India- Pakistan Relations

14 Maio 2018, 16:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

On May 12, 2018, the instructor electronically transmitted a reading on India’s relations with the Maldives. The next day he electronically transmitted his essay on India’s relations with Pakistan. On May 14, 2018 he electronically transmitted his essay on Prime Minister Modi’s foreign policy, and essays on the 1965 war with Pakistan and U.S. Pakistan relations, as well as the text of the Simla Agreement.

 

In a presentation on India- Pakistan Relations, Maria Beatriz Couto Lopes said that the ideology of Pakistan was based on a denial of Pakistan’s shared history and culture with India. The state of Pakistan had strayed from the idea of Pakistan. The creation of Bangladesh had been a blow to the two- nation theory. Pakistan is a state of paradoxes, the greatest paradox being its inability to give a safe space to all the Muslims of India, despite being a self- proclaimed homeland of Indian Muslims.

 

The instructor said that, to understand India- Pakistan relations, it is important to revisit history. A Pakistani is one who is not Indian. How did this come about? There are many explanations for India’s Partition. The inability to develop a power- sharing formula is one. Congress and the Muslim League were unable to form workable coalitions. Congress, in the belief that it was the party of all Indians, did not accommodate the Muslim League’s urging to share power. In the end, the rivalry between Congress and the Muslim League was a struggle for power. Jinnah began his political career as a nationalist leader, but became a leader of Muslims. He played on Muslim fears that Muslims would be denied rights in a democratic, Hindu- majority India.

India’s Relations With Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan

9 Maio 2018, 16:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

The lecture began with a presentation by Megi Jalagonia on India’s Relations With Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. She said that India has the longest border with Bangladesh, a vital neighbour. In the past, the relationship has been strained by Bangladesh providing sanctuary to terrorists destabilizing India’s north- east (a point also made in her presentation in the previous lecture). She said that Myanmar is vitally important to the security of India’s north- east.

 

Dwelling upon Sri Lanka, Megi Jalagonia said that support for the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is the cornerstone of India’s policy. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi put some strain on the relationship. Being a smaller country, Sri Lanka sometimes lacks trust in India, but relations are stable. Sri Lanka was the first South Asian country to sign a Free Trade Agreement with India. India plans to develop a bridge across the Palk Straight to Sri Lanka.

 

On Nepal, Megi Jalagonia said that the abolition of the monarchy has introduced a new factor. Land- locked Nepal is heavily dependent upon India, where many Nepalese work. Nepal’s major rivers flow into India. To reduce dependence upon India, Nepal has broadened relations with China.

 

She said that Bhutan has a special relationship with India, and 90 per cent of its trade is with India. India helped Bhutan join the United Nations. Bhutan is a buffer with Tibet, and takes guidance from India in the conduct of foreign relations. It is “more India- oriented than China- oriented.”

 

In the discussion, Maria Beatriz Couto Lopes asked how the Sri Lankan Tamils affect relations with India. It was assessed that Tamil separatism in Sri Lanka potentially could fuel Tamil separatism in India.

 

Revisiting history, the instructor said that the Sinhalese and Tamils have had a complicated relationship. The Sinhalese trace their origins to migrants from the state of Odisha in eastern India, whereas the Tamils are descendants of migrants from the state of Tamil Nadu. There has been a history of invasions from the Tamil Nadu region, making Sri Lanka suspicious of support from Tamil Nadu state for Tamil separatism in Sri Lanka. At a strategic level, India’s support for Sri Lanka’s territorial integrity, and its opposition to Tamil separatism, stem for fear of a common Tamil separatist movement uniting Indian and Sri Lankan Tamils. Yet, India supports the rights of the minority Tamils, within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.

 

The instructor pointed out that Nepal leans on China to reduce dependence upon India, but is also not averse to leaning upon India to balance China. Thus, it is a classical buffer state. Bhutan enjoys a special relationship with India, through a treaty, and is guided by India in the conduct of its foreign relations.

 

The instructor said that Indian troops had moved into the Doklam region, claimed by both Bhutan and China, to stop construction of a Chinese road towards the south, threatening India’s Siliguri corridor. India supports Bhutan’s claim to Doklam. Bhutan had protested the Chinese road construction in territory it claims as its own, and India had moved troops to Doklam in support of Bhutan. The standoff had ended after a negotiated disengagement.

 

On Maldives, the instructor said that India and China had been sucked into a domestic political crisis. China’s influence has increased at India’s cost.

 

In the next lecture, Maria Beatriz Couto Lopes will make a presentation on India’ relations with Pakistan.

India's Neighbours

7 Maio 2018, 16:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

Over the weekend, the instructor had electronically transmitted to the students the syllabus, Rajiv Sikri’s Challenge and Strategy, and five of his own essays published in Firstpost.com and The Citizen. In the class, he provided hard copies of assigned readings from Shashi Tharoor’s Pax Indica, and Sikri’s Challenge and Strategy.

 

The instructor asked the students to review the syllabus, to understand what was expected of them. Assessment would be based upon an essay (50 per cent- already assigned by Professor (Dr.) Amalendu Misra), classroom performance (30 per cent), and an end- term exam (20 per cent). Thus, it was important to attend class and contribute to the discussion.

 

In her presentation on Realism in India’s Foreign Policy, Simona Juskaite introduced hard power theory through the writing of Hans Morgenthau. She described Jawaharlal Nehru’s policy of non- alignment as an example of idealism, and India’s nuclear tests (1974 and 1998), opening of relations with Israel (1992), its decision not to accede to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (1996), and the Kargil war (1999) as examples of realism. As further examples of realism, India had no qualms about dealing with non- democratic regimes like China, Saudi Arabia and Iran, she added.

 

In the ensuing discussion, the instructor said that India also had no difficulty in dealing with non- democratic regimes in Pakistan and Myanmar, vitally important neighbours. In view of fraught relations, India had no choice than to engage whoever ruled Pakistan. India followed a similar pragmatic policy on Myanmar, which provides India support in fighting insurgency in the north- east, and is the gateway to connectivity with the further East.

It was assessed that India pursues realism in foreign relations not just through hard power, but soft power too. Soft power is better than hard power. Through soft power, India had won influence in Portugal, Georgia (pointed out by Nino Machaidze), and China (the instructor gave the example of Buddhism). The instructor pointed out that easy access to the Internet is a vital means of projecting soft power and influencing citizens in recipient nations.

 

In her presentation on India’s Relations with Bangladesh and Myanmar, Megi Jalagonia outlined India’s complex relations with Bangladesh, which fosters co- operation with India on a broad range of issues, but has also in the past provided sanctuary to Indian terrorists. Myanmar is important because of trade, and the security of India’s north- east. Nino Machaidze said that India courts Myanmar because of China. Likewise, Maria Beatriz Couto Lopes concluded that India cultivates Bangladesh to neutralize China.

 

Megi Jalagonia will continue her presentation in the next class, with focus on Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. 

India's Relations with Its Neighbours

2 Maio 2018, 16:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

The instructor outlined the course, emphasizing that this was a module on India’s foreign relations and strategic direction, and not on history, culture, religion or philosophy. For most of human history, India had been a major power, accounting for 25 per cent of the world’s GDP, the same as China. With steady growth, India was on course to playing a world role.

 

The instructor underlined the need for thorough preparation, for discussion in the classroom, based on readings. The objective was to enable students to think strategically on India’s place in the world. Each student would make a classroom presentation on an assigned topic, followed by a discussion, culminating in the instructor’s summation. Hence, students needed to read the texts carefully.

 

It was decided that, in the upcoming class, Simona Juskaite would make a presentation on Realism in India’s Foreign Policy, and Megi Jalagonia would speak on India’s Relations with Bangladesh and Myanmar.

India – Between Hard, Soft and Smart Power

30 Abril 2018, 16:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

Power: The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events.

a: possession of control, authority, or influence over others.                                             

b: a nation that has influence among other nations.

“India's soft power remains its biggest strength in being a global leader (Tharoor, 2007).”

The current government led by Narendra Modi is working towards developing a “soft power matrix”, a tool aimed at calibrating the effectiveness of India's soft power