This article is written by Kushang, a student from Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU). This article talks about India’s policy of giving priority to its neighbouring countries. The article also discusses various steps taken by the government to improve its ties with neighbouring countries and the issues that need to be answered in the future.
Table of Contents
Introduction
‘You can change your friends but not neighbours.’ These lines by former PM of India, Atal Vihari Vajpayee are very apt and true. India cannot change its neighbours if it has any issues with them. Thus, the country should work towards solving the issues and making the relations better. This is the essence of the Indian government’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy. To emerge as a world leader, it is important to emerge as the leader among the neighbouring countries. The country is working towards the policy which aims to integrate the nations.
Neighbourhood first policy
With the advent of a new government under Narendra Modi, the foreign policy of the country was tilted towards improving relations with the neighbouring countries. This foreign policy of the country is known as the “Neighborhood First” policy in the popular sense. The policy started by inviting all heads of government of South Asian countries to the inauguration of the Prime Minister’s first term. India shares its boundaries with countries like Pakistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. India’s close neighbours also include the Maldives and Myanmar. Thus, India aims to build better ties with these countries. Better relations would encourage trade and connectivity among these countries. India aims to give priority to its neighbours and support them when needed.
Key features of the policy
- Priority is given to the immediate neighbours of the country. Priority in improving relations with the countries and enhancing cooperation among the nations.
- The policy aims towards increasing political connectivity diplomatically through dialogues between the countries.
- The policy aims to solve any dispute or issues between the neighbouring countries through mutual agreement. For example, India and Bangladesh solved the boundary dispute through mutual agreement. This agreement is known as the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA).
- One of the main features of the policy is to promote connectivity between countries to ensure the free flow of resources, energy, labour, goods, and information.
- The policy also focuses on increasing economic cooperation between India and its neighbouring countries. For example, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal came together for energy development in the South Asian region.
- The policy also focuses on technical support and cooperation during natural disasters. India provided huge assistance to Nepal in recovering from the damages caused by the 2015 earthquake.
The importance of neighbourhood first policy
It is important to discuss why India should give priority to its neighbour in its foreign policy. The need or importance for such policy is-
- The policy is very important to re-establish India in a central position in South Asia. India already shares a boundary with many south Asian countries and can emerge as the geographic hub of South Asia.
- The policy would help India to have a great influence and leadership in the region.
- India can also emerge as the cultural hub of the region. The country shares many similarities with its neighbours in terms of culture, religion, and customs.
- India wants the neighbouring countries to also adopt the ‘neighbour first’ policy. This would mean that the neighbouring countries would have the strongest relation with India and not any other country from the west.
Thus, India needs to focus on its neighbours if it wants to emerge as a global leader with immense influence on various issues. The promotion of such a policy would make the country more powerful and influential not only in South Asia but in the whole world.
Relations with neighbouring countries in recent years
India’s foreign policy has been focussed on its south Asian neighbours. These include countries like Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and the Maldives. There have been various steps taken to increase ties with these countries and reduce the issues that exist between them. Some of the key steps taken by India and the relations between the countries have been mentioned below.
Sri Lanka
The neighbours located in the south of India are very crucial. The following steps were taken to build the relation between India and Sri Lanka-
- India shares a close historical relation with Sri Lanka. In the past, there have been issues related to the arrest of Indian fishermen but now such instances have reduced. The Sri Lankan President visited India in February 2015 and marked the beginning of strong ties with India. They signed a bilateral civil nuclear agreement during this period. The Indian PM also visited Sri Lanka after getting invited by the President of Sri Lanka in March 2015.
- India and Sri Lanka are closely working together against terrorism.
- India provided 280 ambulances to Sri Lanka as a gift. This step has been widely appreciated by the Sri Lankans. These ambulances have helped in providing free emergency services in 8 provinces of Sri Lanka.
- There are talks of tri-lateral cooperation between Sri Lanka, India, and Japan in the development of the Colombo port. This will give a boost to the trade and economy of the country.
- There have been various indicators that tell about the good relationship between the countries. Several infrastructure projects, direct flights, and ferry services indicate good ties between the countries.
Nepal
The following steps were taken to build strong ties between India and Nepal-
- Nepal and India inaugurated the first-ever cross-border petroleum pipeline in 2019. The pipeline ran from Motihari (India) to Amlekhgunj (Nepal).
- India and Nepal signed the power trade agreement (PTA). The agreement allows Indian private and public sector investment in hydropower plants of Nepal. It will also facilitate power trade and transmission to India.
- The PM of India visited Nepal on various occasions. He donated Rs. 25 crores to the Hindu temple of Pashupatinath in Nepal.
- Nepal faced great damage to its property and people due to a massive earthquake in 2015. India was the first country to support the country in these difficult times. They provided financial assistance as well as helped in rescue operations in Nepal.
Bhutan
The following steps were taken to build strong ties between India and Bhutan-
- The Indian PM made his first foreign visit to Bhutan and described it as a natural choice due to the “unique and special relationship” that the countries share.
- India and Bhutan have maintained good ties for a long time. They have recently completed the Mangdechhu project which shows cooperation in the hydropower sector between the countries. The Supreme Court of Bhutan building has been constructed with the financial support of India.
- The Rupay card has been introduced in Bhutan. This would cement economic and people-to-people ties between the two nations.
Afghanistan
The following steps were taken to build strong ties between India and Afghanistan-
- The relation between India and Afghanistan has improved in recent times. PM Modi visited Afghanistan in 2015 and inaugurated the country Parliament building which was constructed with help of India.
- India has also contributed to the rebuilding of Afghanistan by providing financial aid of 2 billion dollars, the most among all regional nations.
- Afghanistan has supported India in India-Pakistan disputes. India and Afghanistan have decided to improve the trade through Chabahar port. This move came after Pakistan disrupted the trade route between India and Pakistan.
Bangladesh
The following steps were taken to build strong ties between India and Bangladesh-
- India’s relationship with Bangladesh has evolved as a model partnership between the nations due to high-level exchanges, mutual trust, and increased cooperation on security issues.
- India and Bangladesh solved the boundary dispute through mutual agreement. This agreement is known as the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA). The two nations are also working against terrorism on the border area.
- Bangladesh has supported and coordinated well with India. The country has been considered a bright spot for India’s ‘neighbor first’ policy.
Myanmar
The following steps were taken to build strong ties between India and Myanmar-
- India and Myanmar coordinated well in combating the terrorists on the borders of the two nations. This was evident from the cross-border strike on insurgents in 2015.
- The two countries share a good relationship and work in coordination in various fields. The Indian PM paid a visit to Myanmar in 2014 and the President of Myanmar visited India in 2016. The visit resulted in various agreements between the two nations.
Maldives
The following steps were taken to build strong ties between India and Maldives-
- The relation of India with Maldive is expected to reach greater heights as they introduced the “India First Policy”.
- The Indian PM visited the Maldives in 2019 and inaugurated 2 projects worth 180 crores known as the Coastal Surveillance Radar System and Composite Training centre of the defence forces of Maldives.
- India also helped the Maldives during the drinking-water-crisis in Male. India rescued the country by transporting bottled water to the nation.
Challenges to the policy
There are certain challenges and issues for India’s neighbour’s first policy. These challenges have slowed the pace of the policy. The challenges need the attention of the government to make the policy more efficient and effective. Some of the challenges are listed below-
- The relation with Pakistan is acting as a hindrance for India to emerge as the hub of South Asia. India does not share good ties with Pakistan due to historical reasons. It is difficult for India to manage good ties with a country that is known for training terrorists and using them in disrupting the peace in India.
- Another major power in Asia- China also does not have good ties with India. The recent conflict over the Line of Actual Control has worsened the situation to an extent that people have started stipulating a war between the two nations. Also, the Chinese policy supports Pakistan which is an issue for the Indian government.
- Sri Lanka has handed over the strategic port of Hambantota to China and is also struggling in paying back 8 billion dollar debt to China. This means that China can influence the Sri Lankan government to work against Indian policy.
- The Maldives has also entered into a Free Trade Agreement with China. This is a big concern for India as again, China can influence the Maldivian government to oppose the Indian policy.
- The transportation connectivity between India and its neighbours is a big challenge. There is no rail link between India and Myanmar or Nepal.
Way forward
The Indian government can work on various aspects to strengthen its relationship with neighbouring countries. The challenges and issue related to the ‘neighbour first’ policy can be overcome by-
- As stated above, transport connectivity between countries is lacking. India should take the initiative to establish cross-border transport and communication links.
- The government should work with the countries to strengthen their markets and infrastructure.
- India should work towards enhancing its comparative advantage rather than competing blindly with China on infrastructure projects.
- India requires economic openness apart from investment in cross-border infrastructure.
- There is a need to consider the political, economic, and cultural sensitivities of neighbouring countries. Much emphasis should not be given to cultural unity.
Conclusion
India needs to focus on its neighbours first in its foreign policy. Various steps have been taken by the government to enhance better relations between India and its neighbouring countries. These steps include providing financial assistance, support in the time of crisis, mutual agreements between nations, and cooperation in various fields such as technology, energy, and counter-terrorism. The biggest threat that the policy faces is from India’s close neighbours namely Pakistan and China. More specifically, China has started influencing countries like Nepal and Maldives to oppose India. India needs to counter this issue at the earliest. The Belt and Road Initiative of China is a big concern for India. Many neighbouring countries are quite on the increasing tension between India and China on the border. This is a concern for India as it needs support from its neighbouring countries. To sum up, India has only one major concern and that is China.
India’s immediate neighbourhood directly impacts it geopolitically, geo-strategically, and geo-economically due to its closeness to the Indian boundaries. Thus, India should constantly work towards improving its ties with neighbouring countries.
References
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