With concerns being raised over India’s equations with its neighbours — Nepal and Maldives — getting strained at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reaching out to global powers, New Delhi on Tuesday sought to assert that both Kathmandu and Male continued to be its strong partners.
Underlining the fact that India has to balance its approach while dealing with the neighbours, official sources said New Delhi’s approach can neither be too intrusive nor totally hands-off, especially when the events in the neighbourhood have spillover effects on India.
“India’s neighbourhood first policy does not mean pandering. We cannot close eyes if there are issues that need to be addressed. We need to find ways to work with our neighbours. Relationship cannot be on India sacrificing its interests. We cannot become Dhritarashtra,” official sources said.
Top Government sources cited how Nepal’s new Prime Minister KP Oli signing the eight-point three-party agreement with Madhesis will benefit the India-Nepal relationship. And, notwithstanding Male’s assertion that it does not want any foreign interference in its domestic affairs, sources said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had strongly taken up the issue of imprisonment of jailed Opposition leader and former President Mohammed Nasheed with the incumbent Maldivian head Abdulla Yameen.
In Male, Swaraj also met senior leader of Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Ibrahim Solih to give out a clear message to the Yameen Government. “The endeavour was not to debate but to create a more harmonious situation in Maldives. But it is possible people we preach harmony may not react in a certain way,” sources added.
Downplaying President Yameen’s remarks to Sawaraj that his Government will not tolerate foreign interference in domestic issues, sources said the message was for a “larger audience” and not India-specific. They said, Yameen was indicating towards the United Nations, Commonwealth and other countries which have spoken to him about Nasheed’s detention.
“It was a generic message and not just for India. We both gave our messages. President Yameen’s position was a larger position addressed to the international community. We gave our views on what was conducive to the stability, progress, prosperity, democracy and development of Maldives. So, there are confabulations which were intersecting but not identical messages,” sources said.
While India does not want over-indulgence in Maldives’ internal politics as it once had when Nasheed walked into Indian embassy for safety, it also does not want to be seen as a silent spectator to the human rights violations, especially, when the entire world is talking about it. Hence, India did express concerns over the way Nasheed was arrested and tried in Maldives and tried to counsel both sides for reconciliation but it largely stayed away from micromanaging things.
On Nepal, with the new Oli taking charge PM, there is cautious optimism in India. There is a feeling that Oli engaging the protesting groups with regard to new Constitution is a step in right direction but India would still like to wait and watch.
On the positive side, India sees a change in the attitude of the political leadership that till a few weeks back was not even willing to address the issues of Madhesis and other protesting groups. In fact, during Foreign Secretary S Jaishnakar’s visit to Kathmandu in September, official sources said, some of the bigger parties recognised the problem but were unwilling to rectify while others were dismissive about the Madhesi problem and even called them “criminals.”
However, the sources said that there was opening of more “political space” to discuss concerns of various sections of the Nepalese people and willingness for course correction. “In the last 20 days, we are seeing greater willingness to address the issues which was not there earlier. PM Oli’s own position has changed since September 18 when he was unwilling to relent. Today he is willing to recognise grievances of Madhesis and has committed to do something. Whether he actually does something or not is to be seen,” said sources.