Ind(ones)ia

I’m just back from my second India trip, more enthused about the country and its potential than ever, and determined to follow its relations with SEA more closely.

I didn’t have time to be glued to the press, which – as in all large countries – exhibits a strong domestic focus, but notable international stories voiced:

• More of the predictable speculation on India-China-US power equations;
• Frustration at the imposition by a range of countries of travel warnings during the Divali period;
• Suspicion of Commonwealth attempts to call the shots on human rights;
• Pride at the successful running of the first Formula 1 (preceded in the papers and on the streets by a substantial amount of advertising, together with lengthy explanations of the finer points of motor racing);
• Disappointment over India’s poor showing on tourist arrivals, compared with, say, Thailand’s.

One of the things that struck me most about India this time round, however, was the parallel that exists with Indonesia. Both are proudly democratic, with strong underlying support for pluralism and human rights. Both see their size as an indication of their entitlement to carry more clout in the region and the world.

But both are still working through issues of infrastructure, poverty, corruption, and law enforcement that sometimes undermine their credentials not only in the eyes of foreign observers but also in the eyes of their own citizens. Both have large majorities following a particular religion, and the virtues of pluralism and tolerance are regularly challenged. In neither are insurgencies a thing of the past. Both have ethnically similar smaller neighbours, with whom relations (albeit for very different reasons) are strained and emotional.

And both are strongly nationalistic. This trait makes them awkward partners at times, as justifiable pride easily translates into tetchiness. But it also constitutes a kind of vaccine against unequivocally aligning with, and/or being pushed around by, any one particular ideological camp.

Democratic but different, both demonstrate a complexity that militates against dangerous dualities. This is a sign of hope in a time of worrying polarization.