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.