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Challenges and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy THE curiosity of children is boundless and often the quirkiest, crooked questions are asked in ways most innocent. Frankly, the book didn’t appear very appealing in the beginning, but it turned out to be quite a pleasant read.
The author, a career diplomat who retired in 2006 as a Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, provides an interesting insight into what is going on in India’s neighbourhood and beyond. He gives meaningful ideas about how India should conduct itself for successfully safeguarding the country’s interests. Let us first have a look at the conduct of India’s neighbours after the creation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC for short. The regional grouping has reached a stage where many influential countries outside South Asia are taking keen interest in its deliberations. China and Iran have been given the observer status and Afghanistan has become its full-fledged member despite its location being on the periphery of the region. Pakistan and Bangladesh want China also to be made a full member. Though the demand for China’s inclusion in SAARC is aimed at weakening India’s position, the drive is indicative of the growing importance of the grouping. Iran’s case is stronger than that of China for becoming a member of SAARC. As the author points out, once the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project becomes a reality, it may be easier for Iran to join SAARC. It will help India in strengthening its relations with Iran if India, too, remains associated with the mega project. The situation is conducive to India remaining involved in the project after the grant of a contract to a Russian multinational for laying the pipeline. In fact, the IPI gas pipeline can emerge as a major catalyst for transforming SAARC into a movement for regional prosperity. As Rajiv Sikri states, SAARC members have already agreed to pursue their ambitious goals of creating a South Asian customs union, a South Asian economic union and a South Asian community. Achieving these objectives may take time and demand strenuous efforts, but this should not deter SAARC leaders from pursuing their goals with determination. South Asians have before them the shining example of the European Economic Community, which took 35 years to transform itself into the European Union in 1992. India’s foreign policy challenges are becoming complicated not only in the context of South Asia but also vis-`E0-vis East Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, Africa, Europe, the US, etc. But it is not difficult to meet the demands of the fast changing scenario because of the obvious advantages India has geographically and economically. There are reasons why the world has begun to take India more seriously now. Therefore, as a responsible power, it is essential that under no circumstances should India appear to be compromising, in any manner, in the conduct of its foreign policy. It had to pass through difficult times in the recent past when invisible pressures were brought to bear on it, particularly with regard to the Iranian nuclear issue and the IPI gas pipeline. The time has, however, come to send across the message that no power on earth can influence India’s moves both at the regional and global levels. This is how India can "live up to its own expectations and those of the world", as Rajiv Sikri emphasises.
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With India fast emerging
as a major world power, the need for understanding the foreign policy
intricacies is bound to assume greater significance. Diplomats cannot
function effectively unless they have adequate understanding of
international issues and the strategies being employed by different
countries and groupings. The same is true about a Parliament member’s
ability to participate in the debates in the House on such subjects.
Big businessmen, too, who look for investment opportunities, need to
have sufficient knowledge of political currents and crosscurrents.
Rajiv Sikri’s Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India’s
Foreign Policy can serve as a very useful guide for such people
and the others interested in going deeper into India’s foreign
policy challenges today.