India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy vis-à-vis Bangladesh: Some Propositions

India's “Neighbourhood First Policy” is a strategic foreign policy tenet, adopted by the government of India in 2008 and enunciated through policy announcements and parliamentary reports by the External Affairs Ministry of India. It prioritizes India's immediate neighbours like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka over wider global engagements for improvement of diplomatic, political, economic and security ties. India's actions within the purview of this policy were to focus on cross-border trade, transit, connectivity, energy sharing, and action as a first responder during humanitarian crises or natural calamities.

Theoretically, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been pursuing the Neighbourhood First Policy as a core pillar of India's foreign policy since assuming office in 2014. India’s cooperation with the neighbouring countries under this policy has at times failed to create truly win-win situations. Consequentially, the diplomatic and political relations between India and some of its neighbours have sometimes become strained or even hostile.

Strained diplomatic and political relations between India and Bangladesh since the July 2024 mass uprising in Bangladesh overshadowed whatever successes it achieved in other arenas under India’s Neighbourhood First Policy. One may ask the question: What threw a spanner in the works? The answer could briefly be: India's hegemonic propensities in the Bangladesh-India bilateral engagements during the long rule of the immediate past Bangladesh government that often undermined Bangladesh’s interests; as well as India’s callousness towards the sensitivities of some 200 million-strong people of Bangladesh. Bangladeshis have always deeply resented the deprivation of the Teesta water and felt aggrieved at the frequent border killings of unarmed Bangladeshi people by India. The push-ins of the so-called Bangladeshi illegal immigrants in India, in violation of the internationally established procedure, after the recent electoral victory of the BJP in West Bengal and Assam, have further aggravated the trust-deficit between the two neighbours.  India’s “Neighbourhood First Policy” aims well on paper, but in reality, its overall impact on Bangladesh-India bilateral relations did not unfortunately match its declared objectives.


India must sincerely forge good relations with Bangladesh -- relations that would benefit both itself and Bangladesh equally. If it gets something from Bangladesh, it must give the latter a fair quid pro quo in just proportion. In case of any bilateral agreement signed between the two countries, it must truly create a win-win situation that would benefit both. Once it signs such an agreement, India must remain truly sincere in implementing the agreement and honour its provisions.

India, being the overwhelmingly largest country in South Asia, must win the confidence of Bangladesh --a small neighbour. Bangladesh must feel confident that India would not do anything that would harm its interests, and undermine its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. It must be aware of the sensitivities of the people of Bangladesh and act accordingly; not by sacrificing its own interests, but by ensuring mutual interests of both the countries. In order to ensure continued good and mutually beneficial ties, it must establish enduring relations with the people of Bangladesh; and not with some particular parties and leaders of its choice only.

COMMUNAL CARD
In the sea of humanity that India is, people of all religions, castes, creeds, and colours, or even theists and atheists, must have equal rights and opportunities.  All of them must be able to live in peace. None should be deprived of any rights because of their religiosity or irreligiosity. In the eyes of law, and as citizens of India, each and everybody of them must be equal. Nobody must be persecuted and oppressed because of their faith, which is a personal state of mind. Playing the communal card by the government of any country retards the socioeconomic progress of the country and begets communal violence and social instability. Minority persecution and repression tend to have cross-border repercussions. Instead, if the government endeavours to maintain communal harmony in the society and concentrates its efforts on further uplifting the socioeconomic state of its people as well as on preventing environmental degradation in the country due to global warming, that can help it earn goodwill and respect of the entire population of the country. Communal harmony in India and its stable and good political, economic, trade, and other relations with Bangladesh on the basis of equality as independent nations, mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs as well as mutually beneficial or win-win cooperation can lift Bangladesh-India ties to a much higher trajectory than where these are now.

‘AKHAND BHARAT’
Far-right Hindu nationalist political organisations in India cherish the unrealistic dream of “Akhand Bharat”. They should realise that India cannot annex by force the two Muslim majority countries of the sub-continent --inhabited by some 400 million people --to materialise their dream. That would prove self-destructive to India. Instead, amity, sincere goodwill, fellow feeling, and amicable settlement of disputes by India with neighbours are likely to generate a situation in the long run where it may be possible to create a European Union-like unification of South Asian countries. India, as the largest country in the region, has obviously the biggest role to play towards achieving such a goal.

REVIVAL OF SAARC
The SAARC is the only organisation that encompasses all the eight South Asian countries and brings them under one umbrella. It keeps alive the South Asian identity as well as enhances the sense of South Asian cohesiveness among the peoples of this region. Notwithstanding the political and territorial disputes amongst some of its members, SAARC provides a forum for these countries to sit together over all issues of common interests and concern, except bilateral issues. The forum also continually keeps the South Asian leaders meeting and talking to one another. It indirectly helps keep the bilateral diplomatic channels open among the member countries despite any strained bilateral relations that might exist between some of them. Meetings at this regional multilateral forum also provide opportunities to the members to hold bilateral meetings on their sidelines. Such meetings have the potentials to trigger a thaw in the strained, even hostile, relations between those countries. These opportunities have ceased to exist upon rendering the SAARC dysfunctional and dormant since 2016. Therefore, the organisation should be immediately revived; and India should take the initiative to do so. It would facilitate India’s pursuance of its Neighbourhood First Policy. 

‘PANCHSHEEL’
India's foreign policy framework incorporates "Panchsheel" or five great principles of peaceful coexistence with other countries. They are (i) mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, (ii) mutual non-aggression, (iii) mutual non-interference in internal affairs, (iv) equality and cooperation for mutual benefit, and (v) peaceful coexistence. These principles are meant to serve "as a core moral foundation for India's diplomatic relations". I feel very strongly that if India unflinchingly adhered to the noble “Panchsheel”, it would build up admirable and enduring relations with Bangladesh and its (India’s) other neighbouring countries in South Asia.