Looking to Asia: Indian Foreign Policy In Transition
Looking to Asia: Indian Foreign Policy In Transition
As India gets ready to charge forward under its leaders following the conclusion of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, there is a strong move towards building strategic alliances in Asia. As the new government is set to take charge with the PM being sworn in on the 26th May, expectations towards building India's foreign policy towards a new direction takes shape. In a possible move that indicates India is ready to embark on deeper relationship with its neighbours, heads of the SAARC nations have been invited to the ceremony on May 26.
India's equation with the West has been changing over the past years. In more recent times, India attained massive success in furthering ties with Middle East neighbours. During the month of February this year, in the same week Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Foreign Minister of Iran Javad Zarif visited India. India's PM designate Narendra Modi has taken the initiative to extend an unprecedented invite to Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif and other SAARC heads.
Efforts are on to try and rebuild relationships with Asian neighbours such as Pakistan so that India has the advantage of progressing forward to build ties. While checking the anti-India terror activity is an important precondition for improving bilateral ties with neighbouring nations such as Pakistan, this seems to be a good step forward in foreign policy according to experts.
Most SAARC leaders are expected to attend the ceremony including President Hamid Karzai. Sri Lankan president Mahindra Rajapaksa has confirmed that he will be attending the ceremony. Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina has to travel to Japan during that time, but the Speaker of the Parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury will be attending the ceremony.
During his campaign, Mr. Modi had emphasized on the need to be tough with illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and LOC provocations from Pakistan. With this new move, the Modi government seems eager to build deeper ties with both nations. Heads of other neighbouring SAARC countries, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM Sushil Koirala and Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom have also confirmed their attendance for the oath taking ceremony.
It has also been announced that the new PM will hold bilateral talks on the sidelines with leaders. The aim is to express a larger commitment to improve relations with neighbouring nations. In recent times, things may change for the better. Earlier, the Pakistan PM had professed close ties with India yet did not concede NDMA (non discriminatory market access) to India in a bid to normalize trade relations. This had impacted Indo-Pak relations in an adverse manner.
But with new initiatives been taken by the the new government, India's foreign policy is making a shift. The US government has been trying to rebuild ties with India but New Delhi is taking the plunge to look eastward now. The venue for the swearing in ceremony is said to be the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, according to media reports.
While Pakistan has indicated its willingness to engage in a “sustained, meaningful and result oriented” dialogue, there are wheels within wheels. Pakistani diplomats have indicated that the initiative for this dialogue has to come from New Delhi. In stepping forward when it comes to foreign policy, the challenges faced by India under a new government are to be met. Looking towards Asia for a prosperous future is a new direction in some ways. Building brand India is what is on the cards for the new government as well as members of the opposition.
