India is already in election mode. Political parties are preparing their election manifestos. If the past is any guide foreign policy issues will get at best perfunctory mention in their political statements. Foreign policy, it is commonly believed, does not win votes. The fact however is that external factors, which are the concern of a nation’s foreign policy, affect the common man, the aam aadmi, in myriad ways. To take an example, fluctuations in global energy prices can pay havoc with household budgets. One can only hope this time around foreign policy and national security issues will get more serious attention from political parties.
An effective foreign policy must be aligned with the national interests and domestic priorities of a country. India’s economic development and national security cannot be separated from external factors. Hence in the end all foreign policy becomes domestic policy. In the last few years the concerns expressed by some of the Indian states have deeply affected India’s foreign policy vis-a-vis its neighbours.
Foreign policy is now an integral part of India’s domestic policies. The steady flow of inward remittances with an annual $70 billion has helped stabilise forex reserves and sustained millions of families in different parts of the country. India’s annual trade accounts for over 40 per cent of the GDP. Annual tourist inflow of about 6.5 million generates foreign exchange and jobs in India. India imports nearly 80 per cent of its energy requirements from different countries. Millions of Indians go abroad for business, leisure studies and jobs. It also imports billions of dollars of arms for its security needs. These are all foreign policy issues which cannot be ignored.
Relations with neighbours are critical for India’s security. Unfortunately, India has not been able to find a solution to the China-Pak strategic nexus that remains a major security concern. Pakistan’s society is getting increasingly radicalised. Externally supported terrorism continues to pose a cardinal security threat for India. Post-2014, Afghanistan may become unstable posing a potential threat to regional stability. Human trafficking, drug trafficking, organised crime, counterfeit currency, sea piracy remain issues for national security. No political party should ignore the gravity of these issues.
Thanks to high economic growth over the last 20 years, India’s nuclear tests and the Indo-US nuclear deal, India’s international profile has increased. It has had tangible benefits. Economic development has improved. More Indians have travelled abroad for studies and jobs. Isolation from the rest of the world would prove disastrous for India’s growth and prosperity.
Foreign policy becomes important for other reasons, too. India also has the task to manage the negative impacts of globalisation. If it does not remain proactive at international fora where the key issues such as climate change, international trade, regional security architectures, space security and maritime security are discussed, it will be left out. India suffered in the past when it was left out from the nuclear non-proliferation regime because it did not conduct a nuclear test for ideological reasons in time to be in the NPT. As new geopolitical realties take shape with the shift of power from the West to the East, new international order is being formed right in front of our eyes albeit in a piecemeal manner. There are demands that the Security Council, the UN’s key decision-making body on international security issues, should be reformed. No one will hand over India a permanent seat unless it works for it. This requires a proactive foreign policy.
The political parties should take a broader view of India’s place in the world. Undoubtedly local and regional issues are important but so are external factors that increasingly shape local issues. The political class should realise, as does a vast multitude of Indians, that India’s destiny lies in engaging more and not less with the world.
Most nations see India as playing a major role in world affairs in future. Unfortunately, our domestic debate has focussed on relatively peripheral issues and mostly ignored the vast opportunities that have opened up for India in global affairs. India also lacks adequate diplomatic resources to deal with the challenges that come with rapid geopolitical shifts. Unfortunately, we seem to have missed many opportunities by following weak and hesitant foreign policies. This should be corrected. Against this backdrop, political parties should consider giving higher priority to foreign policy and national security issues in their manifestos. Naturally, how they deal with critical issues will depend upon their own priorities and approaches. They should articulate their vision of India’s place in the world.
The parties should inform the voters how they propose to meet the myriad challenges India faces. For instance, how will they deal with the complex neighbourhood, and a rising and assertive China whose global and regional influence is growing but with whom it has a tenuous relationship on account of an unsettled boundary? What should be done to mitigate the adverse impact of the Sino-Pak nexus? How to respond to Pakistan’s acquisition of tactical nuclear weapons? How to meet the threat of terrorism that originates from its soil? What role should Indian states have in foreign policy making?
India’s extended neighbourhood, consisting of Central Asia, South East Asia, West Asia, is also critical for its growth and prosperity. How should India engage with the Gulf region where over 6 million Indians work and from where nearly 70 per cent of our crude oil needs are met? How to put flesh on India’s Connect Central Asia policy which has remained weak? India is not just a land power, it is also a maritime power. Maritime security for India cannot be ignored. Should India emerge as a security provider in the Indian Ocean region?
The challenges facing India require innovative approaches and out-of-the-box thinking. How does India propose to meet the challenges of energy, food and water security? What should be the nature of its relationship with the US, Russia, Japan, China and other major powers? How to make Indian diplomacy more robust effective?
These are only a few of the urgent questions which the next government would have to deal with on the foreign policy front. India needs a broad measure of political consensus to address challenges. Admittedly, these cannot all be addressed in a manifesto but the political parties should not ignore these issues and clarify their views for the voters and also for the outsiders who are watching the outcome of the elections keenly.
The author is director general, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
Email: directorgeneralidsa@gmail.com