Articles of Foreign Policy-
‘Modi’s politics’ affecting relations with neighbors

Symbolic image.
Sushant Singh //

When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India 10 years ago, the leaders of every South Asian country were invited to his swearing-in ceremony. This was a reflection of his ‘neighbourhood first’ foreign policy, which aimed to foster cordial relations and economic integration with India’s smaller neighbours. But this policy quickly failed—due to border disputes and bilateral disagreements, India’s laxity in implementing development projects, and China’s growing influence in the region.
But Bangladesh was seen as a success of its ‘neighbourhood first’ policy. Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who held office for 15 consecutive years before resigning under pressure from a student revolt this month, has worked closely with Modi. In Bangladesh, Hasina’s journey started on a democratic path but later transformed into an authoritarian ruler. The anger of the people of the country against him gradually increased. That anger found expression in student protests against the government job quota system. Hasina government’s massive crackdown in bringing the protests under control led to nationwide unrest. Hasina finally fled the country on August 5 and is currently staying in India.
Despite Hasina’s low popularity in Bangladesh, her resignation came as a blow to the Indian political and security establishment. India has provided full support to Hasina during her tenure, even ignoring the concerns of other stakeholders and the people of Bangladesh.
Under Modi, New Delhi has adopted this policy along with most of its smaller neighbors, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

It is clear that India’s policy failure with its neighbors is not only due to external events. The current internal politics of India is also related to these. By projecting Modi’s strong image, New Delhi has undermined India’s liberal sentiment among South Asians. Modi’s close association with governments like Hasina’s for corporate interests has raised doubts about New Delhi’s intentions.
The Hindu nationalist ideology of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has played a major role in harming India’s regional interests, particularly in Bangladesh. The 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which allowed for the granting of Indian citizenship to persecuted minority groups in neighboring countries, excluding Muslims, has sparked criticism among the Bangladeshi public. Modi has also been criticized abroad for the BJP government’s mistreatment of Muslims inside India. Indian Prime Minister faced violent riots during his visit to Bangladesh in 2021. Hasina’s resignation provides a window of opportunity for the Indian government, but it is difficult to say whether it will drive the Indian government to revise its policies. India’s tarnished image in Bangladesh is not the Modi government’s first major failure in South Asia. The pursuit of a genuine Hindu Rashtra would not only be harmful to India, but could have disastrous consequences in South Asia as well.
India’s deep ties with Hasina: After Sheikh Hasina’s father and founder of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was killed in a military coup in 1975, Hasina and her sister took refuge in India. He returned to Bangladesh to fight for democracy. He first served as Prime Minister from 1996 to 2001 before returning to power as Prime Minister in 2009. Since 2014, he has transformed into an authoritarian regime – targeting political opponents, journalists and rights activists. Hasina’s secular party, Awami League, has kept the hardline Islamic parties in check. Hasina did not allow anti-India groups to set up bases in Bangladesh. India has backed only Hasina to the exclusion of all others. Indian officials have argued that if she loses power, ‘Bangladesh will become a breeding ground for Islamist groups that threaten India’s national security.’ lobbied the administration of US President Joe Biden for.
Bangladesh has witnessed economic growth under Hasina and she has controlled all state institutions including the military. As a result, India assumed that Hasina would continue to rule despite protests. But the diplomatic failure also shocked New Delhi when security forces asked Hasina to leave Bangladesh this month. No western government has given him shelter, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh is hiding in New Delhi. India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval welcomed Sheikh Hasina. India’s ultra-security approach to neighborhood diplomacy—reflected in New Delhi’s unconditional support for Hasina. India has come to dominate it, going against historical, cultural, ethnic, geographical and economic ties throughout South Asia. New Delhi has missed opportunities to gain the trust of its neighbours, resulting in insecurity in these countries. India has become alienated from the larger public sentiments of neighboring countries, has eroded relations with political opponents resulting in a democratic backsliding.
In Myanmar in 2021, India avoided pro-democracy protesters by siding with a military junta that seized power in a coup. In Afghanistan, the Taliban have established friendly relations with the rulers, ignoring their longstanding relationship with Afghans.
India’s security-centric approach is reflected in its behavior on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Allegations of harsh behavior by the Indian Border Guards have come to the fore.
Modi’s strongman politics have also influenced India’s regional diplomacy. While Modi has remained silent on China’s encroachment on the disputed India-China border, his image with India’s smaller neighbors has been tarnished. India launched a cross-border operation against insurgent transit camps in Myanmar in 2015. In the same year, India imposed a trade embargo on Nepal, despite being a secular republic. Last year, Modi’s supporters launched a campaign for Indian tourists to boycott the Maldives, after some Maldivian ministers criticized Modi.
There is anger among the people of Bangladesh about the harsh treatment of Indian border police as well as New Delhi’s actions on water distribution, transit facilities and other trade-related issues. The anger of the people of Bangladesh against India for violating its sovereignty is believed to have rubbed off on Hasina. India’s political opponents have criticized Modi for favoring firms close to him, particularly those owned by billionaire Gautam Adani. This closeness has also attracted the attention of India’s neighbours. Last year, the Adani Group posted a photo with Hasina after announcing that it would supply 100 percent electricity to Bangladesh through its power plants. Bangladesh has to face criticism for this very expensive plant.
Experts alleged that Hasina ‘needs Modi’s political favor to secure political legitimacy. Pluralism, authoritarianism and cronyism have contributed to India’s problems in Bangladesh, but the Modi government’s pursuit of Hindu nationalist ideals has proven more damaging. The 2019 CAA Act has finally worked towards creating a true Hindu Rashtra. Among the persecuted communities who applied for Indian citizenship were the Hindus of Bangladesh. As a result of this, anti-India sentiments were born on the soil of Bangladesh. Adverse comments about Bangladeshis have surfaced from top BJP leaders. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah (Modi’s de facto right-hand man) has called Bangladeshi immigrants termites, illegal infiltrators and a threat to national security.
Before the EAW, India’s justice department ordered a strict survey to register legal citizens and identify Bangladeshi migrants in the border state of Assam—which critics see as a way to target undocumented Indian Muslims. Amit Shah had promised to implement this National Citizen Ponji (Ghajai) nationwide, but it is yet to be implemented. However, New Delhi has termed the NRC as an internal issue. But Bangladesh feels that he is at the root of India’s ‘illegal foreigner’ problem. Many analysts feared that the IAA and Ghazai could push millions of Indian Muslims into Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Hasina’s government continues to reinforce the perception within the country that she is following New Delhi’s finger. In 2022, when a BJP spokesperson made insulting remarks about the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), it sparked outrage in many Muslim-majority countries. But the Hasina government tried to lighten the issue by calling it an ‘internal problem’. Complaints began to mount in Bangladesh and the BJP government’s increasingly discriminatory treatment of Indian Muslims sparked outrage. Modi’s anti-Muslim attitude has not gone unnoticed in India’s election campaign this year. Meanwhile last year, it was he who inaugurated a new Parliament building with a large picture of ‘Akhand Bharat’ (Unbroken India) with all of India’s smaller neighbours.
Modi’s National Address: On India’s Independence Day on August 15, Modi told India’s 1.4 billion citizens to be concerned about the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. This was a sly way of framing India not as a multi-religious and multilingual country but only as a Hindu state. It is no surprise that the BJP government has refused to condemn its right-wing supporters and the media for spreading misinformation about the killing of Hindus in Bangladesh amid the recent unrest.
Many feel that Modi’s government is now losing its capacity for self-analysis. Instead of blaming Pakistan, China or Islamists for the events of Hasina’s resignation in Bangladesh, India should stand by the citizens of its neighboring countries. Those who stand against the authoritarian rule to bring back democracy in the country. Although India is seen by many as a rising power, its neighbors consider India relatively weak. Given that its smaller neighbors must work with India for geographical reasons, New Delhi should start thinking about new deals now.

Author: A lecturer at Yale University and a consulting editor for Caravan Magazine, India.