Is India softening stand on neighbours after pushback?

October 14, 2015 02:00 am | Updated 07:24 am IST - NEW DELHI:

In the first indication that the government is considering a softening of position after facing a pushback from Nepal and the Maldives, officials on Tuesday acknowledged that India “needs a balance” on the neighbourhood. “We need to find ways of working with our neighbourhood by which they also feel their interests have been advanced and we also feel that our interests have been advanced.” In an explanation of India’s neighbourhood policy a senior official said, “If we have beliefs and interests and affinities, we need to abide by that. We can’t micromanage our neighbours, but we can’t ignore the issues either.”

The official was responding to questions over India’s handling of relations with the two countries that has come in for criticism in recent months. On Nepal, where India is accused of a blockade on fuel supplies after Nepal pushed through a constitution that has provisions India believes would harm Madhesi interests, the official, who didn’t wish to be named said “getting the balance right has historically been the challenge for us. Sometimes when you are in the middle of things there is a sense you have gone too sharply in one direction, sometimes we have pushed too hard in the opposite direction.” While denying that India had interfered in the Nepal constitution process by pushing the Madhesi cause, the official said that India had spoken to leaders from across the political spectrum, with the objective “that all stakeholders should be taken along.” The official said that India’s main concerns over the constitution: on proportional inclusion, constituency delimitation and provincial boundaries were being addressed by the new government in Nepal, and India was hopeful of a resolution of other issues. The statement signifies a softening of the Indian position that the constitution in its present form is unacceptable.

The biggest development has been the turnaround in India’s position on the election of K.P. Sharma Oli, who was until last week seen as “anti-India” and “hypernationalist” by New Delhi, but now has been warmly feted, despite the fact that the government had hoped former PM Sushil Koirala would be re-elected. Shortly after the election on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned PM Oli and “conveyed his hearty congratulations” on the “democratic and orderly elections.” The statement was a first, as in the past month all MEA statements on Nepal have been full of concern and critical of the constitution process. In sharp contrast, Mr. Oli was congratulated by members of the cabinet as well as BJP leaders. Explaining the shift, the senior official said that India had been heartened by the “evolving position” assumed by the new Prime Minister, and pointed to talks with Madhesi leaders as well as an 8-point agreement signed by Mr. Oli’s party the UML, Maoists, Royalists and Tharu groups promising to consider the necessary amendments to the constitution in the upcoming parliament session.

On Maldives too, India seems to have taken a step back from the hard stand it had taken in March this year, when PM Modi had cancelled his visit to Male at the last hour over the treatment of former President Mohammad Nasheed. The move had been accompanied by several sharp statements criticising the government of President Yameen, and calling on him to ensure a fair trial for Mr. Nasheed as well as give his opposition MDP “place for political dissent.” Six months later, India has considerably changed its tone, and despite Mr. Nasheed being returned to prison after a brief reprieve at home, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj travelled to Male to hold the first joint commission meeting in 15 years. India has also made no statement on a UN trial verdict that ruled in favour of Mr. Nasheed on October 6th and said his trial had been “unfair”. Officials also played down a statement by President Yameen’s officie, issued as Ms. Swaraj was leaving Male that said he had told her “that this government will not tolerate foreign parties to interfere with the country’s domestic issues.” According to the senior official, the comment wasn’t aimed at India but at the “Commonwealth and other countries that have criticised the Maldives.”

The comments by the official, who did not wish to be named indicate a new position in New Delhi, could indicate a shift in the way India has dealt with the neighbours in the past, where it has been accused of being heavy-handed, with effigies of Prime Minister Modi and the tricolour being burnt in Kathmandu. However, the official pointed to relations with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, after Prime Minister Modi met with President Sirisena and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, adding “Relations with some of our neighbours are making swift progress. But perhaps good relations don’t make news the way bad relations do.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.