India In World Affairs

INDIA IN WORLD AFFAIRS India, Russia and China are the three most populated countries of the world, and three powerful nuclear powers. Russia with its 5000 to 7000 nuclear warheads is on par with the USA in nuclear supremacy; China and Russia are sound economy powers. There are attempts by these Asian powers to form a regional axis to counterpoise the world supremacy of the United States of America. However, the ambitions of China to be the sole super power of the region are retarding the progress in this direction. Also its border disputes with both India and Russia are other thorns on the path of progress. A bipolar world is indeed is in the interest of all including the USA considering the time proven adage that power corrupts and absolute power absolutely. INDIA-BRAZIL-SOUTH AFRICA

India, Brazil and South Africa are considered as countries that have the same strength and stature in the world and therefore same interests. Birds of the same feathers flock together. Therefore, it is natural to expect them to flock together as an axis to safeguard their common interests in this complex world of competitions and ruthless manoeuvres. All the three are strong countries in their own right, and if they join hands, they can transform to be a power centre in world affairs and face challenges in every sphere to their best interests.

All three are large populous regional powers, undeveloped farming countries, potential economic powers and non-aligned in world politics. While India is the second most populated country in the world and geographically the seventh largest in the world, Brazil is the largest grower of coffee and sixth largest country in the world, and South Africa is the largest producer of diamonds in the world. Thus each of them needs the support of the other in facing the world. The proposed axis can lead to balance of power in the world and bring an end to competitions of a few countries like China, Russia and the USA for the world hegemony. Such an alliance is sorely needed by the world to bring balance to the world politics. BANGLADESH

There were two Pakistani territories on different sides to India that constituted Pakistan: West Pakistan and East Pakistan. East Pakistan decided to separate from the union and become an independent

country.

It

fought

for

its

independence

and

got

independence with the help of India. East Pakistan then came to be known as Bangladesh. India helped the Bangladesh freedom fighters after East Pakistan refugees poured in to India while Pakistan forces began to suppress them by force and Pakistan refused to take the refugees back creating a humanitarian problem to India. A truncated Pakistan saved India from the need of concentration of active forces against recalcitrant Pakistan in both western and eastern borders. Bangladesh on its eastern border certainly is a lesser evil to India than the former East Pakistan. Present Bangladesh is divided on its relation with India. While one of the two major political parties of the country is a close ally of

India, the other with connections with the Pakistan military shows signs of unfriendly attitude towards India. Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world. It can prove to be dangerous to India if it sides with Pakistan in crucial junctures of political or military sensitivities. Pakistan naturally wants this to happen and considerably succeeded in its efforts in this direction.

Pakistan

militants

and

ISI

operators

repeatedly

use

Bangladesh these days as safe houses for terrorist activities in India. If India succeeds in luring the country to its side by right diplomacy, Bangladesh may prove to be a useful and strategic friend of India. NEPAL

Nepal is a Himalayan Kingdom and shares border with two Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The culture of India and Nepal is similar and enjoy friendly relationship. Nepal is dependant on India for funds and developmental efforts. India has considerable influence over Nepal and generously contributes for the poor neighbour’s welfare activities. Nepal works as a buffer between India and China. Nepalese known as Gorkhas are world-renowned as valiant and fearless soldiers for their do-or die spirit and Indian army has special contingents of these valiant soldiers from its British vintage. Both China and Pakistan have also developed interests in Nepal and try to checkmate India’s influences in the region. Pakistan often used the common border between Nepal and India to infiltrate terrorists to India. The rise of Maoists in Nepal is actively supported by

China. The rising influence of China in Nepal is a matter of grave concern to India. Nepal on the border of India and China is in deep trouble from some years. First, the King of Nepal was murdered and a family member wiped out his whole family. Next surfaced the Maoist violence that threatened the very existence of the small Himalayan country. Nepal leaders and army were proved incapable of containing and crushing the spread of Maoist rebellion and violence. India was found unequal in their task of helping the Nepal Government in containing the rapid spread of the Maoist movement and its violence. Attempts to lure Maoists to the democratic system succeeded and elections were held. No party succeeded in getting majority while the Maoists came out with maximum seats won in the election. There was a long deadlock and ultimately, a Maoist-led coalition came to power with the primary task of drafting a Constitution for Nepal. The first thing after coming to power was removing the monarchy and declaring Nepal as a Republic. Soon, differences developed between the Maoist Prime Minister and the non-Maoist President and the differences came open while the Prime Minister removed the army chief for disobedience and the President as the Supreme Commander of the Nepal defence forces resisted the move. The rift in the alliance led to the fall of the Maoist Government and the possible revival of the Maoist violence again in Nepal. After concerted political moves, another alliance with the support of non-Maoist left parties formed the Government while the single largest party namely Maoists remained outside the Government causing concern about the possibility of the Maoists reverting to their non-democratic methods of popular uprise and violence.

If Maoists return to their largely successful uprise and violence, there will be breakdown of democracy again in Nepal and situation may turn worse than before and the country may go down the drain a la Iraq and Afghanistan though for different reasons. India did try to bring peace to Nepal by bringing Maoists and the Nepal Congress together, but miserably failed in the efforts. Nepal is in a sticky wicket now. Truth is that Nepal has become a political playground of the shadow boxing of its southern and northern neighbours namely India and China with India represented by the Nepal Congress and China by the Maoists. All the political manoeuvres in Nepal are remote controlled by these two countries and in the process Nepal and its people’s interests are completely ignored. JAPAN

A remark by China that there are rather immense differences between India and China in their border disputes, that have been the theme of India-Chinese negotiations and talks for a long time now, deeply offended India. India and Japan leaders met subsequent to the Chinese remarks in Japan and most political analysts connected the sudden interests of these countries with each other to the Chinese remarks. However, India and Japan both have denied this connection. India and Japan are close neighbours of China. India’s nuclear tests had drawn the ire of Japan and it joined other developed countries in imposing sanctions against India at that time. However, they have been trying to improve their relationship for quite some time now. The political situation around the world also has compelled these two countries to come closer together over the last few years.

American certificate to India that it is a responsible country and its initiative for nuclear deal with India along with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver to India in nuclear deals further mellowed Japan. These two countries can help each other a lot if they want and it looks as if they certainly want it. Both countries have the strong umbilical chord of the Buddhist religion and culture. In a meeting that the external affairs ministers of these two countries had in mid-2009, they discussed several important issues. Earlier India and Japan along with the United States of America had a few sessions of naval war games. This may be some thing to remember in connection with the recent events concerning Chinese remarks. PEACE IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka had been finally able to throw the yoke of the LTTE from its back. It led to Sri Lanka being able to run administration without the dark shadows of the LTTE clouding its decisions and actions. This is something, which Sri Lanka has to be very happy about. On May 18 of 2009, the Sri Lankan army killed the LTTE leader, Verupillai Prabhakaran. Till the end, the LTTE supremo hoped that the international community would do something in order to save him. However, what he hoped for did not come true. His death had come nearly twenty-five years too late for the people of Sri Lanka who had suffered a lot during the period. Thus, this is now a good time for Sri Lanka. However, many countries have not taken kindly to the Sri Lankan conduct in this war. They condemned the aggressive pursuit of the LTTE cadres and fighters by the Sri Lankan Army and blamed Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakshe of human rights violations.

India showed concern regarding resettlement of the displaced Tamil population of Sri Lanka. International Red Cross did exceptionally good work during the war in rescuing and tendering civilians caught between the warring forces. According to eye witnesses who visited Tamil refugee camps in Sri Lanka, the Government provides for the refugees better than adequate and that those refugees are looked after better than Sri Lankan refugees in Indian refugee camps. Countries mostly from the West see a large number of slip-ups by the Sri Lankan Government in its approach to the Tamil problem. They say that the Sri Lankan government should have ensured lesser mortalities especially of the civilians held by the Tamil Tigers as protective shield against the onslaught of the Sri Lankan army. It is easier said than done in a war situation of the nature of the intermittent wars between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan army for more than three decades that brought all developmental activities of Sri Lanka to a grinding halt and threatened the very existence of the nation.

They have also condemned the Sri Lankan government for

triumphantly trumpeting its victory. Sri Lanka indeed deserves to be congratulated for bringing halt to terrorism and bringing peace and security to the island nation after three decades of civil war. INDIA AND PAKISTAN

India and Pakistan are neighbours. Pakistan has had a history similar to that of India. The only factor that stands different between India and Pakistan is their attitudes to religion. While India is a secular republic, Pakistan is an Islamic republic. It was because of religion that Pakistan separated from the united India that existed prior to the creation of Pakistan in 1947. If Mohammed Ali Jinnah had not insisted

for a different country for Muslims, Pakistan would never have been carved out of the united India. However, after the partition, India and Pakistan have become bitter enemies. Neighbours are usually enemies and it is the same here. There were many wars fought between India and Pakistan. India has won all of them. However, now, there are many moves towards permanent peace between India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan are in conflict since their independence. They fought many wars with decisive win for India in all. But, war is war and a severe drain on the resources of the country apart from the huge amount of destruction and loss of precious life on both sides. Keeping soldiers active along borders and providing supplies both strategic and war related as well as daily needs of the soldiers and officers like food, clothing and fuel drain the national resources that would have been better utilised for the betterment of the people otherwise. Further, the soldiers work in hostile conditions while manning the borders. A huge army is a priority in the present world for the defence of the country. But, a huge army means huge expenditure; a bottomless drain to the exchequer. Each soldier manning the border needs sixty thousand rupees worth of supplies every month and that amounts to four crores of rupees for maintaining a brigade for one month. Naturally, all countries want to avoid this kind of wastages. India and Pakistan are not exceptions to this. Both countries desire to strike a deal regarding their border disputes. But, Kashmir continues to be a stumbling block, and none of them can relent on Kashmir issue for the fear of losing popular support back in respective countries and the national pride. Siachin is a glacier between India and Pakistan. It has always been a point of conflict between these two countries and fought wars

to gain control of that wasteland where not even a grass grows and climate and conditions unfit for living. Only its strategic position between the border of India and Pakistan overlooking the strategic highway conjoining Indian mainland with its northern region of Ladakh gained it the importance it has now. Pakistan while carved out of India had two wings - East Pakistan on the eastern side of India and West Pakistan on the western side of India. The hegemony of the West Pakistan combined with the neglect of the East Pakistan by the Federal Government of Pakistan populated by West Pakistan leaders, military and bureaucracy compelled East Pakistan to separate from West Pakistan and become an independent country. India naturally supported this cause for its own reasons. This ultimately led to another war between India and Pakistan in 1971 with East Pakistan volunteers for independence as the Bangla Bahini outfit supporting Indian defence forces. Pakistan on a losing spree appealed for help from the United States of America, which just that year under its Secretary of State, Mr. Henry Kissinger, had started the process of improving and expanding its ties with the China and Pakistan axis even at the cost of its already lukewarm relations with India.

The United

States of America applied tremendous pressure on India, and China began massive troop movements on Indian borders to deter India from moving against Pakistan. The unequivocal support of the then Soviet Union and determined leadership of Smt. Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India at the time, saved the days for India in the war and India won the war hands down with Pakistan being truncated with East Pakistan becoming an independent country as Bangladesh. Till now in almost all the wars fought by India and Pakistan, western countries supported Pakistan, as the latter was their ally till the end of the 20th century. However, in the last war namely the Kargil

War fought between India and Pakistan, the western countries remained neutral. Terrorism is some thing that Pakistan has been facing from quite some time now and it looks as if it will not be able to shake off the yoke of terrorism. These problems of Pakistan are mainly due to lack of powerful leadership and splintering of the power structure. Pakistan Government,

is

suffering

army,

ISI,

from

jehadis,

diverse

power

extremists,

centers

militant

like

religious

organisations and so on, each hostile to the other and pulling in opposite directions. It is a problem of the lack of unity of command with which Pakistan suffers after the departure of President Pervez Musharaff from the Pakistan political scene. Naturally, situation is not at all as stable as it should be. The talks between India and Pakistan on improving relationship that made considerable headway during the period of former Pakistan President, Pervez Musharaff with agreements on three issues of Kashmir, Siachin and Sir Creek on the final stages of signature with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached its nadir after 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008. Pakistan’s solution to Kashmir revolves around three issues demilitarization,

self-governance

and

a

joint

mechanism.

Demilitarization involves withdrawal of defence forces from Kashmir by sides, self governance includes self rule of Kashmiri to the maximum by its people and the joint mechanism involves a mechanism involving representatives of Pakistan, India and representatives of both parts of Kashmir to over-see, over-watch and decide on self governance and all other matters arising regarding Kashmir from time to time. Pakistan considers the Line of Control or LOC in Kashmir between Pakistan held and India held regions as disputed issue while India wants to convert it

to a settled permanent border. The response of Pakistan to this Indian position is to treat the LOC as irrelevant in their discussions to leave the matter to the future generations to settle. Terrorism is becoming an increasingly complicated issue to Pakistan. All the same, the aggressive stance of the Indian leaders and media against Pakistan like ‘punish Pakistan’ naturally hurts its sovereign pride and its threat perceptions arising from India gets sensitized. This is the true reason why Pakistan in spite of the fatal threat from Taliban and other extremist groups within the country to the unity and stability of Pakistan as a nation and destabilizing pressures from USA and the Alliance forces against, considers India as the first and foremost threat to the security and integrity of Pakistan. Pakistan strongly believes that India has not yet reconciled to Pakistan’s existence. India

and

Pakistan

must

try

to

peacefully

resolve

their

differences and leave their enmities behind. Any further wars between these two countries have the potentiality of turning to be a nuclear war as both are nuclear powers and may lead to mutual destructions. The worst enemy of Pakistan is not its neighbour, India. Rather, it is its poverty. Pakistan is one of the poorest countries in the world with a high birth rate that renders its economy failing to catch up with the population growth rate. Further, its unfortunate focus against India and war

preparations

for

the

purpose

diverted

its

resources

from

development activities. It is only because of the financial and other backings of the United States of America that Pakistan has not yet disintegrated in spite of large-scale economic failings and wars against Al-Qaeda and Taliban along its borders with Afghanistan in support of the United States of America.

Kashmir lies at the foot of the tallest mountains in the world, the Himalayas. The Himalayas came into existence in prehistoric age when Indian region as part of the African continent moved northeast to conjoin with the southern edge of the Asian mainland. In the process, tall sets of mountains due to the force of collision between the huge landmasses rose upwards as the Himalayan Mountains. An earthquake hit Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, about 80 kms north of Islamabad, a few years back causing immense loss of life. The quake measured 7.6 in the Richter scale and was very devastating. Its tremors were felt even in regions as far away as places like Karachi and New Delhi. India and Pakistan joined hands in rescue operations in Kashmir. This is a noble gesture by both countries. An 86-year-old Kashmiri said that this earthquake was the most destructive event he ever saw in his life. There has not been a worse earthquake in Pakistan since 1935. It was the second most devastating natural disaster in Asia in a decade after the Tsunami that hit South Asia a few years back. The Pakistanis have been claiming victories against the Taliban. However, they have really not been able to do positive things against the Taliban. The Taliban has not been defeated by the Pakistanis, but has just gone away and melted. The Pakistanis have however claimed this to be a big victory. The Pakistan armed forces on the pressure of the United States of America just rolled into the Taliban occupied regions of Pakistan without much resistance and that they claim is a huge victory. However, it is presumed that the Taliban will be able to gain back these places from where it has been driven out, when the American pressure subsides or when Pakistan government or army weakens.

Taliban will be able to gain back the areas they lost as most of its fighters just shaved off their beards to camouflage and continue to live with their families in the area only to raise when the Taliban needs them again.