India’s prosperity depends on healthy diplomatic relations

  • By  Dr. Shanthikumar Hettiarachchi
  • Sunday, 04 May 2014 00:00
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Indian poll officials carry Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) from a distribution centre in Amritsar on April 29, 2014 on the eve of Lok Sabha – lower house – elections (AFP)

 
Analysts note that since the South Asian Superpower doesn’t have a ‘blank check’ to function politically in the region, its new leaders must remind themselves that its neighbors cannot be undermined or bypassed in any decision of regional significance
My recent visit to Delhi and Hyderabad coincided with one of India’s most decisive post-independence elections. Elections in the State of Haryana have now been held.  Haryana borders the capital, New Delhi.  Elections in the newly- declared Telangana State, previously a part of the State of Andhra Pradesh, were also held on April 30; it is a historic political moment for the people of Andhra for many reasons obviously.  
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu, a state whose splintered politics lends to king-maker posturing, went to polls on April 24. It was a unique knowledge-procuring experience to be in both the North and the South during India’s elections.Global leaders far and near, and especially the neighboring countries, await the results even as predictions are being made about outcomes and possible scenarios pertaining to the formation of a government and the appointment of the next Prime Minister of India. 
The incumbent ruling party, even though it enjoyed back-to-back full terms in power, would go down in Bharata’s post independence history as a ‘weak government’ for more than one reason. In both Delhi and Hyderabad one would hear the following or their variations:“Manmohan is a good man, but was not an effective political leader.”“Dr Singh’s second term proved that he was a misfit to lead this largest democracy.” “Modi is a creation of the Congress Party itself because it lacked political fervor.”
“This election tells that Gandhi-Nehru political rhetoric cannot be maintained forever,”“India’s poor will decide who should lead them, but eventually they will be forgotten as it has been the case before.”“Mixing Bollywood,  Kollywood,  Tollywood celluloid heroes, and Amma-ideology will lead this complex nation astray – a bad fusion.” 
These sentiments give a coherent enough picture of Indian elections; a picture that is regularly painted in the newspapers I could access in Delhi, Mumbai (transit) and Hyderabad which was my route. Indians would have elected their leaders for the next few years by the time this write-up goes to press, although the winners are yet to be declared.  One looks forward to the interpretations that no doubt will follow ChallengesThere is no doubt about India’s regional and global impact given its population, economic activity and involvement as an investor, producer and a consumer. All these make it unique and strategic to maintain diplomatic relations with its neighbors, both big and small. However, this does not mean that India is given a ‘blank check’ to function politically in the region at its own whims and fancies as each neighbor is also sovereign nation, has active democracies and is as mature as Indian polity. These neighbors cannot be undermined or bypassed in any decision of regional significance. 
Whether it is the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP), the Congress Party or any other coalition, India’s next set of leaders must remember that each of them is a party of Indian democracy or the state and while it maintains its own territorial integrity so must India honor and respect the same of the neighbors. The big brothers could easily forget their responsibility because they feel they can operate ‘big’, simply because they are BIG, but this ‘bigness’ cannot be allowed to make and break those rules of engagements in the region. They must evolve softer diplomatic approaches suitable to the times.  
Disgraced Diego Garcia 
The Post-Manmohan era is decisive for India to re-divert from her ‘on the fence foreign policy’ of the last few years that has weakened its regional geopolitical powerbase. This also raises key regional issues with the new findings on the secretly developed Diego Garcia military cantonment by the US with wheeler-dealer collaboration by the UK government with the shameful act of displacement of the native population into Mauritius (one needs to separately discuss its puppetry politics). 
India being an influential nation on the regional theatre of South Asia it would have been in India’s own national security interests not to allow the USA and the UK to get away with these scandalous infringements on human rights without a word of objection.  It is the view of most political commentators,  that India perhaps saw the schizophrenic and unjust ways embedded in the UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka, mooted and supported by the US and UK, a resolution that was discredited by the member nations by their conspicuous abstention. India is being congratulated for its controversial abstention at a very high cost for the governing party in the threshold of its elections. Perhaps India foresaw the hypocritical power dynamics of the US and the UK on the question of Diego Garcia. 
I am reminded of the late Sri Lankan premier Sirimavo RD Bandaranaike when she was the chairperson of the Non Aligned Movement in the 1970s — she called both on the International community and the other regional powers to seriously object to the military entrenchment of the US on these islands.  She vehemently campaigned to declare Indian Ocean as a Peace Zone, and now we know that what she along with other leaders had in mind – not allowing Diego Garcia to be anyone’s military base. Today it stands as one of the most strategic military locations of the United States and its CIA’s unseen network. 
It is in India’s own self-interest and security that its regional role needs to be revamped. It is not healthy for India’s political future to have the United States doing what it does in India’s backyard, especially considering that her neighbors are increasingly looking to develop stronger ties with China.
India must speak about the militarization of Diego Garcia islands with other regional leaders and needs to campaign to bring justice to the forcefully ousted native population of this enchanting island. Secondly, it is imperative for the new regime of India brings the issue of the militarization of Diego Garcia and the future of the island to the attention of the United Nations, working closely with its South Asian, East African and the far Eastern allies with a separate resolution to be mooted against United States and the UK governments on the issue of  human rights violation of the native population of the island. This indeed is a post Manmohan strategy for India and could re-attract the South Asian nations for an era of innovative regional politics. China could easily be an ally in this campaign and not a competitor of India, a new way for the new regime of India to recommit to fresh Indochina diplomatic relations.

– See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/lens/item/28769-india%E2%80%99s-prosperity-depends-on-healthy-diplomatic-relations.html#sthash.mljM9e9v.dpuf

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