Piggybacking with neighbours

Addressing its neighbours, the predominant message conveyed in the speech was couched in big brother speak along with the proverbial carrot and stick nuance: India is willing to invite its neighbours to join them and share the ride of economic growth, where India would act as the locomotive moving forward and pulling the rest of South Asia with it.

However, as in life, there are no free lunches and this magnanimity is also not free. In return for the economic assistance, the neighbours must stop being bad boys on issues of politics and security.

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On the face of it this is not a bad deal. For the neighbours there is lot to gain from piggybacking with India and possibly the best win-win situation for South Asia.

The Indian foreign secretary, Mr. Shyam Saran's speech was illuminating on many counts, foremost, it brought out in the open some pertinent issues of neighbourly concerns, things that has been niggling and gnawing away at relationships since the formation of independent India.

For the neighbours surrounding India, the debate had for years settled on one dimensional thinking: suspicion about the real intention of the big neighbour next door. So much so, that looking over one's shoulder had become instinctive for all neighbours.

It is difficult to shake this groove mentality especially when India so far has not given good reasons to think otherwise. As a result every neighbourly discussion has been shrouded in suspicion generating negative vibes from all quarters including India.

Most glaringly and because of this lurking suspicion pervading and permeating within the South Asian cluster of nations, Saarc has very little to show in terms of achievements in its twenty year history.

Indeed, a sad commentary on communal politics and therefore it's about time South Asia get out of this hackneyed morass of overused arguments and judgements by injecting fresh thinking and adding new dynamics to its politics and economics. Mr. Saran in his recent speech had offered a little opening albeit couched in some old speak for fresh thinking to develop and emerge within the Saarc community.

The neighbours of India have a choice, regard this speech as utter hogwash and continue to maintain status quo on bilateral or collective India dialogues; or accept it at its face value and work towards carving a joint economic future for South Asia as suggested by Mr.Saran.

The speech, tantamount to nothing less than an edict on India's regional foreign policy, and states in no uncertain terms that India regards its destiny as, I quote, "inseparable from what happens in its neighbourhood" and therefor seeks "tranquil periphery" but recognises that peace can only flow through "economic development in our neighbouring countries, an objective that would be best served by India giving access to its neighbours to its huge and growing market." These are indeed uplifting sentiments expressed by the biggest and of late economically most successful country in the region.

However, no one is fooled that it is not altruism that has driven India to offer its share of the pie. India is riding the crest of economic awakening and globalisation, which it can only sustain if its undivided energy is focused on putting the much-needed economic building blocks in place. This is a chance they would not like to squander through any petty or escalating neighbourly quarrels.

At the very least discordant situations diverts government focus and energy and drives away potential foreign direct investment (FDI).

India is also averse to growth of sub-nationalism in its periphery that may have the wrong influence in its vast but culturally diverse country. And finally, India opening up its markets to its neighbours is not just a one-way street, it also benefits from access to approximately three hundred and fifty million additional consumers. There is something in it for India too and hence a fair bargain for all parties.

Whatever may be the real motivation of India, if the offer enunciated in the policy speech is real and genuine, than it would be worthwhile for its neighbours to explore and develop the economic linkages that will help them grow at a faster pace. Since the offer is on the table, the neighbours should call India's bluff and check its authenticity. It would be foolish not to. Making economics and joint development programmes as the centrepiece of discussion, will hopefully ease tension on other fronts and make hitherto intractable issues soluble.

In my piece titled "India's Lost Opportunity" published in this newspaper on February 8, I wrote about the need for a bold and honest leadership from India as a pre-requisite for any economic integration in the region to sustain and survive. I saw some glimpse of that high thinking and new opening in Mr Saran's speech. I hope this opens a new chapter in South Asian dialogues. It is however imperative for India, as the largest economy in the region, to follow through and maintain the initiative and jointly work with its neighbours for harnessing the potential of 1.3 billion people. But no amount of effort can be successful without a mindset change, fresh thinking, and a joint will to make it happen.

Ghalib Chaudhuri is a former investment banker.