India's Relations with Neighbours: Cooperation or Confrontation

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter addresses the dilemma faced by India whether to leave or continue to engage in Afghanistan. It adapts a realist-constructivist approach linking the independent variables of power and identity together in explaining strategic behaviour of India. It highlights the tension between Indian identity transformation and limits of power in Afghanistan. The chapter begins with underlining the basic premises of neo-realist approachwith a special attention given to dilemmas of alliance politics. It asserts that the Indian policy vis-a-vis Afghanistan rests upon forming loose alliances with great powers that not only bring fears of “entrapment” and “abandonment” but “fear of losing its strategic autonomy” as well. It identifies priorities of the Indian diplomacy and seeks to make an evaluation of India’s role in Afghanistan after the Soviet and American interventions in the context of challenges faced and solutions utilized. The second part of the study stresses the need to examine state identities of India and Afghanistan and the difficulty in reaching harmony between internal and external dimensions of Indian identity under NDA (National Democratic Alliance) regime in order to better understand the dilemmas in Indian foreign policy that would become more visible after the US’ withdrawal. The main arguments of the chapter are as follows: India’s policy towards Afghanistan has largely been shaped by its hostility towards Pakistan. It is also true that much of India’s developmental and diplomatic footprint inAfghanistan for the last two decades became possible only due to American military presence in the country. Moreover, currently Modi government is in the process of forging a new grand narrative of identity that sows the seeds of conflict through demonization of Muslims in India as well as in South Asia region. India has to choose either to continue its hostility towards Pakistan and the Muslims or focus on its rise as a regional power that promotes peaceful relations and cooperation in the region. Keywords: India-Afghanistan relations, US-India relations,Key Words: Alliance Politics, Loose Alliances, Kashmir Problem, Realist-Constructivist Approach.