Last Updated on 12/08/2024 by wccexam Desk
There has been a lot of change in geopolitics in recent times. Especially in South Asia. And India has been the most affected by this. For example, the coup in Bangladesh is no less than a shock for India.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee once said- ‘You can change friends, but not neighbors.’ The biggest problem with India is that it has not got very good neighbors.
There is not a single neighbour of India where there is political stability. There was Bangladesh, which was politically and economically stable, but last week there was a coup there too. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to resign and leave Bangladesh. Currently Sheikh Hasina is in India.
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Barring Bhutan, all the neighbouring countries have governments whose stance is considered anti-India. The power in Nepal changed only last month and now there is a pro-China government there. Bangladesh currently has an interim government and Mohammad Yunus is its head. But elections will be held there in a few months and there is a possibility of a government coming to power which may adopt an anti-India stance.
How big is the crisis in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh was formed with the help of India and since then the relations between the two countries were excellent. But now Sheikh Hasina not being in power can be difficult for India. Sheikh Hasina has been closer to India and her being in power has been beneficial for India.
Last month, Sheikh Hasina went on a tour to China. But she left the tour midway and returned. As soon as she returned to Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina made a big announcement for India. She said that both India and China are interested in the Teesta project, but she wants India to complete it.
Now after Sheikh Hasina has come to power, the possibility of an anti-India government coming to power has increased. Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami may form a government. They are believed to be more inclined towards Islamic fundamentalism. BNP is closer to Pakistan than India and China benefits from this because Pakistan is its good friend.
Not only this, Sheikh Hasina’s government has also been sensitive about terrorism. Action was taken against anti-India terrorist groups during her government. But now the threat of infiltration of terrorists from Bangladesh has also increased.
Instability in Bangladesh is a matter of concern not just for India but also for Bangladesh. Because already unemployment and inflation are a big problem there. Therefore, Bangladesh would also like its relations with India to remain as they are, because it will benefit economically.
However, now there is a possibility of Bangladesh moving closer to China. Sheikh Hasina’s government used to maintain a balance between India and China. Protesters at the Prime Minister’s residence in Bangladesh. (File photo-PTI)
Is China surrounding India’s neighbors?
Sri Lanka has been going through instability for a long time. The reason for this is China. Pakistan has been an enemy of India since independence. Myanmar has also been under military rule for many years. Mohammad Muizzu, who is considered a supporter of China, became the President of Maldives last year. In Nepal too, China supporter KP Sharma Oli became the Prime Minister last month.
– Bhutan: Bhutan, which is surrounded by land on all sides, is now seen moving closer to China. Talks to resolve the border dispute with China are in the final stages. The area which is in dispute between China and Bhutan also includes the 269 sq km Doklam. The other area is the 495 sq km Jakarlung and Pasamlung hilly area. China has proposed that it will give up its claim on the 495 sq km area if Bhutan gives it the 269 sq km Doklam. If both of them agree on this, then the Chinese army will come closer to India. In 2017, there was tension between India and China for 76 days in Doklam itself.
– Nepal: Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was removed from power only last month. Now KP Sharma Oli is the Prime Minister here. Prachanda was considered pro-India, while Oli is closer to China. When Oli was the Prime Minister, Nepal had announced to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project in 2017. Not only this, Oli’s attitude towards India has also not been positive. In 2019, while being the Prime Minister, Oli had declared India’s Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal. In May 2020, a new map of Nepal was also released, in which these three areas were declared as its part.
– Maldives: Mohammad Muizzu won the presidential election last year. Muizzu fought his entire election on the ‘India Out’ campaign. Muizzu is considered a supporter of China. After Muizzu became the president, relations between India and Maldives kept deteriorating. Before Muizzu, Ibrahim Mohammed Solih was the president. India and Maldives relations became even stronger during Solih’s government. During Muizzu’s government, Maldives signed 20 agreements with China to reduce its dependence on India. However, now the Muizzu government is changing its policy regarding India. Maldives says that it is confident that whenever it is in trouble, India will be the first to respond.
– Myanmar: It has been battling civil war for more than three and a half years. In February 2021, the army here removed the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Currently, Army Chief Min Aung is running the government here. It is said that 50% of the areas have been captured by the rebels. Myanmar is considered close to China, but under military rule it has come closer to China. China has been a member of BRI since 2017 and China’s debt on it is continuously increasing. According to a report, Myanmar may soon go bankrupt.
– Sri Lanka: There is a serious economic crisis here since 2022. China was the reason for Sri Lanka’s economic ruin. During Rajapaksa’s government, closeness between Sri Lanka and China increased. China bankrupted Sri Lanka by giving loans. When Sri Lanka declared itself bankrupt in April 2022, it had a debt of more than $ 51 billion. However, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who became the President after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ousted from power, has improved the economy. Elections are going to be held in Sri Lanka in September-October this year. Wickremesinghe will contest it as an independent. If Wickremesinghe wins, then it is fine for India. But if any other party or alliance wins, then it will be a matter of concern for India. Chinese President Xi Jinping. (File photo)
Pakistan is an enemy from the beginning
Relations between India and Pakistan have been tense since the partition in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars so far. Two of these wars have been for Kashmir. And there is always tension on the border.
In Pakistan’s history so far, the army has ruled for half the time. And the other half when a democratically elected government has come to power, its stance has been anti-India.
Pakistan has been close to China for a long time. China has also invested billions of dollars there. An economic corridor is also being built between China and Pakistan under the BRI project, more than 80% of the cost of which is being borne by China.
Pakistan’s economy is also getting worse due to China’s debt. Its currency is continuously weakening. This is also causing a bad inflation.
What is India doing?
To keep its neighbours together and away from China, India has been helping its neighbouring countries a lot. In the budget for 2024-25, India has kept a fund of about four thousand crore rupees to help its seven neighbours.
Leaving Pakistan aside, India has spent thousands of crores of rupees on all its neighbours in the past years. In fact, South Asia is becoming a ‘battlefield’ for both China and India.
Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has reached all South Asian countries. By doing this, it has surrounded India from all sides. In such a situation, it is necessary to give economic help to India to reduce China’s influence in these countries.
The NDA government is trying to keep its neighbours with it through the ‘Neighbour First Policy’. It is important for India to keep these countries close to itself to reduce China’s influence.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)