India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy faces significant challenges as strained relations with neighbouring countries highlight unresolved tensions.
WHILE THE Narendra Modi government’s foreign policy successes abroad are evident, issues persist in India’s immediate neighbourhood, with almost all adjoining countries having problems with India despite its “Neighbourhood First” policy.
After the advent of the Modi government in 2014, relations between India and China initially improved, and bonhomie was evident during the meetings between Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping.
However, tensions escalated following remarks on Aksai Chin by the Union Home Minister in 2019 and the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020, leading to a low point in Indo-China relations over the past several decades. Over 50,000 soldiers from both countries faced each other in the Ladakh area for over three years.
Of late, some efforts are being made towards de-escalation following a meeting between Modi and Xi, but the two countries have a long way to go before the restoration of complete confidence.
As with China, India’s relations with Pakistan have also remained strained. Modi invited the then Prime Minister of Pakistan to his first swearing-in ceremony and even paid an unscheduled visit to the neighbouring country.
However, relations plummeted after the Pulwama attack and the Balakot strikes inside Pakistan. Since then, the relationship has remained in a deep freeze. Trade and commerce between the two nations are now at a standstill, despite the huge potential to benefit the citizens of both countries.
The major failure of the government’s foreign policy, however, relates to other neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
In Bangladesh, while India had been backing the now-ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it evidently failed to gauge the deep resentment prevailing in the country against her rule. The fact that she has fled to India and remains sheltered here following the popular uprising against her is also something neither the interim government nor the citizens of Bangladesh are relishing.
The violent attacks on temples and Hindus in Bangladesh are the worst since the formation of the country, in which India had played a key role. The Modi government needs to realize that the Hindu-Muslim narrative within India is having an impact on its neighbouring countries as well.
The potential implementation of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has further strained relations, given the perception that many illegal migrants have crossed over to India from Bangladesh.
India’s relations with landlocked Nepal are currently at a low ebb. Despite significant financial aid over the last decade, India’s efforts to prevent Nepal’s tilt towards China have faltered. For the first time ever, Nepal’s new Prime Minister chose China for his first official visit abroad, breaking the tradition of visiting India first.
The new Prime Minister, KP Oli, has a track record of India-baiting. Citizens of Nepal continue to perceive that India supported the economic blockade in 2015, although the government has denied this charge.
Additionally, Nepal’s recent decision to issue currency notes with a new map showing disputed areas as part of its territory has further strained relations. Even Bhutan is flexing its muscles by leveraging China as a counterbalance.
Sri Lanka recently witnessed the advent of the National People’s Power (NPP), a centre-left outfit that came into existence only in 2019.
Although the new Sri Lankan President, Anura Dissanayake, is scheduled to visit India on his first official trip abroad, the Marxist leanings of his party may incline Sri Lanka’s foreign policy towards China.
Similarly, India’s relationship with the strategically important Maldives is also under strain. Its President, Mohamed Muizzu, is a known India-baiter, and his party won the election on the plank of the “India Out” campaign.
He pushed for the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives immediately after being elected and promised new projects backed by China. While he eventually visited India, his first official trip abroad was to China, signalling a shift in priorities.
With India having a career diplomat as its External Affairs Minister, it is imperative that more attention is paid to its neighbours. India must avoid adopting a “big brother” attitude towards its smaller neighbours and ensure that the “Neighbourhood First” policy is implemented in both letter and spirit. 
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Vipin Pubby
The author, a freelance journalist, is a former Resident Editor of Indian Express, Chandigarh, and reported on the political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern India, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in his long, illustrious career.
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