Three years ago, when Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi invited the heads of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations at his swearing-in ceremony on the lawns of the Rashtrapati Bhavan May 26, 2014, he tried to articulate that improving and strengthening ties with neighbours was among his top priorities. Soon after he assumed power, Modi visited Bhutan and Nepal, while he sent External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Bangladesh on a goodwill mission.
In fact, Modi has been particularly proactive on the foreign policy front, visiting as many as 55 nations during his three-year tenure. From June 25, he will embark on another round of foreign visits that will cover the United States, the Netherlands and Israel. Unfortunately, despite the hullabaloo over the Prime Minister’s foreign policy, relations with the immediate neighbours, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka, continue to deteriorate. India launched the GSAT-9 (also known as South Asia Satellite) May 5 this year with a view to improve cooperation among SAARC nations. However, Pakistan refused to be part of the programme, which aims to enhance communication, provide information regarding natural resources and boost education and telemedicine in the region.
Though India claims to be aiming for comprehensive development in South Asia, SAARC members are unwilling to unite with India on many issues of mutual benefit. SAARC has completed nearly 32 years of its creation as a regional cooperation organisation. On the other hand, organisations such as the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that came into existence after SAARC, are flourishing. In fact, the members of EU and ASEAN share a lot of common issues and are on the same page vis-à-vis problems pertaining to development.
Compared with other SAARC members, India is bigger in terms of area, population and even GDP. This, coupled with the rise of Hindu radicalism after Modi assumed power at the Centre, has only helped to create an atmosphere of mistrust and fear among its neighbours.
Growing animosity between India and Pakistan is not the only obstacle in the path of a successful SAARC. Today, thanks to the BJP-led government’s foreign policy mishandling, even Nepal and Sri Lanka are unwilling to be on board with India.
It will be difficult for SAARC to function as a unified organisation unless India and Pakistan, two largest members of the body, mend their relations. In contrast, relations between EU members remain cooperative. The two world wars and hostilities prior to them have taught the people of Europe that divisionism can be catastrophic. While other groups have been striving to solve plaguing issues such as poverty, unemployment, education, health, environment and terrorism, external security threat from their neighbours has become the top most agenda for SAARC members. India has poured fuel on that raging fire.
As far as SAARC is concerned, it has always remained a game of one-upmanship for India and Pakistan. As all member nations of SAARC share common boundaries with India, the country is in a unique position to provide competent leadership to the movement. Unfortunately, India has never been able to rise to the occasion, focused as it is on petty politics and its Pakistan obsession. Some expected Modi, who claimed to try and promote regional cooperation and harmony, to be able to provide such leadership. But his myopic vision and focus on internal vote bank politics have limited him to defending his own party and flock. Rhetoric is of little use as far as foreign policy is concerned; there action must speak louder than words.