As lamps glow from London to Los Angeles, and fireworks crackle from Melbourne to Mumbai, Diwali has transcended its origins to become one of India’s most luminous exports. The festival of lights, once a celebration confined to the subcontinent, now illuminates the world’s landmarks, from Times Square to Trafalgar Square. But beyond the spectacle lies a deeper question: is India’s soft power rising, or dimming beneath the weight of its contradictions?
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The Light That Travels Without Borders
India’s soft power has always been more than performance; it is civilisation in motion. From Gandhi’s moral revolution to Nehru’s diplomacy of ideals, India’s global influence has flowed through ideas, not armaments. Diwali, in that sense, is not merely a cultural celebration, it is a diplomatic gesture.
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