9/20/2016 India's diplomacy: Coherence in the neighbourhood ­ The Hindu

Coherence in the neighbourhood

Over the past week, India played host to Afghanistan[1]’s President Ashraf Ghani and
Nepal’s Prime Minister[2] Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, visits that marked a repair of
relationships with both countries. Mr. Prachanda’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra
Modi was cordial, and though no large announcements were made, the message that’s gone
out is that both countries wish to put the bitterness of the past year and the economic
blockade behind them. New Delhi is acutely conscious of Mr. Prachanda’s challenges: a
potentially shaky tenure in of ce given his coalition’s narrow majority, the dif culty in
building a two-thirds consensus for the constitutional amendments he has committed to, as
well as the massive task of reconstruction after the April 2015 earthquake[3]. As a result, it
didn’t force him to commit on a timeline for amendments demanded by Madhesi and other
groups that feel marginalised by the new Constitution. The joint statement referred to Mr.
Modi welcoming “the ongoing efforts of the Government of Nepal to take all sections of the
society on board for effective implementation of the Constitution,” but it didn’t mention the
word amendment. India instead focussed on delivering on its own promises to Nepal,
including hydropower and highways infrastructure projects. This shows a maturing of New
Delhi’s position, since the phase of stern statements against the Koirala and Oli
governments on the Madhesi issue[4].

With Mr. Ghani, the outreach began a year ago, after it became clear that Afghanistan had
lost con dence in Pakistan’s ability to bring the Taliban to book or to the table for talks.
Moreover, the U.S., Afghanistan’s biggest security provider, made a shift in its old policy of
cutting India out of the security equation, and actively encouraged New Delhi to help
provide military assistance to Kabul. Even so, during Mr. Ghani’s visit, India opted for a less
overt approach to Afghanistan’s ‘wish list’ of helicopters, tanks and ammunition assistance,
with the joint statement and agreements signed merely mentioning their “resolve to counter
terrorism and strengthen security and defence cooperation as envisaged in the India-
Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement.” Mention of Pakistan’s support to terrorist
groups was muted as well. However, Mr. Ghani did give a scathing account of Pakistan’s
actions at a speech at a Delhi think tank later. The Afghan and Nepali visits had another
common thread, of landlocked countries in need of road and railway trade routes. It is hoped
that, going forward, India will take a leadership role in maximising their options, as it has
done with Afghanistan through the Chabahar port project in Iran.

Links

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9/20/2016 India's diplomacy: Coherence in the neighbourhood ­ The Hindu

1. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-afghanistan-expand-
ties/article9107273.ece

2. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nepal-prime-minister-pushpa-kamal-dahals-
fourday-india-visit-indianepal-hold-bilateral-talks/article9115188.ece

3. http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/1500-killed-in-nepal-
quake/article7141758.ece

4. http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/overcoming-the-stasis-in-
nepal/article7823808.ece

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