Session on Narrative Building Highlights India’s Changing Global Stance- Sood

Mangaluru : The second session of the Mangaluru Literature Festival’s opening day, titled Art and Craft of Building and Dismantling Narratives, featured Vikram Sood, former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), as the panellist. The discussion was moderated by Prashanth Vaidyaraj.

Sood highlighted how the West had dominated global narratives for over 200 years, using a wide array of instruments such as television and radio to shape perceptions. He noted that symbols of colonial power, like the Viceroy’s House—now Rashtrapati Bhavan—were accepted unquestioningly by Indians at the time. While India’s peaceful stance post-independence aided diplomacy, he argued that it was not necessarily beneficial for statecraft.

He also spoke about the confidence of India’s younger generation, contrasting it with past decades when Indians who migrated to the United States often lacked technical skills. He remarked that today’s Indian professionals contribute significantly to global economies.

Addressing economic policy, Sood stated that governments cannot directly create jobs but can foster conditions for employment growth, emphasizing that the private sector should drive job creation rather than the state.

The session concluded with a Q&A segment, where the panelist engaged in discussions with the moderator before taking questions from the audience.