India's Diplomatic Ties with the Neighbouring and the Off-Shore Countries

By Kuljeet Chandel

(Image source: commons.wikimedia.org)

Having considered it's strategic location and the constant quest for growth and development, our country, India, has been in terms, treaties and communication with other countries- both neighbouring and off-shores, for time immemorial now. Here is a quick look at India’s diplomatic ties with the world, for us to understand the same in detail.

If we dig into our glorious past, ,our country had been seen and recognised as a strong rising power in the South Asian region and covering parts along the Indian Ocean . It had been the proud leader of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) . Considering it's stance with it's immediate neighbours- India has had historical

and cultural ties with Nepal. It enjoyed goodwill and influence in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh worked with it towards the central Asian connectivity project. It was competing and cooperating with China at the same time, while the long border between two countries remained largely peaceful.

Considering the present scenario though the picture has completely changed. India is perhaps facing its gravest national security crisis in 20 years

with China having changed the status along the line of actual control (LAC) in the western sector in it’s favour. The border saw violent clashes few months back leading to fatalities for the first time in 45 years . SAARC is out of joint. Nepal has turned hostile having adopted a new map and has revived border disputes with India. Sri Lanka has tilted to China which is undertaking massive infrastructure project in the Indian ocean Islands-heavily funded by China. Bangladesh is clearly miffed at Citizenship Amendment Act,2019.

Considering the case of offshore neighbours, when Afghanistan is going through a major transition, India is out of multiparty talks.Iran has inaugurated a railway links project , connecting the Chabahar port on the gulf of Oman to Zahedan(which India was supposed to have constructed) without the government support. How was India ruled out of diplomatic ties for that matter?

Specific reasons can be found for these setbacks. Foreign policy needed to be static .There will be ups and downs depending on the inevitable nature of changes in global politics, but what makes current situations severe is the fact that there is a relative decline in India’s smart powers too. Especially in the neighbourhood ,which demands a deeper personal foreign policy trajectory itself .

When we dig deeper into the reasons for the same, these reasons surface instantly -

• Close ties with US line

There has been a steady erosion in India’s strategic autonomy which predates the current government when India started deepening its partnership with The United States, The Indian government began to steadily align its policies with US interests.The case of Iran is the best example the agreement to travel up the Chabahar port was signed in 2003 but India under pressure from US was moving slowly despite the fact that the project offered India an alternative route to Central Asia by passing Pakistan.

India voted against Iran at UN ; Scuttled on ambitious Gas pipeline project and cut down Trade ties drastically. After Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2015 India immediately stepped up oil purchases an expanded works at Chabahar port. In 2016 our Prime Minister travelled to Tehran And signed a Trilateral connectivity project with Afghanistan and Iran but when US President Donald Trump pulled US out of the Iran deal in 2018 and imposed sanctions on the country,India took to the US line bringing down its oil imports to a shocking zero .

During this phase China realised that India has become a defecto ally of the US which somewhere escalated clashes between India and China in Galwan Valley. The fight was not just a localised conflict but was a strategic move by China to share a message to Washington as well as to New Delhi.

• Convergence of foreign policy with domestic politics .

At least two decisions taken by the government, keeping its domestic audience in mind, have had foreign policy consequences-

•First, the passing of the CAA the official narrative has been that India is offering citizenship to the persecuted minorities of the selected countries in its neighbourhood. There were two problems here-that this is regionalization of the domestic problem of the countries in India’s neighbourhood some of which are it's long time friends. These countries are genuinely upset with India’s move. Secondly, Muslim’s including those subjects persecuted in neighbouring countries were design excluded from the citizenship programme this drove new wedges between India and the countries that had a Muslim majority and were friends with India. Bangladesh took offence at the CAA and National Register of citizens (NRC) and The political rhetoric In India against the termites from other countries.

Second, the Abrogation Of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir this was another popular move among those who formed the support base of the ruling party but it led to the suspension of fundamental rights in Kashmir Valley for prolonged period. This represented the damaged India’s reputation as a responsible Democratic power and gave propaganda weapons to Pakistan. This move was of no use as the Valley continues to see violence nearly a year after the decision. More importantly the change of status quo in Jammu and Kashmir including the bifurcation and reduction of the erstwhile state into union territories could be another factor that promoted the Chinese to move aggressively towards the border in Ladakh. The use of high handedness in Nepal during the country’s constitutional crisis caused traditional and civilizational ally to turn hostile with the updated political map of India which was released in November rubbing salt into the wounds on the Nepal border. So much so, but they still remain much as the tip of an iceberg.

To address the current crisis India has to recognise and then reconsider its foreign policy trajectories. Our country is indeed a big power with one of the world's biggest militaries, and a splendid natural naval force in the Indian Ocean. It does not lack in resources either. What we hope for is more strength to our country with planning global connections with a certain strategic depth and maintaining long term and healthy diplomatic ties with the world. We hope for the future to correct the wrongs and lead our country to better prospects.