new transnational challenges,” Acharya rested.
Acharya, author of 30 books including Constructing Global Order ; East of India, South of China and The End of American World Order , interacted with the audience and answered queries regarding the region. Later, talking about the successful lecture, philanthropist Uka Solanki, mentioned, “India has an exceptionally rich and globally-significant history. However, most Americans know very little of India. This is where the Yadunandan Center is playing a major role.” Importantly, the Yadunandan Center for India Studies, established in 2005 with a generous donation from. the Uka and Nalini Solanki Foundation, champions the impartial study of India’s cultures, peoples and history. The two-hour lecture program started with a sumptuous dinner and networking.
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