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India’s neighbourhood strategy

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December 27, 2018

What is the issue?

India needs to have a coherent and long-term vision for the neighbourhood to work towards South Asian integration.

What are the prevailing concerns?

  • India is one of the world’s least regionally-integrated major powers with the absence of a coherent and well-planned regional policy.
  • India was accused of interfering with the Constitution-making process in Nepal in 2015 and also trying to influence recent electoral outcomes in Sri Lanka.
  • On the Rohingya refugees, India’s approach goes against its traditional practice and it also suffer from lack of a refugee policy.
  • Also, the relationship with Pakistan continues to be testy and directionless.
  • India also has a long record of not following up on its promises to its neighbours.
  • India, thus, needs to have a coherent and consistent strategy to deal in its neighbourhood.

What should be done?

  • South Asia is the least integrated region in the world because of the weak economic linkages among the countries of the region.
  • Regional Trade - India needs to frame better regional trading arrangements.
  • The long ‘sensitive lists’ maintained by South Asian countries are a major impediment in the implementation of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
  • Each member country has a ‘sensitive list’ on goods that are exempt from tariff concessions (not eligible for lower import tariffs).
  • These sensitive lists remain long and hence India should persuade its neighbours to reduce the number of items on such lists.
  • Soft power - In the case of regional infrastructure projects, China is at a clear advantage than India.
  • Hence India must invest where China falls short, especially at the level of institution-building and in soft power promotion.
  • India could expand the scope and work of the South Asian University (SAU), including by providing a proper campus and ensuring that its students get research visas to India without much hassle.
  • If properly utilised, the SAU can become a point for regional integration.
  • Focussing on Border states - Several of India’s border States have the capacity to engage in trading arrangements with neighbouring countries.
  • This should be made easier by the government by way of constructing border infrastructure and easing restrictions on such border trade.
  • Multilateral engagements - India prefers bilateral engagements in the region rather than deal with neighbours on multilateral forums.
  • However, there should be more attempts at forging multilateral arrangements, including by resurrecting the SAARC.
  • India should also look at other possible areas of convergence, including counter terrorism, regional trade and infrastructure development in the multilateral fora.
  • This would help India to have a coherent and long-term vision for its neighbourhood.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

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