For a nation that has known greater calamities than the tsunami that hit 11 Indian Ocean countries last December, India is probably the country that has 'been there, seen it and even done that'.

The nation's spirit and humanitarianism were demonstrated immediately after the tsunamis, typifying New Delhi's response to disasters.

India herself has encountered disasters and the empathy, coupled with institutional wisdom, enables her to appreciate the difficulties of others in a similar position.

And while the human face of her foreign policy has become much more visible, it is also apparent that India is showing the first signs of emerging power.

In less than a week after the tsunami, the Prime Minister's Relief Fund collected a staggering US$80 million something not seen since the Gujerat earthquake of 2001 that killed three times more people than the Boxing Day disaster.

This is growing testament to an India where burgeoning wealth has created brand new confidence. What is not known is what New Delhi plans to do with this in years to come.

Newfound confidence

India's rebuff of UN secretary-general Kofi Annan's wish to visit tsunami-devastated areas in southern India was a clue to the stirring of newfound confidence. It put the world on notice that India can take care of itself and be the master of its own house.

The disaster itself has been reduced to a footnote in Indian newspapers. What gets continual play is a preoccupation with economic growth, which has made India the darling othe modern world over the last 15 years.

As interesting and educational as it is to note India's rise, what remains unknown is the strength of the role that its civil society is playing in promoting that growth.

"We hope to draw attention to the burning problems of India's poor and marginalised people," says Prof Babu Mathew, director, ActionAid International India.

Its initiative 'Towards Inclusive Democracy' is a plan to articulate the development sector's response to the ruling alliance's agenda of governance.

Post-tsunami endeavours around the country, through a vibrant civil society, is helping to create synergy. In turn, it is making economic reforms unstoppable.

If history has a parallel, it would be found in the United States 200 years ago. Born out of the same violent struggle as in India, the US found its feet because chaos and civil society teamed up to produce the power that it holds today.

Like India, the US also adopted a policy of strict unilateralism after breaking free from colonial rule, and both countries are interesting democracies.

The magic of democracy has the potential to unleash the hunger for reform and find the opportunity to shape destiny.

JAYA PRAKASH lectures in journalism in Singapore.