Question

Why is it that every one of our neighbours has a problem with India? Is there something wrong with our foreign policy? Or is it just our size?

Answer 1

India’s conflicts with its South Asian neighbours stem from an interplay of structural geography, asymmetric power dynamics, historical legacies, and specific foreign policy challenges.

Primary Reasons for Friction

1. Asymmetric Size and Central Geography:
   • India accounts for nearly three-quarters of South Asia’s landmass, population, and GDP.
   • India is the only country in the region that shares land or maritime borders with almost all other South Asian nations, none of which share borders with each other. This structural reality inevitably channels all regional bilateral disputes through New Delhi.
2. Small-State Security Dilemma (‘Big Brother’ Syndrome):
   • Smaller neighbours (Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives) often fear Indian dominance, viewing well-intentioned bilateral actions as economic or political hegemony.
   • Consequently, these nations sometimes employ external balancers (such as China) to offset Indian influence.
3. Spillover of Domestic and Ethnic Politics:
   • Transnational ethnic linkages (e.g., Tamils in Sri Lanka, Madhesis in Nepal, and Bengali migration) create domestic political pressures inside India that complicate non-interventionist diplomacy.
4. Foreign Policy Shortcomings and Perceptions:
   • In the past, India’s diplomacy was occasionally perceived as overly paternalistic or prescriptive (e.g., the 1987 IPKF intervention in Sri Lanka or perceived trade transit blockades in Nepal).
   • However, frameworks like the Gujral Doctrine (non-reciprocal concessions to neighbours) and the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy have significantly reoriented India’s approach toward collaborative partnership.