 "Foreign policy reflects pragmatism")
During the first three months of the Narendra Modi government, the foreign policy front seems to have seen the highest momentum. At the outset, Modi had clarified his government wouldn't focus only on strengthening ties with western countries, but also with India's neighbours in South and Southeast Asia.
In a move that left everyone surprised, Modi invited all leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) grouping for his swearing-in ceremony. Just a day after taking oath, he held formal bilateral talks with officials of all Saarc countries. Such out-of-the-box initiatives ignited hopes of a new beginning, especially in the case of India's ties with Pakistan and Nepal.
"Saarc remains an underdeveloped regional institution. So, Modi's ideas of regional synergy to take his development agenda forward are a good step towards that. However, Pakistan will continue to be a hurdle in this initiative. As a result, I think India should focus eastwards, where there are fewer hostilities. It should also have a special focus on the Bay of Bengal Initiative for multi-sectoral technical and economic cooperation," said Kanwal Sibal, former foreign secretary and former ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia.
In the case of Nepal, visited once by the PM and twice by Swaraj since the new government took charge, the Centre took unprecedented measures. These not only heralded a new era of ties between the two neighbours, but also improved India's image of a dominating power in the region. The India-Nepal Joint Commission was revived after 23 years.
Through his visit, the only bilateral visit by a PM to Nepal in the past 17 years, Modi able to showcase India's economic initiatives there, as well as hit a chord with the population.
Some experts say Modi's big-ticket promises might force the government into a corner, as actual delivery might become a huge challenge. "Modi's USP is the promise of greater delivery. The foreign policy moves have been faultless so far. But India will not be able to deliver on the promise of development partnerships in our neighbourhood unless we make changes in our delivery models. The PM's initiatives might flounder if we are unable to close the gap between promise and performance," said Jayant Prasad, former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan and Nepal.
Ties with Pakistan recently took an ugly turn, with the cancellation of foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries. Shyam Saran, former foreign secretary, chairman of the National Security Advisory Board and RIS and a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, said though the cancellation of the talks might be a setback to the PM's neighbourhood strategy, it might pave the way to a new strategy on the Pakistan front. "It is hoped this decision wasn't a knee-jerk reaction, but part of a revised strategy to confront the Pakistan challenge in a manner different from earlier dispensations. India needs to break out of the dialogue-disruption-dialogue syndrome once for all," he added.
With China and Japan, the government has done an impressive balancing act by engaging with both, simultaneously. While Modi is set to visit Japan at the end of this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India in November.
Border disputes with China and defence deals with Japan, however, remain key challenges on this front. Besides, China's increasing aggression in South China Sea poses a big threat to India's foreign policy.
With the US, India is clearly planning to start afresh. US Secretary of State John Kerry's recent visit to India paved the way forward. Next month, Modi will visit the US, where he is expected to hold talks with US President Barack Obama. It remains to be seen how the so-called 'natural alliance' takes shape.
In a move that left everyone surprised, Modi invited all leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) grouping for his swearing-in ceremony. Just a day after taking oath, he held formal bilateral talks with officials of all Saarc countries. Such out-of-the-box initiatives ignited hopes of a new beginning, especially in the case of India's ties with Pakistan and Nepal.
"Saarc remains an underdeveloped regional institution. So, Modi's ideas of regional synergy to take his development agenda forward are a good step towards that. However, Pakistan will continue to be a hurdle in this initiative. As a result, I think India should focus eastwards, where there are fewer hostilities. It should also have a special focus on the Bay of Bengal Initiative for multi-sectoral technical and economic cooperation," said Kanwal Sibal, former foreign secretary and former ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia.
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Taking forward the PM's agenda, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been on her toes in strengthening bilateral ties and forging deeper partnerships with a host of countries. During the past three months, Swaraj has already visited Singapore, Vietnam, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. In Bangladesh, Swaraj raised the issue of infiltration and illegal migration. The two governments agreed better border management was necessary to bring about peace and security along the border.
In the case of Nepal, visited once by the PM and twice by Swaraj since the new government took charge, the Centre took unprecedented measures. These not only heralded a new era of ties between the two neighbours, but also improved India's image of a dominating power in the region. The India-Nepal Joint Commission was revived after 23 years.
Through his visit, the only bilateral visit by a PM to Nepal in the past 17 years, Modi able to showcase India's economic initiatives there, as well as hit a chord with the population.
Some experts say Modi's big-ticket promises might force the government into a corner, as actual delivery might become a huge challenge. "Modi's USP is the promise of greater delivery. The foreign policy moves have been faultless so far. But India will not be able to deliver on the promise of development partnerships in our neighbourhood unless we make changes in our delivery models. The PM's initiatives might flounder if we are unable to close the gap between promise and performance," said Jayant Prasad, former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan and Nepal.
Ties with Pakistan recently took an ugly turn, with the cancellation of foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries. Shyam Saran, former foreign secretary, chairman of the National Security Advisory Board and RIS and a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, said though the cancellation of the talks might be a setback to the PM's neighbourhood strategy, it might pave the way to a new strategy on the Pakistan front. "It is hoped this decision wasn't a knee-jerk reaction, but part of a revised strategy to confront the Pakistan challenge in a manner different from earlier dispensations. India needs to break out of the dialogue-disruption-dialogue syndrome once for all," he added.
With China and Japan, the government has done an impressive balancing act by engaging with both, simultaneously. While Modi is set to visit Japan at the end of this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India in November.
Border disputes with China and defence deals with Japan, however, remain key challenges on this front. Besides, China's increasing aggression in South China Sea poses a big threat to India's foreign policy.
With the US, India is clearly planning to start afresh. US Secretary of State John Kerry's recent visit to India paved the way forward. Next month, Modi will visit the US, where he is expected to hold talks with US President Barack Obama. It remains to be seen how the so-called 'natural alliance' takes shape.