Modi Inaugurates the Asian Era
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Modi Inaugurates The Asian Era | by S. D. Muni In the first 100 days, the SAARC invitation and Prime Minister Narendra Modis vis its to nei!hbourin! "a#ita$s have !reat$y im#roved the atmos#heri"s of the bi$atera$ dis"ourse and "reated ho#e for !reater re!iona$ "oo#eration and syner!y % Se#tember &, '01(, Ne) De$hi, Sri *an+a uardian- Modi !overnments nei !hbourhood initiative, )hi"h started even before the !overnment )as s)ornin , in the form of invitation to SAARC heads of overnment and State, has )ide$y been a""$aimed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi estab$ished #ersona$ "onta"ts )ith the SAARC $eaders, in"$udin! Pa+istan Prime Minister Na)a/ Sharif and #aid t)o offi"ia$ visits to hutan and Ne#a$. orei!n Minister Sushma S)ara2 rea"tivated IndiaNe#a$ 3oint Commissio n meetin!s after '4 years by visitin! 5athmandu and #aid visits to an!$adesh and Myanmar . orei!n Se"retary$eve$ ta$+s )ere s"hedu$ed bet)een India and Pa+istan des#ite vio$ations of "easefire on the *ine of Contro$ and internationa$ border, i!norin! Modi s "am#ai!n #osition that )hi$e bombs and !uns boom, )e "annot ta$+ meanin!fu$$y. India, ho)ever, #u$$ed ba"+ from these ta$+s as a resu$t of the PM6$ed intervention, )hi"h insisted on Pa+istan dis"ontinuin! its #ar$eys )ith 5ashmirs se#aratist 7urriyat Conferen"e $eaders on the eve of the ta$+s. 8he SAARC invitation and the visits to nei!hbourin! "a#ita$s !reat$y im#roved the atmos#heri"s of the bi$atera$ dis"ourse and "reated ho#e for !reater re!iona$ "oo#eration and syner!y. It !ave Indian $eaders the fee$ of #o$iti"a$ terrai n as )e$$ as dev e$o#menta$ e9#e"tations from India, in the nei!hbourin! "ountries throu!h #ersona$ "onta"ts )ith the diversity of $o"a$ $eaders. In an!$adesh, Sushma S)ara2 set at rest her hosts an9ieties on the 3P "am#ai!n rhetori" a!ainst i$$e!a$ immi!rants and #romised that *and and 8eesta A!reements )ou$d be e9#editious$y "on"$uded. Modis e$o:uent addresses in hutans Par$iament and Ne#a$s Constituent Assemb$y not on$y sou!ht to brid!e the trust defi"it )ith India but !ave assuran"es that India )ou$d stand by these
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"ountries in their res#e"tive sear"hes for se"urity, stabi$ity and deve$o#ment. 7is use of "at"hy #hrases $i+e ( in hutan i.e. harat for hutan and hutan for harat, and in Ne#a$, ;oudhse huddha, %from )ar to #ea"e- and Shastra se Shastra %from arms to s"ri#tures<Constitution-to hai$ Ne#a$ s #ea"e #ro"ess of the Maoists 2oinin! the mainstream, #romised a ne) Indiana##roa"h to)ards nei!hbours.
8here )ere, ho)ever, no ma2or brea+throu!hs in the nei!hbourhood initiative, and the)ithdra)a$ from ta$+s )ith Pa+istan )as indeed amounted to be a brea+do)n. =ith sett$in! ofthe eu#horia of the visits, voi"es of s"e#ti"s and "riti"s in the nei!hbourin! "ountries as a$so)ithin India, have started risin!. 8he Modi !overnment has "ome under stron! "riti"ism on the"an"e$$ation of ta$+s )ith Pa+istan. 8he 5ashmir Assemb$y has even #assed a reso$ution ur!in!for restartin! the ta$+s and en!a!in! Pa+istan to #romote bi$atera$ ties. In an!$adesh, an9iety"ontinues to "entre on the "riti"a$ #endin! a!reements on 8eesta )ater sharin! and the *andorder. In Ne#a$, mu"h hy#ed Po)er 8rade A!reement %P8A- and the Pro2e"t Deve$o#mentA!reement %PDA- "ou$d not be si!ned. Modi has #romised to rene!otiate )ith Ne#a$, the8reaty of 1>?0, but there is no meanin!fu$ res#onse from Ne#a$ yet as to )hat it rea$$y )ants in
the revised treaty. 8here is no #ro!ress on a host of other issues, too, re$ated to trade and transit, #endin! border demar"ation and border mana!ement and rai$ and road $in+ #ro2e"ts.
As for Sri *an+a, )hi$e bi$atera$ ties are smooth, Modi s firm reiteration of the im#$ementationof the 14th Amendment in his one to one meetin! )ith President Ra2a#a+sha did not !o )e$$)ith the $atter. 8he hi!h #rofi$e subse:uent visit of 8ami$ de$e!ation from 3affna and SushmaS)ara2 s em#hasis on a""ommodation of 8ami$ ri!hts has not eased Co$ombo s an9ieties.
It is indeed unrea$isti" to e9#e"t ma2or deve$o#ments in India s nei!hbourhood #o$i"y in 100days. 7o)ever, the !a#s bet)een #romise and #erforman"e in Modi s initiatives "an be
a""ounted on t)o fa"tors. 8o be!in )ith, there )as a "$ear $a"+ of "arefu$ #$annin! and #re#arations on India s #art. It is unfair to b$ame Modi for "a$$in! off ta$+s )ith Pa+istan ona""ount of the 7urriyat issue. It )as )ron! on India s #art to "on"ede to this #ra"ti"e to be!in)ith, )here Pa+istan is a$$o)ed to s#ea+ on beha$f of the #eo#$e of 5ashmir, and that, too,throu!h 7urriyat briefin!. Modi !overnment s sensitivity to dis"ontinue this #ra"ti"e )ase9#ressed to Na)a/ Sharif )hen he )as visitin! to attend Modi s oath ta+in!. Neither Pa+istanunderstood this sensitivity #ro#er$y nor )as the Indian di#$omati" estab$ishment a$ert to "autionPa+istan )e$$ in advan"e of the ta$+s. Modi had done )e$$ to issue a statement before his visitto 3a#an that India remains #re#ared to ta$+ to Pa+istan on a$$ issues, im#$yin! in"$udin!5ashmir, if 7urriyat dimension is abandoned. 6ne ho#es that Modi s this insisten"e is not"onfined to e$e"tora$ "a$"u$ations in "omin! 5ashmir e$e"tions.
In "ase of an!$adesh, an9ieties aroused on a""ount of Modi s "am#ai!n "ou$d be set at restthrou!h di#$omati" "hanne$ but Sushma S)ara2 shou$d have de$ayed her visit and #re#ared toreso$ve at $east one of the t)o issues of 8eesta and *and A!reement in vie) of the!overnment s "omfortab$e #ar$iamentary ma2ority. 7ere a!ain, the Modi !overnment seems to
be in a bit of a bind. 8he 3P )ants to "onso$idate and e9#and its base in =est en!a$ and,therefore, it is in no mood to a""ommodate an!$adesh on the #endin! issues, $est Mamata s8MC e9#$oits su"h a""ommodation. In "ase of Ne#a$, the hurried$y #re#ared te9t of P8A sent
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on the eve of Modi a visit did more harm then !ood. Modi s omission of @se"u$ar :ua$ifi"ationfor Ne#a$ s evo$vin! Constitution and his robust #ro2e"tion of 7indu identity throu!h s#e"ia$
#rayers in Pashu#atinath tem#$e, has $eft Ne#a$ s minorities a bit un"omfortab$e.
6ne ho#es that Modi s di#$omati" estab$ishment is stream$ined to move )ith !reater "are in #ushin! for)ard the ne) a##roa"h of #ro a"tive en!a!ement )ith the nei!hbours. ut a bi!!er"ha$$en!e to this a##roa"h, in fa"t, $ies in the nei!hbourin! "ountries. A$$ these "ountries are
#o$iti"a$$y dee#$y #o$arised )ith a##roa"h to)ards India bein! a ma2or fau$t $ine in a$$ of them.Pa+istan s interna$ "onf$i"t bet)een the "ivi$ian re!ime and the army is #erha#s the bi!!est ofsu"h divides. ut divide on India #o$i"y is not insi!nifi"ant even in Ne#a$, an!$adesh, Sri*an+a and Ma$dives. n$ess this #o$arisation is softened and India is ta+en out of the interna$
#o)er riva$ries, "om#etitions and #re2udi"es in these "ountries, there may be no easy )ayahead.
— 8he )riter is a Professor Bmeritus, 3N , De$hi
