Commonwealth's future in Indian hands, again

60 years ago, as India stood on the brink of becoming a Republic, prime minister Nehru took a brave decision that was to have a dramatic impact on the international landscape for decades to come. Rather than cut ties with the British Empire altogether, he decided that it would be in India's and the world's interest to retain links through a new, voluntary association of equal member states. Thanks to Nehru's foresight, the Commonwealth has indeed brought 'a touch of healing to the world' in the intervening years.Yet, in 2009, its public profile has fallen and many member states are starting to ask how the association can become more relevant. A closer look reveals that the future of the Commonwealth is once again in Indian hands.Opinion polls conducted in seven member states earlier this year revealed worrying levels of imbalance in public support. While some two-thirds of Indians said that they would be sorry or appalled if their country withdrew its membership, only about a third of Australians, Britons and Canadians felt the same way. Similarly, while Indians identified the Commonwealth as one of the most important regions, ahead of America or South Asia, for other countries the Commonwealth's importance has diminished dramatically.While Indians may support the Commonwealth, their levels of knowledge about what the 53-member association is or does are low. Less than half could identify any activity it undertakes and most of those could cite only the Commonwealth Games. Only two-fifths of Indians know that the Queen is the Head of the association; one in ten think it's Barack Obama and another tenth think it's Kofi Annan.As the Commonwealth reflects on its successes over the last 60 years—contributing to the end of Apartheid in South Africa, helping to end white rule in Rhodesia and granting a unique platform for developing countries on the world stage—the association seems in desperate need of a makeover.Just as India played a key role in 1949, so too it must act in 2009. As the association's biggest member, with an Indian in post as Secretary-General, and as the current custodian of the most well-known Commonwealth brand (the Games), India's role will be critical.I was privileged to attend two workshops in Delhi last week as part of a large public consultation on the future of the Commonwealth called the 'Commonwealth Conversation'. What I heard, especially from the young people I met, was both worrying and reassuring at once.In an increasingly crowded marketplace of international organisations, many of which have more focus and resources, serious questions were raised about whether Indians should invest so much time and money in an association that grew out of historical accident rather than contemporary strategic interests. One young woman warned that the Commonwealth has to prove its relevance to her generation, or risk disappearing within the next few decades. Another warned that it must do more than simply pay lip service to youth engagement.I left Delhi feeling that this 60th birthday year and the forthcoming leaders' summit in Trinidad & Tobago next month will be a critical test of whether the Commonwealth can take bold actions to increase its relevance for its 2 billion citizens. The people I met in Delhi set the bar high: the Commonwealth has to do more to stand out, to prove to ordinary people that it is making a difference to their lives and that it provides real opportunities for learning about and shaping the world.The Commonwealth is ideally placed to be the collective voice of moral authority that is missing from today's world stage; it is the perfect vehicle for dialogue and cooperation between governments and between peoples; and it is buttressed by a civil society network that is unrivalled in its field. Yet a reluctance to speak out, a fear of causing offence and a hesitance to take bold action all conspire to stifle these potentially potent assets.The Commonwealth is also the perfect stage for India, once again, to show leadership: not just to bring 'a touch of healing' to the world, but to share the lessons of its own democratic and developmental journey. This is all the more important because the Commonwealth cannot be seen to be driven only by the resources and interests of Britain, or indeed its rich members like Australia and Canada. Instead, it urgently needs members like India to take up the baton of leadership.The young Indians I met this week are itching for the chance to engage with the world. The Commonwealth could be just what they need, but the challenge for India's political leaders—not to mention the Indian diplomat in charge of the Commonwealth Secretariat—is to mould an association that meets their expectations.
—The author is director of the Royal Commonwealth Societ.
Nitika
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