H. L. D. Mahindapala
Predictably, the SARC summit opened with its focus on terrorism. Predictably, the smaller nations plagued by terrorism, have, for obvious diplomatic reasons, skirted round the issue of identifying the chief manufacturer and exporter of terrorism in the SAARC region – India. She is also primarily responsible for the economic and political stagnation of the SAARC region. India’s overt hegemonism and covert terrorism, both of which are linked to separatist movements outside its borders, have delayed the integration of its neighboring countries into a viable unit that could race ahead to achieve results comparable to that of other regional blocs.
Despite the repetitious platitudes it proffers from time to time of historical and friendly relations India has failed to live up to either the historical or the friendly relations needed to make SAARC a regional power. India cannot give the lead due from a benign force because it is mired in its own morass of political hypocrisy and narrow self-interests. India’s meddlesome regional politics has played a central role in retarding progress not only in stabilizing the region but also in alleviating poverty.
The Nehruvian non-aligned policies declared so pompously at Bandung, or its latest manifestation in the Gujral doctrine is as good as principles written on water. For instance, the "Gujral Doctrine", states: “first, with its neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India does not ask for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates what it can in good faith and trust.
Second, we believe that no South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interests of another country of the region. Third, that none should interfere in the internal affairs of another. Fourth, all South Asian countries must respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. And finally, they should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.”
India has violated practically every one of these tenets. And from the Himalayan heights in Nepal right down to tip end of Sri Lanka the common cry is against “Indian expansionism”, “Indian imperialism”, and “Indian interventions”. India survives in the region not because of its diplomacy or adherence to Gandhi-Nehruvian principles but through the sheer weight of its size. This has posed a serious question for the neighboring nations: can they achieve their goals within a SAARC dominated by India?
This region, which consists of one-fifth of the world’s population, will continue to lag behind the rest of the world if India continues to pursue its politics of destabilizing the neighborhood for its short term benefit. In the long term it is going blowback and drag India down, inhibiting its own growth. India must decide now whether it wants to grow together or at expense of its neighbors. If it is the latter India will have to pay for it dearly in the years ahead.
It doesn’t need much for India to correct its path. All what India needs is to follow the path it recommends to others, particularly its neighbors. To begin with, India must put an end to its two main exports: 1) hegemonism and 2) terrorism. India accuses Pakistan of encouraging and exporting terrorism to Kashmir. But the Indian Prime Minister has no qualms in serving tea and sympathy to Tamil MPs who are the avowed proxies of Tamil Tigers. What would Indian punditry have to say if the Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz invites the Naxalites for chai tea in Islamabad?
India cannot pretend forever that it is the source of all goodness and that all evil comes from its disobedient neighbors. Historical facts reveal that the smaller neighbors would have been better off without India. Sri Lanka, for instance, wouldn’t have had to face the current problem of Tamil Tiger terrorists if Indira Gandhi did not mother the Tamil terrorists in her bosom and exported them to Sri Lanka. India was also caught red-handed in providing sub-standard radar equipment to Sri Lanka which has enabled the Tiger light aircraft to penetrate the air defenses and bomb the key air base at the Katunayake airport.
Then in 1989 India rushed its gun-boats to Maldives by engineering a Tamil rebel group to “invade” Maldives. India enacted this drama in the Indian Ocean in the name of stabilizing the region. But the whole episode was manipulated by the Indians to signal that the Indian Ocean belongs to her. It was an act of arrogant posturing in the Indian Ocean at the expense of a tiny nation that could hardly harm a sprat.
One of the obnoxious habits of the arrogant India is to flex its muscles to stamp its questionable authority on the region. This is a sign of Indian weakness than a show of its strength. Despite its size India needs the smaller countries more than the smaller neighbors needing India. President Ranasinghe Premadasa proved this when India tried to sabotage the SAARC summit held in Colombo. India, at the last minute decided to boycott the summit to teach President Premadasa a lesson because he was refusing to toe the Indian line. When India decided to boycott the summit Pesident Premadasa immediately got on the phone to the heads of other SAARC countries and organized a summit without India. Then India realized its folly and came down to earth. In the end. It was Premadasa who taught India a lesson. He proved that the small neighbors can function without India though India cannot function without the smaller nations.
The reality is that though the neighbors get along fine with each other India behaves like a crotchety old woman meddling in the affairs of the family and neighbors. Before Afghanistan joined SAARC all problems of the region were linked to India. And those problems still remain unresolved. Bangladesh has its problems with India over disputed maritime borders and the waters of the Ganges. Nepalese are worried about Indian arm-twisting. India is also leaning heavily Bhutan to keep the northern Himalayan border within its sphere of influence. The Indo-Pakistan wrangle over Kashmir has been a perennial problem which is one of the main reasons for the stagnation of SAARC.
There are, of course, accusations against Pakistan too for exporting terrorism. Without providing excuses for such action it can be argued that Pakistan is not into terrorism for hegemonic reasons. India is guilty of pursuing terrorism, or turning a blind eye to it, with the ulterior motives of destabilizing the region -- a deliberate tactic adopted to force each small nation to be dependent on India. This reprehensible conduct of India had caused havoc in the region and it is not inappropriate for India to apologize for violating its own lofty principles and leaving its small neighbors in the current predicament.
If India hopes to play a bigger role in the international theatre and if India hopes to get a seat in the Security Council as a responsible member of the international community caring for global peace and security then it has no moral right to play the duplicitous role of pinching the baby and rocking the cradle. If India continues to play this role the option left for the other regional nations is to work together to isolate India and look farther east towards China for a more constructive leadership.
Incidentally, India is now engaged in tying up with the Western powers, ranging from America, Japan, Australia etc., to build a defensive great wall against China. A raft of new treaties has been signed in recent months, with more to come, to contain China. Of course, there are loud protests from the Western-Indian bloc denying that the new treaties are to contain China. It is most unlikely that China is unaware of this growing trend. These new treaties, giving India a dominant role in Asia, will give more leeway for India to ride rough shod over its neighbors. If India is willing to play foul with its neighbors, big and small, there is no reason why the neighbors, big and small, should protect India.
The unfolding trends are ominous. One way out for SAARC members is to reconfigure their geo-political strategies and strike out in new directions because India is not likely to change its directions. Indian hegemonism will continue to plague the region because it believes that its place as the overlord of the Indian Ocean is secure with the new Western alliances. But the small nations have the power collectively to tie up India like the way the Lilliputians tied down Gulliver. Of course, those familiar with Gulliver’s Travels will not forget how Gulliver, the giant in the land of pygmies, put out the fire in the Queen’s house: he just opened his fly and eased his bladder.
The Lillputian neighbors, however, are sick of the smell of Indian urine. The Indians may enjoy the urine of even the cow and may find some medicinal properties in it as one Indian Prime Minister did. But the SAARC must consider, sooner or later, ways to put an end to Indian hegemony covered in pompous piety. They must decide whether they will drown in a deluge flowing from a Gullverian bladder or jointly plot and plan to tie down the Gulliver. Indian bladder politics, if it goes on, will degrade small nations that believe in preserving their dignity and self-respect.
The bottom line is that if the Indian Gulliver thinks that it can douse the fires in the neighborhood by releasing its bladder the small neighbors will have to look for another Bigger Brother other than India.
- Asian Tribune -
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