Neighborhood First Policy of India
Welcome back once again to my blog,
Today I will be discussing about a very important topic for Lecturette in SSB.
Let's Begin.
📌NEIGHBOURHOOD FIRST POLICY OF INDIA
📍HISTORY
👉GUJARAL DOCTRINE- In the post-Cold War period, which began in the 1990s, India set out to refashion its foreign policy premises on non-alignment, its relations with Western bloc countries, regionalism and so on, which in turn had a huge impact on India’s neighbourhood/regional policies.
👉The Gujaral doctrine was based on the principle of Panchsheel and Non-Reciprocity. It called for greater investment in the region without expecting reciprocity as it was felt that India being a larger and more developed country in all the aspects should shoulder larger responsibilities.
👉The present policy of Neighbourhood First is based on similar premises.
📍INTRODUCTION
The policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ focuses on creating mutually beneficial, people oriented, regional frameworks for stability and prosperity.
It aims to engage with neighbouring countries based on a consultative, non-reciprocal and outcome-oriented approach.
📍4 pillars of policy
1. Diplomatic and political priority to neighbourhood.
2. Active support for development of these countries.
3. Greater connectivity and integration in the region.
4. Promote India led regionalism where neighbours are comfortable.
📍POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THE POLICY-
• INDIA’S MUNROE DOCTRINE- NFP focuses on changing India’s image of ‘Big Brother’ and strives for non-reciprocal, consultative and cooperative development assistance to neighbours.
• SUB REGIONAL COOPERATION- under BBIN and BIMSTEC. Recently, former PM of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe has suggested an Economic Integration Roadmap for sub regional cooperation.
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE- SAARC assistance fund to deal with COVID pandemic, medical assistance under operation sanjeevani and operation neer to help Maldives during water crisis.
• CONNECTIVITY- Through projects such as sagarmala, greater male connectivity project in Maldives, BBIN,Kaladan project etc.
• MARITIME SECURITY- India has assumed the role of Net Security Provider in Indian ocean region and PM Modi has given the vision of SAGAR- security and growth for all.
• DEVELOPMENTAL ASSISTANCE- Through High Impact Community Development Projects, Quick Impact projects etc.
📍CHALLENGES-
1. RISING CHINESE FOOTPRINT (explained in previous blog).
2. Border and river water disputes
3. DOMESTIC POLITICS- Tamil issue, Teesta water issue, Rohingya issue, CAA NRC ISSUE etc.
4. FAILURE OF SAARC
5. EXTREME TRUST DEFICIT AND RISE OF TERRITORIAL NATIONALISM- for ex- recent border conflict between India-Nepal.
📍WAY FORWARD-
• BUILDING ON SOFT POWER by leveraging historical civilizational and cultural linkages.
• RESTRATIGING NFP- By promotion of a multi-vector foreign policy by diversifying its foreign policy attention on multiple powers in the global arena while developing a stronger matrix of multilateralism and employing
stronger diplomatic communications strategies at regional level.
• REVIVING SAARC- by adopting Functionalist Approach- compartmentalising issues and cooperating in less contentious issues.
• CONNECTIVITY- faster completion of projects such as Kaladan project and working with likeminded countries like Japan, US to improve connectivity in the region.
📍CONCLUSION-
As pointed out by former PM Vajpayee, we can change history but not geography, we can change our neighbours but not our neighbours. So, India needs to give diplomatic priority to build peaceful and stable relations with neighbours and work for creating a security community in South Asia based on mutual trust.
Thanks for reading.
Feel free to suggest or comment,I'm keen to know your opinions.
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