India-Pakistan relations and its effect on regional cooperation in South Asia

The enduring India-Pakistan rivalry is the main reason behind the lack of progress in regional cooperation in South Asia under the rubric of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Though the smaller states in the region feel that SAARC is beneficial for them, they are not in a position individually or collectively to push it forward as an organisation. 

Considering the size and capacity, India played the role of a responsible member of SAARC. However, this was not appreciated by Pakistan and, on the contrary, it always tried to use the SAARC platform against India in many ways.

The dysfunctional nature of SAARC and Pakistan’s deliberate attempts to use the platform against India compelled New Delhi to explore ways and means to circumvent the machinations of Islamabad. 

For that, India experimented with sub-regional cooperation within the region and outside (immediate neighbourhood). India’s involvement in the activities of  the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), and the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) initiative are examples of this strategy.

Natural primacy of India in South Asia

The distancing of India from SAARC as an organisation has helped sub-regional cooperation to flourish in South Asia. It also helped India to reinvent its age-old relations with the states and communities in the Indo-Pacific region and Indian Ocean littoral. 

The smaller countries in the region have benefitted much from the increasing sub-regional cooperation. It is interesting to note that the stunted growth of regionalism in South Asia indirectly promoted sub-regional cooperation in the region and extra-regional cooperation with the Indo-Pacific.

The natural primacy of India in South Asia is acceptable to all countries in the region except Pakistan. Islamabad’s position in this regard is not premised on a realistic understanding of the ground situation. 

Rather Pakistan’s negative posture towards India in South Asia and beyond is based on ideological reasons. The idea of regional cooperation, even though it is beneficial, may not be acceptable for Pakistan due to ideological differences. Its attempts to rally the smaller states in South Asia against India and to bring China into the South Asian scene are also part of this.

Expanding footprints of China in the region

China became an observer in SAARC in 2005. In the 2005 SAARC Summit held in Dhaka, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh supported China’s observer status, while India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka opposed it. 

Apart from China, the US, European Union (EU), Australia, Iran, Mauritius, Japan, South Korea and Myanmar have observer status in SAARC. China used the observer status in the framework of SAARC to legitimise its increased involvement in the region. 

It has established fairly strong relations with Nepal, Bangladesh and Maldives and has been investing efforts to further its relations with Bhutan. China also enjoys an “all-weather relations” with Pakistan.

The increased involvement of China in South Asia is viewed with reservation by India. As Beijing’s engagement with South Asia is increasing, its relation with India is deteriorating. The Doklam Crisis in 2017 and the skirmishes that happened in Galwan in 2020 are examples of the deteriorating relations between India and China. 

Hence, the expanding footprints of China in South Asia is directly challenging India’s natural primacy in the region.

Need for India to engage vigorously with its neighbours

Therefore, one major reason behind India’s abandoning SAARC for the time being can be explained in this manner: India assumes that the strong bond between Pakistan and China and the attraction of the small countries in the region towards the latter may result in its isolation in the region in the long run.

In that context, India’s coldness towards SAARC and increased involvement in other platforms like the BIMSTEC, IORA, MGC and BBIN is justified considering its geopolitical sensitivity.

However, complete distancing from the South Asian regional platform may not be good for India. India’s disinterest in regionalism in South Asia does not stop China from developing relations with other countries in the region. 

On the contrary, it will help China to penetrate more into South Asia. Therefore, instead of distancing itself from the regional platform like SAARC, India must engage vigorously with its neighbours apart from keeping its presence in BIMSTEC and other platforms.

South Asia is the natural home region of India and all other countries in the region are connected with India culturally and otherwise. Hence, increased engagement with our neighbouring countries will only help improve India’s relations with the neighbourhood and strengthen the positive aspects of regionalism in South Asia. Also, that will help contain the increased involvement of China in the region.

Post Read Question

Discuss impediments that affected SAARC’s efforts towards regional cooperation.

India’s vigorous engagement with its neighbours will strengthen the positive aspects of regionalism in South Asia. Comment.

Discuss the ways and means to realise greater co-operation among the member States of South Asia.

China’s observer status in SAARC helped it legitimise its increased involvement in the region. Comment.

(Mathew Joseph C. is Professor at the MMAJ Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi)

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