Lesson- Civil Services Mains -EXAM - General Studies - Paper 2

I am posting a lesson, on India and neighbourhood, for Civil Services Main Examination, General Studies, Paper 2. Thanks.

D.V.K Rao.     

           INDIA AND IT’S NEIGHBOURHOOD

‘You can choose your friends, not your neighbors

-Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Indian Prime Minister.

Two ex-presidents of the United States were being briefed about the emerging scenarios in the Indian Ocean when they got interested about the islands, Andaman and Nicobar and when informed of these being with India, they looked incredulous. ‘What? Assets the British created for India? These islands are closer to Myanmar, Indonesia than India,’ exclaimed one of them. Most ex-presidents of United State, of course, launch on global excursions expending on their glorious innings. To understand India’s foreign policy and appreciate it in the context of its neighborhood, it is imperative that we first look at what the British left us as a legacy, heritage and tradition.

During the nineteenth century, after the British Crown took over the administration of India in 1858, the dominant them was the ‘Great Game,’ the struggle to contain Russian, Persian and Afghan influence in India’s northern areas. Fixation with Afghanistan after the inglorious exit following debacle in 1840-41 occupied most plans. Afghans proved tough nuts, standing up to the British in 1877, 1920 etc. Russia extended silently, steadily but never clashed with the British. Persia under Nadir Shah in 1739, had attacked northern India and ravaged it. British were wary of them and they always counted the Persian threat as real. China, after the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty, to emerge as a republic under Sun Yat Sen in 1911 was not a serious factor. Back in 1842, British India launched the ‘Opium War’ against China to close its consumption and the Chinese resented. In 1914, the British had under the command of Mc Mohan drawn the demarcating line between India and Tibet; the Chinese would repudiate this in course of time. Burma remained under British control until 1934, as was Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) until 1948.

During the Second World War (1939-45), Japan overran most of Asia with the British getting beaten, as also the French and the Dutch. Following the defeat of Japan in China by the communists under Mao and the nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek, China relapsed into civil war till 1949 when finally communists emerged victorious. The French and the Dutch, in Vietnam and Indonesia behaved like the famed Bourbons who ‘learnt nothing and forget nothing’ and tried to come back to reassert. It was an invitation to doom, doomsday being not far.

India emerged battered and bruised, but still the ‘head was held high and the mind without fear.’ India now launched into the International arena with support to other countries under colonial rule. In Africa and Asia, India provided leadership for liberation from foreign rule.

1949 saw the election in South Africa bringing a harsh white minority rule, heralding ‘apartheid’ regime; a system based on racial segregation and economic sequestration. Soon, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) followed suit. India, given the experience Gandhi had in South Africa drew inspiration from him and fought bitterly in all international bodies against apartheid Mandela become an inspiration, a legend and a liberator.

India, under Nehru, began in earnest to launch the ‘non-aligned’ movement. ‘Non-aligned’ meant ‘non-maligned’; not to support either the Soviet Union block or the United States block. Malice towards none, charity towards all; lot of advice was given by India charitably. Egypt, Yugoslavia and India steered the non-aligned movement with a modicum of success, though.

India used the United Nations and in particular the General Assembly to further the cause and prospects of democracies in the world. As a non-aligned block also, India, in the UN, was able to dispense matters with equity and equanimity, poise and positivity. In time to time, the UN General Assembly with the democratic principle of one country, one vote, becomes a happy, famed stage for countries to stand and be counted.

India also embarked on lofty ‘Panchsheel’, a doctrine of live and let live’; non- interference, respect for sovereignty, peace and prosperity. At Bandag (1955) Indonesia hosted the conference where China also participated. India emptied its heart out: panchsheel, five principles to command, govern and lead us to light. Unfortunately, India only stood by it, Chinese found more in ‘Punch, Kill’ to satiate. India soon found to its’ discomfiture that in the world of ‘real-politic’, ancient words of ancient wisdom have no place. Tibet the autonomous region under the Chinese suzerainty was now coming under Chinese control. Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetans fled to India and sought asylum. It was given and the Chinese were incensed. They saw it as interference in internal matters: violation of principles of ‘Panchsheel’. Soon border disputes surfaced, so did acrimony, distrust and disrespect. In 1962, the Chinese launched an unprovoked assault, catching India unprepared, underprepared and under preparation. India reaped a bitter harvest; disaster, defeat and desolation. Very curiously the Chinese timed their aggression with the Cuban missile crisis and unilaterally declared ceasefire, the moment Cuban missile crisis was over. It was India’s moment of reckoning: despair in defeat. India soon shook off the dust it got and looked ahead afresh. World was changing, a new harsh world was emerging. United States found a new cause and concern: ‘Domino theory,’ in effect if one country falls to communism, rest would follow soon. Paranoid, pusillanimous and precipitous: result was war in Vietnam, and 1970 in Cambodia. India condemned, criticized and called for halt. United States was not amused. A world ‘safe for democracy’ was the US narrative. India had its’ tryst with destiny too - wars of 1965 and 1971 inflicted by Pakistan, that traditional foe with a tradition hate. In both these wars, India emerged victor. In 1971 Pakistan war, the Soviet Union stood beside India with a 20 year treaty of mutual help and cooperation in the event of aggression. Bangladesh was a reality. India had a new neighbor, a new reality. Another reality: Pakistan emerged leaner, meaner, capricious and envious. The seventies saw four momentous events and the world would never be the same again. First, United States limped away battered and bruised from Vietnam. David slaying Goliath. It was a painful knock for ‘Uncle Sam’, that he would not be forgetting it in a hurry.

Second, in (1973) aided by the soviets, Egypt launched a surprise attack on Israel, Syrians joined a little later called the ‘Yom Kipper War’, as it coincided with the Jewish festival of remembrance of the dead, the surprise element gave Egypt success initially but soon Israel outflanked, the Egyptian Army. Soviet Union refused help and Egypt sued for peace. India got a rude jolt as oil prices shot up incredibly. Inflation hit India hard.

Thirdly, India exploded its own nuclear device in May 1974. The political fallout was much bigger then nuclear: United States led a call for ban on India. India has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as it discriminated the nuclear ‘haves’ from nuclear ‘have nots’. India has of course signed the outer space ban treaty in 1963. India going nuclear was a harsh reality and the world had to accept that.

Fourthly, one cannot keep the Soviet Union out of action for a long time. It was itching for action, waiting for its’ ‘Vietnam’: it got it in 1979. Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and stayed there for ten long years. India’s muted protest was not liked by the Afghans. United States joined a proxy war with Pakistan as the conduit. Pakistan trained the Afghan freedom fighters and the Russians bled. By 1990, the Soviet Union itself stated disintegrating and soon it was a new reality; a new world with a single super power, the United States of America. In 1990 Iraqi forces, under Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait and United States joined the action against Iraq in its’ ‘Bush War’. Iraqi forces were hardly a match to the highly technically superior US forces. India condemned the aggression by Iraq but stopped short of disapproving United States action.

By 1999 that traditional foe, Pakistan was ready for contest again this time, a perfidious round of action at Kargil only to retreat with ignominy. In the previous year, 1998 both India and Pakistan went for nuclear bomb tests successfully but Kargil was a traditional fight with a traditional foe. China and Pakistan are constants in the denominator in India equation of variables in foreign policy. It is disconcerting that these two countries, one sitting across high mountains and the other across rivers have a liking for each other. Pakistan generously gave China territory from occupied Kashmir to China, who started making all weather roads to link the two countries. In 1985, India moved fast and occupied the Siachen glacier to thwart future encroachments, a proactive approach against a hyperactive foe.

September 11, 2001: the United States faced a nameless, fameless, shameless emery, terrorism; trans-continental terrorism. The loss of lives, prestige, security, safety, twin towers all combined make the attacks reminiscent of ‘Pearl Harbour’. Now terrorism took the centre stage; Bush Jr vowed revenge. War on Afghanistan, where the architect of 9/11 attacks, Bin Laden was hiding and subsequently, Iraq where Saddam Hussein was still ruling. India supported action on Afghanistan but demurred attack on Iraq. India suffered in silence the economic impact through uncertainty in oil prices and supplies. United States sank deep into Middle East mire, ISIS was born as a reaction. To study the case of India and its neighborhood, given the background as outlined, one must look at each of the countries in the region and their ties with India. Alongside, one must look at issues of importance like environment, Nuclear energy Security, safety, Energy, Communication and above all economic considerations. Geo-politics has changed over the years, countries have changed outlook, changed priorities.

Bilateral, Regional and Multi-lateral engagements and treaties are also important. India, given its strategic location finds itself in a unique position. Today economic considerations outweigh political considerations. Bank is more crucial that an artillery or battle tank piece.

• CHINA: Napoleon once when asked about China said, ‘Ah, that’s a dragon, now sleeping. Let it sleep’. Two centuries later the dragon is spitting fire. India and China have shared history of culture and tradition, trade and travel, religion and relics. Buddhism went to China from India, silk come to India from China, travelers came to India from China, and explorers went to China from India. The list could be endless. During the Second World War Dr. Kotnis and his medical team earned the enduring respect and gratitude of the Chinese. India stood by China against Japanese aggression. India was the first non-communist country to give recognition to Chinese government under communist party. India championed the entry of China into United Nations too.

China took the border dispute with India, in three sectors North, Central and East, to new levels of acrimony and agitation. It refuses to acknowledge India’s control of eastern sector, what is now Arunachal Pradesh. India formally took Sikkim into the Indian un