In an unusual frankness, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar raised a serious alarm over what he termed India’s “weakening and inadequate link” with its neighbours. The veteran politician, who is typically more measured in tone and astuteness of political analysis, said that New Delhi’s current style of diplomacy is “lacking warmth, discussion, and depth” — the characteristics that just a few years ago made India a leadership figure in South Asia.
Pawar made his remarks during a public event in Pune on Tuesday, which has opened a new chapter of discussion among diplomats, analysts, and politicians about India’s changing role in its own backyard.
What Did Pawar Actually Say?
“Today, we are seeing the erosion of India’s unique position in the region. Our relationships with our neighbours, such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and even with Maldives have become increasingly limited, transactional and are fragile,” Pawar said. He added that “China is filling the vacuum we are creating – not just economically but diplomatically and consistently.
Military and infrastructure assistance cooperation between Sri Lanka and China;
Nepal has what some are describing as its constitutional dispute with India and is leaning towards Beijing;
once elected Maldives governments have sided uniformly with China versus India.
India has traditionally been a “Neighbourhood First” country, a term catapulted into the public amosphere under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to signal India’s intent to give priority to South Asia in its foreign relations.
In recent years, critics have offered the idea that despite impressive sounding slogans India’s engagement has become sporadic. This can be seen from the Bangladesh visa issue to trade with Nepal and with Pakistan a cold diplomatic relationship, India’s engagement with its immediate region has been more erratic than stable.
Meanwhile, China is establishing its influence quickly – through considerable investments in infrastructural development and other loan proposals, as well as through high-level diplomatic engagement.
“India is seen as an unwilling partner in South Asia, while China is perceived as decisive, quick, and reliable in terms of delivery,” noted Dr Tanvi Roy, a researcher on South Asia policy. “Pawar has highlighted what many in the diplomatic community have been whispering about for some time.”
Another former ambassador, who wanted to remain anonymous said, “We have not been able to counter soft power. Our neighbours are sovereign states, India makes this mistake of acting like an older brother demanding submission rather than offering them partnership.”
Pawar’s comments may have struck a diplomatic tone, but they also subtly criticized the current government’s style of foreign policy — which many argue is largely comprised of optics and headline diplomacy than about the building of long-term relationships.
Nonetheless, it is interesting to note that Pawar still recognized India’s accomplishments, particularly with relation to disaster diplomacy and vaccine support during the COVID pandemic saying “We have demonstrated goodwill in crisis, but we must now demonstrate consistency in peace”
If Pawar’s comments create a wider discourse it could help to motivate India’s strategic community to reassess their approach towards South Asia. Certainly, regular diplomatic engagement, timely economic assistance and a tone of mutual respect will help India reclaim some of the territory it has lost.
While some elections and global realignments loom, it is inevitable that India will need to reassess how not only the world sees India, but more immediately how its nearest neighbours view it.
Sharad Pawar’s comments may not make breaking news bullets, but they express a critical truth: India can no longer assume its neighbours, or its own influence, will remain constant.
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