India and its Neighbours GS 2 Mains Notes by UPSC Topper Ravisankar Sarma

INDIA – AFGHANISTAN

                The recent U.S South Asia Policy puts India into the limelight of the Afghan Peace Process. As a tempestuous neighbour and the gateway to Central and West Asia, Afghanistan resembles the Heart of Asia for India that bleeds but provides an artery of trade to the Centre and West.

Connectivity

AIR Corridor

• It is a part of India’s Look West policy as well as the ‘Connect Central Asia’ policy which seeks to reduce connectivity barriers to Afghan and other central Asian countries which have been a major roadblock in having fruitful economic and foreign relations with the Central Asia countries
• Helps India to circumvent Pakistan and establish a trade route with Central Asia

trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan to ensure multimodal connectivity

Infrastructure projects of India in Afghanistan

• India provides $2 billion in aid to Afghanistan
• India has developed the Zaranj-Delaram highway, Herat Dam, Doshi-Charikar Power project and Afghanistan’s Parliament Complex

WAY FORWARD

India should look beyond the mere prism of circumventing Pakistan in advancing connectivity projects. It should look to extend its geographical reach where commerce avenues are brought up in Central Asia, Russia and then Europe.

Peace Process in Afghanistan

Current Scenario

The new administration in the U.S has put immense pressure on Pakistan to ramp up its efforts to mitigate terrorism and has committed to placement of troops with non-bound timelines. It has asked India to increase its economic engagements with Afghanistan to play a key role in its socio-economic revival through providing the requisite line of credit

India’s role in Afghanistan

• Supplier of Credit for Economic Development: India has many infrastructure projects in Afghanistan and is focused on socio-economic emancipation of the Afghan society through Human Development activities with special focus on women and children
  • Air Corridor to boost trade
  • Zaranj- Delaram Highway for improved connectivity and impetus to trade
  • Selma Dam / India- Afghan friendship dam
• Building Political Institutions: As the largest democracy in the world and due to its location, India has a commitment to build institutions of democracy in Afghanistan which has been hitherto subjected to autocracy and rule of terror
  • Parliament of Afghanistan
• Leveraging Civilizational Values: India and Afghanistan share close cultural relationships reflected in shared historical culture of Buddhism, Bollywood and business. India can fruitfully use these cultural relations to improve its trade and economic engagements
• Cooperation in Space: India has launched the GSAT-9 or the South Asian satellite which can provide valuable information to SAARC countries including Afghanistan for humanitarian assistance, disaster management, weather prediction and multiple other uses

Geo-Political Scenario in Afghanistan

• S has decided to indefinitely continue its deployment of troops in Afghanistan. It has identified India as its key partner in securing peace and stability in Afghanistan while Pakistan has been identified as incapable to bring peace to Afghanistan
• S has not put its tough stance on Pakistan into action evidenced by provision of 700 million $ in fund to Pakistan for counter-terrorism
• India is intent on institution building and bringing economic development to war ravaged region of Afghanistan. A stable Afghanistan is in India’s best interest as it would
  • Prevent the export of fundamentalism
  • Reduce drug trafficking as it is part of the golden quadrilateral
  • Deny Pakistan strategic space
  • Provide impetus to India’s connectivity projects to Central Asia
  • Ensure the safety of India’s investments in Afghanistan: Selma Dam, TAPI, Zaranj-Delaram Highway, Hajigat Mines
• Russia is concerned about the infiltration of IS into Afghanistan and its confrontations with the Taliban. IS-K’s strategic location provides it access points to Central issue which raises concern for Russia’s security.
• China is also wary of IS-K’s location in eastern and northern parts of Afghanistan and fear that the Xianjiang province could be further destabilized. Stability is also a key concern for its BRI projects mainly the CPEC and hence China desires a stable Pakistan
• Pakistan views India’s economic integration with Afghanistan as the loss of its own economic leverage over the region

Way Forward

• A growing tripartite alliance between Russia, China and Pakistan was on display when they attempted to negotiate and strike a deal with the Taliban. However, U.S, Afghanistan and India opposed the negotiation as their participation was not involved.
• The growing indifference between stakeholder states and fractionalization of interest provides fuel to the unending war and instability in Afghanistan. A coordinated approach involving all states culminating in a win-win approach is hence necessary to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan

Conclusion

India needs to support an Afghan-led Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled reconciliation process within the framework of Afghan constitution and the internationally accepted red lines. It shall focus on economic development and political institution building refraining from direct military engagements to safeguard its strategic autonomy and conserve manpower

India-Bangladesh

Introduction

                The Indo-Bangladesh relation that birthed in the womb of history in a tempestuous South Asia now has transcended into a new phase with the rise of the Dragon in Asia. In the evolving geopolitical scenario, India’s relationship with Bangladesh holds a mirror to India’s Neighbourhood First Policy.

Economic Relations

• Cabinet approves Joint Interpretive Notes to boost India-Bangladesh relations
• JIN aims to promote and protect investments – MFN, Definition of investment and investor, Exclusion of tax measures and expeditious settlement of disputes between investor and contractor
• Bangladesh has inked a 5 billion $ worth line of credit with India for development in health, education and infrastructure
• India is providing Bangladesh with ICT assistance

Defence Cooperation

Naval Cooperation:

• India and Bangladesh have instituted CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) featuring the two navies. This can enhance material support, training, EEZ surveillance and hydrographic assistance between the two nations
• IMMSAREX: Bangladesh hosted the multilateral naval exercise between nations of the Indian Ocean Rim in which India was a key participant as a founding member of IONS

Army Cooperation: India and Bangladesh together conduct the SAMPRITI exercise to boost joint cooperation in army related matters.

Issues

Assam Citizenship Registry: Bangladesh is concerned that the formulation of Assam registry of individuals to determine their citizenship status would trigger a mass exodus of refugees to Bangladesh straining their resources and threatening the stability of democratic rule

Conclusion

                India needs to transform its party-centric relation with Bangladesh to one founded on values of cooperation, co-existence and mutual respect drawing on the ideals of Panchasheel and the spirit of the Land Boundary Agreement.