Indo-Pak Relation
Introduction
Indo-Pak relations have been strained by a number of historical and political issues,and are defined by the violent partition of British India in 1947,the Kashmir dispute and yhe numerous military conflicts fought between the two nations.
After the dissolution of the British Raj in 1947,two new sovereign nations were formed the Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. Soon after their independence India and Pakistan established diplomatic relations but the violent partition and numerous territorial disputes disturbed their relation. Since their independence the two countries have fought major wars. There have been numerous attempts to improve the relationship like the Shimla Summit.the Agra Summit and the Lahore Summit. But the relations between the two soured particularly after Siachen conflict,Kashmir insurgency in 1989,1999 the Kargil war,2001 Indian Parliament attack,2007 Samjhauta Express bombings,2008 Mumbai attacks.
Pakistani troops have fired at Indian position in Mendhar sector on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir,in yet another violation of the bilateral ceasefire.There have been 90 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops since January 2013.
Bilateral Trade Relations
Bilateral trade dialogue with Pakistan was re-initiated with the 5th round of India-Pakistan Commerce Secretary level talks held at Islamabad in April 2011.This was followed by further rounds of talks held in November 2011 at Delhi and September 2012 at Islamabad.The first ever bilateral visit of Commerce Minister of India to Pakistan was undertaken in February 2012. Both sides have made considerable progress in improving bilateral trade ties.Pakistan has assured the International Monetary Fund that it was moving forward with eliminating the negatiove list on trade with India and granting the most favoured nation status to India as part of its overall trade policy. Pakistan has said that they are moving forward with eliminating the negative list on trade with India and extending India MFN status, and shifting to sensitive list under SAFTA(South Asia Free Trade Agreement) regime to facilitate increased regional trade.However Pakistan missed its own December 31 deadline for phasing out the negative list and giving India MFN status.The bilateral trade dialogue has opened possibilities for enhanced trade in Petroleum products and natural gas,trade in power and opening of commercial bank branches on reciprocal basis. The trade dialogue also provided an impetus to a more liberalized visa regime for the businee communities of both countries. The new visa agreement was signed in September 2012.
India has also reduced the SAFTA Sensitive List for Non Least Developed Countries from 878 to 614 by reduction of 264 tariff lines consisting of Textile lines-155, Agriculture-106 lines and Petroleum-3 lines.
Drawbacks
Islamabad lodging a strong protest with India over the detention of a Pakistani fisherman by the BSF near the disputed area of Sir Creek.According to Islamabad 79 Pakistani fisherman have been arrested in 2013 alone.
The thorny issue of Kashmir separates the two countries. Presently, differences over the question of demilitarization and self-governance in Kashmir persist. Cross border terrorism is another major problem. India has accused Pakistan of aiding and abetting cross border terrorism in India, especially in Kashmir.
The bilateral water disputes like the Wullar barrage-Tulbul project, Kishanganga project, Nimoo-Bazgo hydroelectric plant still pending. It bseems that Pakistan feels that if there would development of the region in terms of electricity and water management, then their designs would be deeply affected and therefore, they have tried to misinterpret the provisions of Indus water treaty to inhibit the growth and development of the region.
Pakistans ISI is reportedly setting up new bases in Nepal,Bangladesh etc. to carry ouy anti-India operations. There are reports that the ISI is trying to establish links with anti-India organizations like ULFA.
Pakistan is handling management control of a strategic but commercially troubled sea water Gwadar port to a Chinese company.The agreement to transfer the port to the state-owned China Overseas Port Holding Company was signed.Pakistan has remained an important part of the Chinese game plan. The growing interference of Pakistan in Nepal and Srilanka indicates that Pakistan has decided outrightly to undermine Indian presence in its neighbouring countries.
Indo-Srilanka Relation
Introduction
Sri Lanka and India, although separated only by a channel, have never gotten along well. It is like the UK and France being at war with each other, centuries ago. Both Colombo and New Delhi are really distant neighbours. Their mistrust is so deep that one attributes all types of motives to the other. Yet, all their enmity is not over territory or policies but on the discriminatory treatment meted out to Tamils living in Sri Lanka.
Over the years, Colombo has given New Delhi the impression that Sri Lanka is working out an arrangement whereby the Tamils would enjoy autonomy within the country. This hope got a fillip when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was eliminated lock, stock, and barrel in a war which lasted for decades, and ended four years ago. But President Mahinda Rajapaksa dashed all hopes, during the Independence Day address last month, when he ruled out any kind of political autonomy to the Tamils who are concentrated in the north-eastern province.
To New Delhi, President Rajapaksas statement has come as a rude shock but it still believes that he would ultimately fulfil his assurance of remaining fully committed to facilitating the Thirteenth Amendment and solving the ethnic issue. In the Thirteenth Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution of 1978, introduced in the aftermath of the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987, there is a provision to provide regional autonomy to the countrys tightly-held unitary system of governance. It is regarded as an acknowledgement of the political aspirations of the Tamils
India strongly believes that a meaningful devolution package,building upon the 13th amendment,would lead towards a lasting political settlement on many of these issues and create situations in which all citizens of Sri Lanka, irrespective of their ethnicity, can find justice, dignity, equality and self-respect.
Bilateral Trade Relations
Sri Lanka is Indias major trading partner in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) region. Total trade between both the countries has now crossed 5 billion US$. Deeper economic engagement with Sri Lanka (including free trade agreement) has helped India to more than double its exports within a two year span. Indiass trade with Sri Lanka has shown significant increase from USD 3465.39 million in 2007-08 to USD 5096.98 million in 2011-12 .Trade is skewed in favour of India exporting goods worth $4.3billion to Sri Lanka in 2011-12.From $78million in 2009, when SriLankan internal strife ended, Indian investment in Sri Lanka almost doubled to $147million in 2011. Tata, Bajaj, Godrej, Bharti and RPG have established their presence in Sri Lanka. Also India is a major contributor to Sri Lankas tourism industry.
The India-Sri Lanka Bilateral Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons signed in June 2010 paved the way for the transfer of the four prisoners to jails in their home country.
The Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement, has brought many benefits to both the nations, enabling two way benefits and investments in many sectors.A Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and a Bilateral Investment Promotion Agreement have been signed.
The Indian Government has agreed to provide financial assistance to develop northern Jaffna peninsulas biggest harbour Kankasuntharai(KKS).
The Second NSA Meeting on Trilateral Cooperation on Maritime Security between India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka took place in Colombo on 8 July,2013. During this meeting the three sides discussed a wide range of topics like enhancing in Maritime Domain Awareness through provision of Long Range Identification and Tracking services,and Merchant Ship Information System software by India.
Drawbacks
In August 2013,India had summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner and issued a demarche on the issue of 114 fisherman lodged in Lankan jails. It was pointed out that delay in release of the fisherman not only deprives them of their livelihood but also creates anxiety among their family members. Even news of harsh treatment on the fisherman has also been heard.
China has been investing heavily in Sri Lanka, with loans and expertise instrumental in building ports, highways, railways, and power plants in the Indian Ocean nation.Sri Lanka and China will finalise a FTA ahead of a Commonwealth summit in Colombo in November 2013.Recently China has agreed to Colonmbos request for USD 580 million loan for infrastructure development.
Sri Lanka was not keen on having a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with India, as it feared granting more Indian access to its markets would destroy its countrys domestic industry.
The UNHRC a US sponsored resolution on human rights violation in Sri Lanka with 25 countries including India voting in favour of the document in the 47 nation strong body. In 2012 after India voted against Sri Lanka in UNHRC, the island nation increased duties on vehicle imports.
The growing closeness with China, Pakistanand Myanmar, India feels that Sri Lanka is drifting apart and there is a immediate need of a peace agreement which could rejoin India and Sri Lanka.
India-Bangladesh Relations
INTRODUCTION
India and Bangladesh have long shared a warm and friendly relation. Bangladesh shares a 4095 km international border with five Indian states of West Bengal,Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
However, since the partition of India in 1947, Bangladesh (formerly East Bengal and East Pakistan) became a part of Pakistan. Following the Liberation War of 1971, Bangladesh gained its independence and established relations with India. The political relationship between India and Bangladesh has passed through cycles of hiccups. However, both countries today recognise the importance of good relations, regional security and South Asian economic integration. Relations have improved significantly since Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's state visit to India in January 2010, which sought to revive Indo-Bangla relations in the emerging Asian economic order. The two countries are undertaking strategic partnerships in developing regional infrastructure, anti-terrorism, greater trade, mutual access to markets, environmental protection, hydroelectric power, energy, international co-operation and cultural relations.
Bilateral Relations
A MOU on establishment of Border-Haats at Baliamari-Kalaichari and Lawaghar-Balat at Meghalaya,India-Bangladesh border was signed on 236rd October,2010.The commodities at Border-Haat are allowed to exchange between both the countries in local currency/barter basis.
Both sides are working on several projects to improve trade infrastructure and connectivity. Border Management is developing 7 Integrated Check Posts on India-Bangladesh Borader viz; Petrapole, Agartala, Dawaki, Hili, Chandrabagha, Sutarkhandi and Kawarpuchiah.
Under SAFTA, India has given generous market access for Bangladesh Exports, at zero basic customs duty for all items except liquor and tobacco. Growth of exports from Bangladesh to India has also shown an increase from US$ 0.44bn in 2010-11 to US$ 0.58bn in 2011-12. As per latest trends of 2012-13 Bangladesh is poised as Indias largest trading partner in South Asia.
From October 2013, India would become an exporter of power in Bangladesh, NTPC and West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited will provide this. The state would sell 250MW of power to Bangladesh.
India will build a 15 km railway track linking Tripura capital Agartala with Bangladeshs southeastern city of Akhaurah, which is also an important railway junction to Chittagong port, resource-rich Sylhet and Dhaka.
Drawbacks
A major area of contention has been the construction and operation of the Farakka Barrage by India to increase water supply in the river Hoogly. Bangladesh insists that it does not receive a fair share of the Ganges waters during the drier seasons, and gets flooded during the monsoons when India releases excess waters.
There have also been disputes regarding the transfer of Teen Bigha Corridor to Bangladesh. Part of Bangladesh is surrounded by the Indian state of West Bengal. On 26 June 1992, India leased three bigha land to Bangladesh to connect this enclave with mainland Bangladesh. There was dispute regarding the indefinite nature of the lease. The dispute was resolved by an mutual agreement between India and Bangladesh in 2011
Terrorist activities carried out by outfits based in both countries, like Banga Sena and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. Recently India and Bangladesh had agreed jointly to fight terrorism.
Bangladesh has consistently denied India transit facility to the landlocked North Eastern Regions of India. Although India has a narrow land link to this North eastern region, which is famously known as the Siliguri Corridor or "India's Chicken Neck
Illegal Bangladeshi immigration into India.] The border is porous and migrants are able to cross illegally, though sometimes only in return for financial or other incentives to border security personnel. Bangladeshi officials have denied the existence of Bangladeshis living in India and those illegal migrants found are described as having been trafficked. This has considerable repercussions for those involved, as they are stigmatised for having been involved in prostitution, whether or not this has actually been the case. Cross border migrants are also at far higher risk of HIV/Aids infection
Continuous border killing of Indian and Bangladeshi people, aiding illegal immigrants, helping in armed dacoity, fake money transfer and illegal drug trades by both Indian and Bangladeshi people are the major problems between Bangladesh and India.
Both Bangladesh and India make claims over the same seawater at the Bay of Bengal
There was a minor glitch in their relation when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accidentally mentioned that 25% of Bangladeshis are anti-Indian, during an informal press meet
India-Nepal Relation
Introduction
As close neighbours, India and Nepal share a unique relationship of
friendship and cooperation characterized by open borders and deep-rooted
people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. There has been a long tradition
of free movement of people across the borders. Nepal has an area of 147,181sq kms.. and a population of 29 million. It shares a border of over 1850 Kms to
the south with five Indian States - Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and
Uttarakhand and in the north with the Tibet autonomous region of the People's
Republic of China.
India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 is the bedrock of the
special relations that exist between India and Nepal. Under the provisions of the
treaty, Nepalese citizen have enjoyed unparalleled advantages in India, availing
the facilities and opportunities at par with Indian citizens. The Treaty has enabled
Nepal to overcome the disadvantages of being a land-locked country. Overtime,
many regimes in Nepal have raised the issue of revision of the treaty. India has
maintained that it is willing to examine all bilateral arrangements with a view to
further strengthening our relations. Specific suggestions from the Nepalese side
have not been forthcoming.
Bilateral Relations
India continues to be Nepals largest trade partner, source of foreign
investment and tourist arrivals. Bilateral trade between India and Nepal has
received further impetus after the signing of the revised Trade Treaty in 2009
which has provisions that allow Nepal greater access to the Indian market.
According to the figures for the Nepalese fiscal year (ending July 2012), bilateral
trade with India stood at Rs.21812.8 crores which accounted for 65.1% of
Nepalese total external trade. India and Nepal have a treaty of transit, which
confers transit rights through each others territory through mutually agreed
routes and modalities. The Transit Treaty was renewed on 5 January 2013 for 7
years.
The two countries have concluded a Rail Services Agreement (RSA) and
a revised Air Services Agreement (ASA) to enhance bilateral connectivity. India
also remains Nepals largest source of foreign investment and Indian investments
in Nepal amount to Rs.2175.5 crores with 525 FDI projects. India accounts for
46% of the total foreign investments in Nepal. In October-November 2011 the
two countries have also concluded the Bilateral Investment Protection &
Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
(DTAA) which provide legal framework for enhancing Indian investment into
Nepal and further integrating the two economies.
India had played a leading role in helping the Nepal Army (NA) in its
modernization through provision of equipment and training. More than 250
training slots are provided every year for training of NA personnel in various
Indian Army training institutions. The Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army is
given the honorary rank of a General in the Nepal Army and a reciprocal honour
is conferred on the Chief of the Nepal Army. India has always been proud to
have Nepalese as soldiers in her Forces and has made every effort to ensure
that they are looked after and cared for in their twilight years. As of now, we
have over 1.26 Lakh ex-servicemen residing in Nepal. In 2012-13 the payments
of pensions to the Indian ex-service men in Nepal amounted to 1387 crores. The
Government of India has made every effort to ensure that these ex-servicemen,
their families and dependents are looked after in the best possible manner. To
ensure this, the Government of India has established The Indian Ex-Servicemen
Welfare Organisation in Nepal (IEWON). Ex-servicemen Contributory Health
Scheme (ECHS) has been launched in Nepal during 2012 vide which free medical treatment to the Indian ex-servicemen of Nepal domicile.
India supports Nepals economic growth through improved access to the Indian market, encouraging Indian investments in Nepal and assisting in creating infrastructure. Bilateral trade between the two countries is set to cross US$ 4.5bn this year.Nepals imports from India amounted to US$3.62bn and exports to India is US$599.7bn. India assisting Nepal in building roads, four massive integrated check posts, railway lines.
Drawbacks
Indian police had enterd Nepaloi territory and raiding a house on the pretext of searching for criminals has enraged local political parties, government officials and people. Nepals radical Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, a breakaway faction of the United Communist Party of Nepal Maoist, had submitted a memorandum at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu protesting the Indian polices act.
Nepal and India have agreed to expedite work on power trade but were unable to reac a decision on the 5600MW Pancheshwar multipurpose dam project, proposed 15 years ago for sharing power and water on 50-50 basis.
A little known group has staged black flag demonstrations in front of the Indian Embassy gate here, demanding return of territory Nepal had lost to India under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty.
It is alarming that many Nepalese believe that moving closer to China is in the best interest of the country. For more than a half century, India has been deeply influential in Nepalese affairs and remains Nepals biggest trading partner and economic benefactor, even as some Nepalese resent in Indias role in their affairs.
DEBALINA BISWAS
Sources
1. The Hindu
2. Civil services times
3. Ministry of External affairs
4. TOI
