India has always considered regional cooperation as an important aspect of its
foreign policy. The search for a larger Asian identity and role was integral to India’s
freedom struggle from the start.1 Even before India achieved formal independence,
it had hosted an Asian Relations Conference in 1947. India later held a conference
on Indonesia in 1949. Its earlier efforts were expanded further to produce the
Afro-Asian Nation’s Conference at Bandung in 1955 and the establishment of the
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961. The policies of Non-Alignment and Principles
of Peaceful Coexistence or Panchsheel associated with Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru have had a major influence on India’s relations with its immediate and
extended neighborhood. Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was convinced that
the Asian states needed to form a strong common identity, and noted that they had the capacity to work together for their common future. Nehru was also convinced
that India had a key role to play in the emerging regionalisms within India’s
immediate and extended neighborhood.
No doubt India stands out in Asia apparently because of the size of its population,
military, economic growth, and its growing interest in playing a role in international
affairs. For instance, India accounts for 75% of the population of South Asia, 65%
of its total area and 78% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).2 In terms of location,
India also has centrality in South Asia, in that while it has borders with Pakistan,
Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, they do not have borders with each other.
This gives India regional advantages as well as disadvantages as the smaller states
either try to obstruct or counterbalance India or seek countervailing external help
from outside the region from countries such as the Republic of China.
|
