India’s Foreign Policy in South Asia – Modi Regime

As the Narendra Modi government completes its term in office in New Delhi, calculations are rife regarding how the government has performed in several departments. Although electoral politics in India has been largely centered on issues of national development, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has brought issues pertaining to global politics at the core of the political discourse in the country. The prioritization of foreign policy in the NDA regime was visible in the swearing- in-ceremony of Modi in May, 2014. The maiden attempt made by Modi, even before he formally took office, to establish a sense of regional solidarity was evident as the guest list featured all the leaders from the SAARC countries.

Regional development featured in Modi’s aspirations right from the beginning. This was seen as New Delhi’s attempt to establish itself as a regional player, which would subsequently serve as the spring board to Asian dominance. Towards this goal, India made a concerted effort to rejuvenate South Asia and reinstate the regional integrity of the region. Several key factors have shaped the implementation of the plans and ambitions that the Modi government had for the region. Modi’s term in office also converged with the emergence of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has been a key player in influencing the way India implemented its foreign policy. The rise of China has posed to be a significant threat to India in her own backyard.

New Delhi’s trajectory of approaching its neighborhood needs to be seen in the light of China’s strategic expanse. The demise of SAARC has been perceived as the manifestation of the rift between India and Pakistan. The neighbouring countries share a historical baggage of strained relationship. Pakistan’s growing bonhomie with China is one of the primary reasons which have catalyzed a more aggressive approach in India’s outlook towards its immediate neighborhood. The discourse under the current regime has shifted from a relatively highbrowed attitude that India had towards her South Asian neighbors to one of identifying them as important strategic countries which have immense geo-political potential.

The perception of the smaller neighboring nations surrounding India as ‘banana republic’ countries has changed due to China’s looming presence in the region. This is especially challenging for India as it comes at a time when India is trying to assert itself as a regional power. China’s presence in the region has multiple points of collusion with India. Firstly, China’s strategic bonhomie with Pakistan is a serious issue of concern for India from the security perspective. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor has already being severely critiqued by India for violating its sovereignty. The ‘String of Pearls’ plan, which is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, is a strategic threat to India’s sovereignty. The way China has stationed itself on the IOR littoral states, like Sri Lanka and the Maldives is a matter of grave concern for New Delhi.

In light of these developments, India has shaped its foreign policy discourse under Modi. The Modi regime has maintained its deep interest in the neighborhood despite all the challenges it faces from Xi Jinping. In fact, such challenges are perceived as incentives for India to establish its prominence in the region against China’s increasing dominance.

The maritime domain has emerged as one of the key areas of geopolitical assertion for India under Modi. The year 2014 saw India shifting from Look East Policy to Act East Policy. This has been a positive shift for India to strengthen its ties with Southeast Asia. This is particularly relevant because it is an opportunity for India to bolster its relationship with a regional organization which is a springboard to regional progress and development. The common ties between India and Southeast Asia have been connectivity, security, trade and culture. India has also engaged with BIMSTEC in order to assert its regional aspirations. BIMSTEC is India’s strongest sub-regional initiative at the moment, since it is free of Indo-Pak rift– which was the primary reason of the demise of SAARC, and is also a stepping stone for India’s extensive strategic engagement with Southeast Asia. This kind of proactive engagement in the maritime domain is also a leap towards countering the strategic risks that China poses with its extensive Maritime Silk Road web. The discourse of securitization has been a common feature in Modi’s outlook towards foreign policy and neighborhood more particularly.

Despite having a clear blueprint of how to conduct India’s foreign policy, the Modi regime has been plagued by a few fundamental issues. The most important and sustained criticism against the government has been the lack of implementation of such ideas to tangible development. The shift from Look East to Act East has seen some kind of development only in 2018, during India’s 69^th Republic day celebrations when all the ASEAN leaders came together in New Delhi for a show of strength, solidarity and cooperation, nearly four years after the policy was implemented. India’s foreign policy has been mostly ambitious only on paper, which makes the situation even more problematic. Despite there being a clear and aggressive vision of taking India forward, in light of China’s emergence, there has not been any explicit development as such. However, the plans and policies which have been discussed by the government are sound and require nuanced implementation in order to suit the dynamic nature of global politics. South Asia has particularly emerged as the centre-point of immense geopolitical muscle-flexing due to Sino-Indo conflict.

Sayantan Haldar

Intern, AGA

16.02.2019