Mending fences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear from the day he took office that he intended to follow an activist foreign policy and make India’s presence felt on the world stage — so much so that his hectic travel schedule became the subject of innumerable jokes. Thus, it’s all the more astonishing that this government has blundered conspicuously in its dealings with our closest neighbours. Fortunately, one thorn in our side appears to have been pulled out now by the Maldives’ voters who’ve given their increasingly authoritarian President Abdulla Yameen a decisive thumbs-down. India has been watching helplessly as China muscled its way into the Maldives, financing a 2-km-long bridge from Male to the airport on a neighbouring island and taking over the contract to upgrade the airport from GMR. The Chinese even acquired an island, Feydhoo Finolhu, ostensibly for tourism, by paying just $4 million. Yameen was feted in Beijing last December and given a ceremonial welcome at China’s Great Hall of the People. India’s hoping the new government will tilt further in our direction, but annual debt repayments will ensure that the Chinese retain considerable influence there.

For decades, India has considered South Asia, with the exception of Pakistan, as being within its unquestioned sphere of influence. But that assumption has been challenged by the rise of an increasingly muscular China which is enticing the countries in our neighbourhood with wads of cash and gigantic infrastructure projects under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Our foreign policy mandarins have the electorate in neighbouring countries to thank if the situation hasn’t worsened for India. In January 2015, the Sri Lankans rejected former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who brought in the Chinese to build Hambantota Port. The current government’s more pro-Indian but has had to cede Hambantota to the Chinese because of mounting debt, giving China a base in our backyard. More recently, India was on the verge of building a naval base in the Seychelles but the deal was rejected at the last moment.

Elsewhere, we have made unnecessary mistakes and the Chinese have quickly capitalised. Modi’s first foreign visit was to Nepal and he was keen to build strong ties there. But relations soured after the Nepalese blamed India for the 2015 blockade. Meanwhile, the Chinese have moved quickly and offered their ports for Nepal’s goods even though it may be little more than a gesture in real terms. India’s one conspicuous foreign policy success has been in Bangladesh where relations with Sheikh Hasina have been smooth. But unnecessary tensions have been created by BJP President Amit Shah’s “termites” reference when talking about illegal immigrants. Such blunders can be catastrophic. To counter rising Chinese influence, India needs to focus on boosting regional trade. With geographic, cultural and historical ties thrown in, allowing easier trade with our neighbours might well be the glue that holds this patchwork together.