Gujral Doctrine

Gujral doctrine can play a significant role in shaping South Asia.

IK Gujral

  • Inder Kumar Gujral was sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of India from April 1997 to May 1998.
  • IK Gujral can be remembered for two significant contributions to Indian foreign policy:
    • One, he propounded the 'Gujral doctrine' when he was the union minister of External Affairs in the HD Deve Gowda Government. It is considered a milestone in India's foreign policy.
    • Two, despite international pressure, Gujral firmly refused to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in October 1996.

What is the Gujral Doctrine?

  • The Gujral Doctrine is a set of five principles to guide the conduct of foreign relations with India’s immediate neighbours.
  • These five principles arise from the belief that India’s stature and strength cannot be isolated from the quality of its relations with its neighbours.
  • It, thus, recognises the supreme importance of friendly, cordial relations with neighbours.
  • These principles are:
    • With neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India does not ask for reciprocity but gives and accommodates what it can in good faith and trust.
    • No South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interest of another country of the region.
    • No country should interfere in the internal affairs of another.
    • All South Asian countries must respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
    • They should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.

Application of Gujral Doctrine

  • The resolution of the water-sharing dispute with Bangladesh in just three months in 1996-97.
  • This almost coincided with the treaty with Nepal for taming the Mahakali river for the generation of hydel power.
  • It was followed by agreements with Sri Lanka for expanding development cooperation.
  • Also, it led to the starting of composite dialogue with Pakistan.
    • The composite dialogue was based on the principle that while entire spectrums of relationships came under sincere problem-solving dialogues.
    • Cooperation must begin on agreed terms in agreed areas (trade, travel, culture etc.) even as certain disputes remained unresolved (Kashmir, terrorism).

Relevance of Gujral Doctrine

  • Pakistan: For 200 years, Britain practised the principle of divide and rule in its empire.
    • India and Pakistan were born as two sovereign nations into a pool of mutual hatred, hostility distrust and suspicion.
    • To this inherited pool, new tensions and confrontations over religion (the two nations theory), territory ( Kashmir ) and national aspirations were added.
    • Further, the creation of Bangladesh sharpened the strategic conflict between India and Pakistan.
  • Nepal: Domestic politics in Nepal has led to a strategic deadlock between the two close neighbours.
  • Srilanka: The outbreak of the armed insurgency of Tamil Tigers in Jaffna created an almost inevitable chasm between India and SriLanka.
  • Bangladesh: Illegal migration has always been a contentious issue between India and Bangladesh.

Challenges to Gujral Doctrine

  • China’s footprint in the subcontinent has expanded (Belt and Road initiative) and the logic of improved connectivity within the subcontinent is often trumped by heightened security concerns.
  • Development cooperation as an instrument of India’s neighbourhood policy is weakened by the paucity of resources.
    • India is unable to match the scale of resources China is able to deploy in our neighbourhood to win influence.
  • The current slowdown in the Indian economy has meant that there is less willingness on India's part to further open its market to its neighbours.
  • India's borders become transmission belts for security threats such as cross-border terrorism, contraband trade or drug trafficking.
  • November 2008 Mumbai attacks, reflected the weakness of this doctrine: that 'inherent goodwill' may not work with openly hostile neighbours.

Way Forward

  • There is no doubt that the challenges which India must deal with in its neighbourhood have become more complex and even threatening compared to two decades ago.
  • In an age of shifting geopolitics and altered the balance of power, India will need to re-strategise its neighbourhood policy.
    • Connectivity must be pursued with greater vigour while security concerns are addressed through cost-effective, efficient and reliable technological measures which are in use in other parts of the world.
    • India should become a transit country of choice for all its neighbours by extending national treatment on its transport network and ports.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why is the B+ blood group so common in India and not at all in other parts of the world?

Image
Why is the B+ blood group so common in India and not at all in other parts of the world? India is a tropical country, hence the person living here is exposed to various types of diseases because in this climate the micro-organisms multiply and spread at a much faster rate. Blood group B is related to providing resistance against the diseases,hence the incidence of diseases would be much less in the people having the blood group B. Considering a hypothetical population that has equal number of people in all the blood groups, if there is an advent of a disease, there would be more casualties of the people of the blood group A,AB and O, whereas the people with the blood group B suffers less casualties as their blood group provides resistance.(Theory of natural selection). The survival for the fittest theory have worked years to select the population of India having more number of people of the blood group B. Source: Human Blood and Anthropology #rainbowz 
Read more

Food : Where does it come from assignment

Image
Answers: 1. Obesity is a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems. Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. 2. The deficiency of protein in the diet causes Kwashiorkar. ◾The hair of child becomes red. ◾The child has reduced resistance to infections. ◾The child becomes weak and irritable. 3. ◾It provides bulk to the food. ◾It keeps the food and waste matter moving. ◾It helps in digestion. 4. i) No. ii) Fat rich food. 5. 6. A balanced diet gives your body the nutrients it needs to function correctly. Without balanced diet, your body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and low performance. 7. 8. Glucose provides instant energy and is used by the muscles to perform the activity. 9. Goitre is caused due to the deficiency of iodine in our diet. Hilly areas such as Himalayas and northen plains are far away from the sea coast, hence the iodine content ...
Read more

15. Some Great Empires of India (Class 4)

Image
WORKOUT I. 1. The ancient university of Nalanda    was a seat of Buddhist learning. 2. Chandra Gupta I married the Lichchavi princess, Kumaradevi. 3. The Gupta ruler Samudra Gupta    played the veena. 4. Chandra Gupta ll was the grandson of Chandra Gupta I. 5. The Brihadeeshwara Temple is situated in Thanjavur. II. 1. The Guptas ruled over the empire of Magadha. 2. It is believed that Kalidasa lived and wrote during the times of Chandra Gupta ll. 3. The Brihadeeswara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola is located at Thanjavur.  4. The Chola rule started with the capture of Thanjavur. III. 1.  Where was the capital of the Guptas located? What is it known as today? Ans -  ◾Patliputra was the capital of the Guptas.  ◾Today, Patliputra is known as Patna.  2. What is an empire?  Ans - An empire is a state ruled by an emperor.  3. Name the great sanskrit poet at the court of Chandra Gupta ll.  Ans - Kalidasa ...
Read more