Sub-regionalism as New Regionalism in South Asia: India's Role

摘要

India's engagement with its neighbours received a policy reinvigoration after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government assumed power and announced its 'neighbourhood first' policy. The first sign of this policy was visible when Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited all the heads of state of the neighbouring countries for his oath-taking ceremony, on May 26, 2014. India's interest and engagement with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has also intensified in the past few years - from being a reluctant player to driving the regional economic agenda. Unlike in the past, Prime Minister Modi undertook his first foreign visit to Bhutan, followed by visits to Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Seychelles and Bangladesh, to synergise bilateral relations. India had already intensified its cooperation at the regional and sub-regional levels and the NDA government was proactive in taking these engagements forward. Regional as well as sub-regional cooperation became major vehicles of India's neighbourhood policy, at the core of which was the development agenda of the present government. The importance of the region for India is not because of the fact that it is a geographical fait accompli but its significance as a contiguous cultural space based on a shared heritage that needs to be nurtured and sustained. The fact that the neighbourhood was given such a prominent position generated hopes among neighbouring countries about India's intensive engagement with the region. While bilateral relations remain extremely important, India's role in the region would define its rise as an important player in global affairs with its development agenda as a driver. While there are several regional organisations like the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), its role within SAARC would have a significant bearing on India's role in global affairs. Therefore, the questions that arise are: Is India now prepared for a regional leadership role given the government's emphasis on economic connectivity and neighbourhood-first policy? And to what extent would sub-regional cooperation among the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) framework impact on the success of SAARC as a regional cooperation organisation? Does it mean that India is abandoning its 'asymmetric responsibility' within SAARC in favour of sub-regionalism?