A.8. Effect of Policies and Politics of Developing Nations on India
The South Asian region is also full of contradictions, disparities, and paradoxes. In the post-colonial period. South Asia has been a theatre of bloody inter-state as well as civil wars, it has witnessed liberation movements, nuclear rivalry, and military dictatorships and continues to suffer from insurgencies, religious fundamentalism, and terrorism, besides serious problems associated with drugs and human trafficking.
The region also has the dubious distinction of having over 540mn people who earn less than $ 1.25 a day and account for 44% of the developing world’s poor. The region has produced several powerful female leaders and yet in the overall much remains to be done for the empowerment of women.
On the barometer of religious tolerance, the constituent countries range anywhere between flexible secular-minded, and rigidly fundamentalist.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has remained in existence for over 27 years; yet South Asia is considered the least integrated of the global regions; this is despite the stipulation in its Charter that “bilateral and contentious issues shall be excluded” from its deliberations, thus making it possible to put the contentious issues on the back burner and focus on areas of possible cooperation.
On the positive side, the region has been registering healthy growth (an average of 6% per annum) during the past several years. Also, democratic forms of governance (however flawed and feeble) are beginning to gain some ground in most parts of the region. Where does India stand in this rather volatile region? India’s position is unique in more than one sense.
As a matter of an interesting geographic factor, India shares borders with all other South Asian nations whereas no other South Asian nation (except Afghanistan and Pakistan) shares borders with any other South Asian nation. Notwithstanding some shortcomings, democracy and the rule of law as instruments of political governance are well entrenched in India. The transfer of power has been more or less peaceful and transparent.
In relative terms, India can be arguably considered the most stable country in the region, moving ahead on the fast tracks of development, even though the growth has of late slowed down. Further in terms of its population, territory, GDP, image as an emerging world economy and a responsible de-facto nuclear State, and as a country that is destined to play a larger role in the international arena, and also for several other reasons, India stands apart amongst the bunch of other South Asian countries.
India can be said to dwarf others in the South Asian region which in turn has created misperceptions about India and its intention. There are unjustified and erroneous perceptions about India floating around in the region: “Big Brother bullying the smaller neighbor”: “India treats its neighbors as a neglected backyard” etc. etc.
There is no justified explanation for the “trust deficit”. On top of it, there are vested interests and lobbies for whom being anti-Indian is synonymous with being a patriot and nationalist. And then there are strong institutions within the framework of a more or less failed and rogue State in the neighbourhood (Pakistan) which would like to see relations with India in a state of perpetual suspension. India’s motives are suspected even in cases of innocent proposals for economic cooperation which would lead to win-win situations.