India, April 15 -- The concept of 'Soft Power' in international relations was developed first by Joseph S. Nye, Assistant Secretary of Defence in the Clinton administration, in the late 1980s. For Nye, power is the "ability to influence the behaviour of others to get the outcomes one wants to get". According to him 'Soft Power' lies in the ability to attract and persuade. It arises from the attractiveness of a country's culture, political ideals, and policies. On the contrary 'Hard Power' - the ability to coerce - grows out of a country's military or economic might.
Congress MP, Sashi Tharoor, who applies this concept to India, holds the view that India can become a world leader by developing its 'Soft Power'. The Soft Power of India lies...