NARENDRA Modi was sworn-in as Indian Prime Minister for the third consecutive term on June 9, 2024 in a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremony was attended by leaders of seven regional countries. Pakistan was excluded from the list of invitees which goes against the norms and traditions. At this occasion, India unveiled its first ever “neighbourhood first” Policy. The dynamics of this policy are unclear; nevertheless, it is a clear copy to Chinese neighbourhood policy, pronounced by President Hu Jintao in the first decade of 21st century. This policy was aimed at peaceful rise of China while taking along all the neighbourhood states of the Asian Continent. The Chinese neighbourhood policy was based on good neighbourly relationship and close cooperation with all neighbourly countries without any hegemonic agenda. Indian track record has been quite different in the last few decades, since it had tried to create hegemony in South Asia and even in South East Asia which backfired in most of the cases.
It was very surprising that immediately upon assuming the charge of External Affair Minister for 2nd term, Mr Jaishankar said, “With Pakistan, we would want to find a solution to the issue of years-old cross-border terrorism, explaining further that this relationship cannot be the policy of a good neighbour, an offensive gesture and pessimistic message to Pakistan. While assuming the charge of foreign minister for the second consecutive term, these remarks of Mr Jaishankar were unwarranted, untimely and disparaging for a nuclear neighbour like Pakistan. Terrorism is a serious issue which must be discussed in totality. Indeed, since the beginning of 21st century, India is constantly engaged in the promotion and sponsoring of terrorism and militancy in Pakistan.
India has been using the Afghan soil and soil of other Pakistani neighbours for the training, arming, financing and abetment of terrorist groups. Indian officials including its National Security Advisor, Mr Ajit Kumar Doval, are on record saying that how India is promoting terrorism and militancy in Pakistan. Indeed, this Indian policy is not new; rather India tried to overpower all neighbours right from 1947. As a successor state of British India, the Indian leadership assumed all the roles of its colonial masters right from its independence in 1947. This fact was later interpreted by Indian writer, Bhabani Sen Gupta in his writing about the Indian future strategy in South Asia and beyond. Mr Gupta clearly outlined Indian goals as a regional hegemony. He said, “The Indian elephant cannot transform itself into a mouse. If South Asia is to get itself out of the crippling binds of conflicts and cleavages, the six will have to accept the bigness of the seventh.
Pakistan is the only country that staunchly resisted Indian hegemony, which ultimately led to its disintegration in 1971 following ethnic tensions in former East Pakistan. Since then, India has been accused of continuously destabilizing Pakistan through direct and indirect means, including alleged support for terrorism and extremism. This has severely undermined Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moreover, India’s influence has extended to Bhutan and Nepal since the 1950s, culminating in the forced integration of Sikkim in 1975 despite opposition from China. Bhutan has struggled to achieve diplomatic independence despite a 2007 agreement, while Nepal, despite its Hindu majority, remained under Indian influence for over seven decades. Nepal’s attempts to assert independence were met with challenges, including the Maoist insurgency that persisted until 2006.
The tiny island state of South Asia, the Maldives has been badly influenced by India since the decade of 1980s. India stage-managed a drama of attacking and rescuing this state in 1988 and thereafter New Delhi has been constantly dominating over its policies, ruling elite and the domestic hierarchical system. The country is struggling to come out from Indian influence after the election of pro-independence leader Dr Mohamed Muizzu in 2023. He asked India to clear his country from Indian nationals immediately, after assuming the power in 2023. The three-decade long insurgency of LTTE against the Government of Sri Lanka was fully supported by India. Indeed, Indian bid to become a real regional hegemony was countered by the Sri Lankan military once India sent its heavy military forces for the peace keeping mission in that country in 1987. In Afghanistan, the entire Indian involvement is aimed at destabilizing Pakistan through promotion of terrorism while making use of Afghan soil. The Afghan Taliban Government is cooperating with India in a bid to destabilize Pakistan through terrorism and militancy.
Despite copying the Chinese model of good neighbourly policy, India cannot match China. India is a hard state and has a clear hegemonic policy towards its neighbouring states. Indeed, Indian strategy against its neighbours is based on: imposition of Indian Order in South Asia. This strategy is all about the subjugation of South Asian States which runs counter to the essence of the modern state system. In this entire Indian drive, Pakistan has been the sole obstacle against Indian subjugation of South Asia and its hegemonic designs. There is a time now that Pakistan must clearly expose the Indian track record of promoting and funding terrorism in Pakistan. Pakistani political parties must come out from internal differences and petty issues of domestic politics and work for the national interests of Pakistan by bringing political stability and economic development to the country.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
