‘India needs to review its attitudes towards neighbours’

BEIJING: India's relationship with its neighbouring countries is always not smooth -- and sometimes, things turn violent and bloody, according to an article published by China Daily.

India shares its land borders with the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Afghanistan, and water borders with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand and Indonesia.

In South Asia, India is the largest country -- in terms of territory, population and economy. It is the fifth-largest economy in the world. But 21.9 percent of its population still lives below the national poverty line, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

India was also ranked 49th in the global poverty index last year. More than 360 million Indians still cannot afford three square meals a day, according to a report published in the Week last August.

Around 50 million still use open toilets in India, said a report by UNICEF. Last year, the overall illiteracy rate in rural areas was 35.3 percent, while the rate was 20.5 percent in urban

areas of India. India has 15,106.7 kilometers of land borders and a coastline of 7,516.6km including island territories.

People of its neighboring countries expected improvements in conditions with India as Prime Minister Modi declared that his foreign policy will actively focus on improving ties with India's immediate neighbours under his "neighbourhood first policy".

However, during the last decade of his regime, Prime Minister Modi has failed to improve his country's ties with its neighbours. In some cases, things have gone from bad to worse, instead, smashing the hopes of people of the region.

The recent casualties of the personnel of Indian border forces in clashes with their Chinese counterparts along the borders have questioned the sincerity of the Indian government for its "neighbourhood first policy".

Though India has reportedly suffered the most in the cross-border fight, it has brought India's overall ties with its neighbours into the discussion once again.

Analysts are of the view that it's apparently optimistic that China and India have agreed to cool down the tensions. But it's high time for India to have soul-searching over the whole gamut of its relationship with all neighbouring countries.

It may help India realize how it has antagonized its long-lasting allies Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. If India sincerely wants to improve relations with its immediate neighbours, it needs to reflect on its policy to Pakistan. The soul-searching is a must for India.

Because it can help the country understand that big-brother-like attitudes to its neighbours, a lust for establishing regional hegemony and a selfish mentality have antagonised all its neighbours.

As a result, most of the people of other South Asian nations don't consider India their friend but a narrow-minded hegemon. Under such a backdrop, India expects to gain a permanent seat in the would-be reformed Security Council of the United Nations (UNSC).

But India should realise that it has to be on friendly terms with its neighbours to materialise its expectation. No country has yet to be great without fixing all issues with its neighbours. The sooner India will understand this reality, the more it will benefit from friendly neighbors.