Befriending India’s Smaller Neighbours

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#5kaurasach
(They should send all the illegals packing, erect bigger and stronger fences. otherwise, not far w bengal will be part of Bangladesh soon.)

You and millions of Sikhs live in other countries to better yourself and you don’t want bangladeshes to do same.

You make hypocrisy a virtue.

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i think India should take a plebicite in the northest and float a different nation. that will teach bangla-deshis a nice lesson in statecraft with a turbulant nation on their east :-)

i dont think making nice to any states is important, its stupid to expect politicians not exploiting emotions. have a long-term view, and pursue consistent policies of economic development for the whole region. in short, drop the nehru`s pandit ideals of india being a great leader and follow bania politics of profits and prosperity.

but in the meanwhile, what to do with cheap bengali labor? well, its a boon to many enterprenuers like bihari labor was to panjabi and haryanvi farmers. even shivsena has stopped talking about it. i think too many bengalis now in smita thakres labor union.

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Nikki7777, you should desist from posting hate messages here (Where is Chowk-Staff when you need them?) Its a discussion forum, not a hate site for your bigoted mind. I only pity you for having so narrow minded approach and a black heart filled with nothing but sheer hatred for Pakistanis. Instead of objectively delving on the topic and discussing it you have launched a hate vendetta against a country. Correctly depicts the country you hail from....

No one is asking India to be apologetic to neighbours. I have just illustrated that small things will help India and its neighbours economically. Things like the Tuticorin-Colombo ferry. Both countries stand to make money there.

As for Bangladesh, no Indian living away from the Northeast will understand how difficult it is to make the arduous journey across the Siliguri corridor, which by the way is perpetually in danger of being blocked by Gorkhaland bandhs. People from states like Manipur and Tripura would save a lot of money by travelling across Bangladesh into ``Central India``.

India has a potential economic gold mine in the Northeast and it`s about time that development of these areas is prioritised.

re: nikki7777, harish_hyd

Firstly, you have misunderstood the phrase ``smaller neighbours`` in the title of this article. Ajay is not including Pakistan in this group, otherwise he would have used the word ``neighbours`` instead of ``smaller neighbours``. This article discusses how to improve India`s relationship with BIMSTEC members who are smaller in size than Pakistan. Ajay is right when says that ``India has absolutely no territorial disputes with its smaller neighbours`` because none of the BIMSTEC members has any territorial disputes with India.

Therefore India-Pakistan relationship is not the issue here. My post #2 applies specifically to the BIMSTEC interrelationships, and not the Indo-Pak context. A paternalistic approach toward other BIMSTEC members can enable India to gain the same influence that US enjoys with NAFTA members (Canada and Mexico). Canada and Mexico routinely support the US position in international relations. Most US companies have offshore manufacturing facilities in Mexico. Mexicans and Canadians can easily travel to/from the US through a TN visa that is issued at the border. Even the tax laws in the 3 countries are similar.

If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting an arrogant approach toward BIMSTEC members. I can assure you that this approach will backfire. Not only will India lose its leverage with these countries, it will also push these countries closer to Pakistan and China.

I agree with Amit. India need not be apologetic to her neighbors. Those countries that choose hostility over friendship can only do so at their own peril. India`s clout or stature have neither diminished nor enhanced due to her neighbors.

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Lets look east more and more. Things that actually matter happen there.

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Good Article.

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re: Ajay

You have hit the nail on the head. To position India as a regional leader in South Asia and a global leader, the Indian government must carefully follow a paternalistic attitude towards its neighbors. Some version of the Gujral Doctrine may be helpful. However, this is a fine balancing act. Paternalism can sometimes also be seen by neighbors as interference in their internal affairs. To avoid this pitfall, India should focus on trade, economic and visa concessions to its neighbors... but not lecture them on their domestic politics. Those neighbors that still adopt a hostile attitude toward India should be boycotted.

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I don`t see why India needs to be so apologetic about its size and power. We should treat our neighbors with respect. However, that does not mean that we have to bend over backwards to accommodate their sensitive feelings. Is it our responsibility to make Nepal or Bangladesh prosperous? Is it our responsibility to provide livelihood to Bangladeshi workers at the cost of our own people? These countries need to manage their own affairs, keep their people within their borders and have a normal, mutually beneficial relationship with India based on trade, commerce and mutual security. Beyond that, we don`t need to genuflect at their feet.