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Who’s running our foreign policy?
Tridivesh Maini on how provinces are pursuing their own agenda in cross-border ties
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Illustration: Tanmaya Tyagi
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A TREND IS catching on of provinces taking initiatives to improve India’s external ties — especially with neighbouring countries. Over the last two weeks, there have been some interesting developments if one were to look at regional leaders’ approach towards India’s neighbourhood ties and they illustrate the different roles being played by states. Some are playing the role of bridges pressurising Delhi for closer ties, while others feel that New Delhi is too soft and needs to adopt a more aggressive stance on certain issues.
While in Punjab there seems to be a consensus for peace with Pakistan which was quite evident from the euphoria over the inauguration of the Integrated Check Post at Attari on 13 April as well as overwhelming support for opening up more trade routes with that country, not only from the business community but also from political parties across the spectrum. Chief ministers from both Punjabs too spoke in favour of more porous borders and more trade between the provinces.
Two days after the inauguration of the ICP at Wagah, UPA ally DMK pulled out its representative from the 16-member all-party delegation visiting Sri Lanka. The ruling AIADMK had made it clear that no one from the party would be part of the delegation. Interestingly, the two frontline parties of the state which do not see eye to eye on many issues have a similar stand as far as relations with Sri Lanka are concerned. It might be mentioned that a few weeks back, both parties had pressurised the government to vote against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council last month. The DMK had threatened to pull out in case the government did not do so.
What is clear is that in Punjab, there is a political consensus for a harmonious relationship with Pakistan. In contrast, in Tamil Nadu, the treatment meted out to Tamils in Sri Lanka is obviously etched in the minds of their brethren in India.
Apart from the contrasting roles being played by Tamil Nadu and Punjab in India’s relations with her neighbours, there are some more interesting points which emerge if one were to examine regional satraps in the context of India’s neighbourhood. These clearly prove the point that economic ideology, political ideology and being part of a particular alliance have nothing to do with the way any dispensation behaves in the realm of foreign policy.
Firstly, chief ministers who claim to be pro-reform and pro-business have not shown such inclinations vis-a-vis countries they border. Apart from current Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa, this also includes Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Modi, who has been making immense attempts for mending his image — of being a communalist — has not made any effort to be at the forefront of the Indo-Pak relationship. This in spite of the fact that his state shares a long border with Pakistan and in spite of great potential for businessmen from his state carrying out a significant amount of business with Pakistan through the state’s ports. Not to forget the historic links between traders from Modi’s state and Karachi. Interestingly businessman from Pakistan have invited the Gujarat cm, but have not received any response.
The reasons for both chief ministers being hostile to Sri Lanka and Pakistan, of course, are domestic politics. But both — especially Modi — have assiduously worked at cultivating a professional image and take pride in the fact that foreign governments have been trying to woo them. Interestingly, Modi even went with a delegation to China to sell the Gujarat story and his contribution to the same.
THE BEHAVIOUR also falsifies the oft-held belief that economics is paramount for politicians from the right of centre. While Modi has not exactly taken the lead in forging friendly neighbourhood ties, on the contrary, Left governments in the Northeast have been enthusiastically pushing for greater interactions between their states and neighbouring Bangladesh. One such example is Tripura CM Manik Sarkar, who invited the Bangladesh Prime Minister to his state in January. The latter was conferred with an honorary degree. So desirous is Sarkar for a better relationship that he even spoke to Hasina about speaking to West Bengal Chief Minsiter Mamata Banerjee about the Teesta river water issue.
Interestingly, certain governments which are not part of the ruling alliance have supported the government’s overtures: they include Manik Sarkar and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Of late even the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been making serious overtures towards Nepal as was evident from the recently held global Bihar summit in February 2012.
Tridivesh Singh Maini is an Associate Fellow with The Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi.
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