Modi’s Catch 22 situation
by Bharat Bhushan
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his Neighbourhood First
policy last year, it was welcomed by all with a certain amount hope and
expectation.
His invitation to all heads of governments of South Asia to his
swearing-in ceremony was seen as the first radical move in that
direction. However, in 2015, somehow a perception gained ground that the
policy has not delivered on its potential.
India’s Nepal policy has been a failure, with anti-India sentiment on
the rise in Kathmandu. It does not seem as if the problems in Nepal lend
themselves to easy and quick solutions.
Nor does India know what it can do to resolve issues that are
essentially internal.
On Pakistan, the Indian Government’s flip-flops are inexplicable. And
in Afghanistan, with Pakistan once again playing a role in facilitating
a dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban, India once again is in danger
of being marginalized.
With Bangladesh, there has been a remarkable improvement in ties.
With Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League in power, the Land Boundary Agreement
has been ratified and operationalised with the exchange of 162 enclaves
in all; a US$2 billion credit line has been extended to Dhaka by New
Delhi; and energy cooperation, infrastructure development and
connectivity has been enhanced.
With Bhutan and Sri Lanka, the relationship is on an even keel and
even as the Maldives goes down a slippery political slope, the
relationship with India has not deteriorated.
In a year, it seems that Modi’s flight mode has only brought grief or
at the very least, more squabbles to its doorstep.
- Catch News
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