Address by High Commissioner of India
at the National Defence College, Bangladesh on
Contemporary India, its Foreign Policy, Security Strategy & Bangladesh-India Relations
Dhaka, 26 July 2016

• Lt. Gen. Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy, Bir Bikrom, Commandant, National Defence College;
• Senior Directing Staff, Members of Staff and Faculty;
• Course Members of the NDC and the Armed Forces War Course;
• Ladies and Gentlemen;

Namaskar, Salam Aleikum and Shubho Sakal to you

Let me begin by saying how honoured I am to visit this hallowed institution, the National Defence College of Bangaldesh. I wish to convey my grateful thanks to the Commandant, General Sarwardy, for at giving me this opportunity to visit the College and to address the highly accomplished participants of the NDC and AFWC. I had the honour to address the Indian NDC three times in three years from 2011 to 2014, and it is a singular honour for me to address the NDC of Bangladesh today.

Before anything else, I wish to convey heartfelt condolences for the terrorist attacks in Bangladesh earlier this month that took the lives of so many innocent people. The Armed Forces played a valiant role in effectively subduing the terrorists, and we salute your contribution and commitment towards peace and stability in your country. Our Prime Minister has already gone on record to convey that Bangladesh is not alone in its fight against terrorism. The people of India stand with you.

The topic chosen for today’s address is quite broad and actually covers three separate areas, namely, India’s foreign policy, its security strategy and India-Bangladesh relations. There is enough material on each of the topics to engage us at some length. However, in the interest of time and brevity, I will subsume India’s foreign and security strategy into one broad topic and dovetail this into the more directly relevant subject of India-Bangladesh relations. I also hope that some of the issues I touch upon can be discussed at greater length during the interactive session that will follow.

Background

• By way of background, as with the foreign policies of other countries, India’s foreign policy is shaped by the changing world as well as our changing society. The traditional goals of Indian Foreign Policy were anti-Imperialism, anti-apartheid, commitment to democratic values; non-alignment and also an independent position in international affairs; commitment to international peace; seeking a multi polar world.

• With increasing globalisation and inter-connectedness in the world, India has also opened to the world and has to respond to new challenges. Like Bangladesh, India is a young country with 800 million people below 35 years of age. We have seen sustained levels of growth of the last decade and a half averaging around 7.5 per cent. We are a diverse society with more than 23 official languages and 2200 dialects.

• India’s current foreign and defence policy framework has been defined by the Government led by Prime Minister NarendraModi, which came to power in May 2014. In a single word, the policy has been more ‘proactive’, with a sense of renewed energy, vigour, and planning in India’s engagement with the rest of the world. As a result, India played a prominent role in shaping global debates on issues ranging from global governance reform, climate change, multilateral trade negotiations, internet governance & cyber-security, and trans-national terrorism.

• Our immediate neighbourhood has remained the area of greatest attention and emphasis during this period. One of the most significant initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ‘Neighbourhood First’. A historic boundary agreement with Bangladesh; the earthquake in Nepal saw India provide emergency relief and long-term reconstruction in the region, with speed and efficacy; a warmer and more substantive engagement with the new Government of President Sirisena of Sri Lanka; for the first time, India outlined a comprehensive vision for the Indian Ocean region focused on security and growth for all the littoral states, and promised to use growing Indian capacities to address shared threats like piracy, smuggling, environmental degradation and natural disasters in the Indian Ocean; India maintained strong and substantive linkages with all political forces in Myanmar as this important neighbour underwent a historic election, which have created a new political reality in Myanmar, setting the stage for long term productive engagement especially relevant for the development of India’s north eastern states; with Bhutan, a traditionally close and mutually beneficial relationship was further consolidated, including by accelerating important projects; India reiterated its commitment and support for a stable, prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan through multiple engagements with its leadership, including the Prime Minister’s visit to inaugurate the new Afghan Parliament building and the Salma Dam in Herat; the Government initiated a dialogue process with Pakistan, reiterating its commitment to regional peace and shared development in South Asia while keeping a firm focus on addressing issues related to terror.

• Probably the most significant trend in Indian foreign policy has been the increased emphasis placed by government in establishing close linkages between our foreign policy and our domestic developmental aspirations. Over the past 2 years, India’s international outreach has been carefully tailored and directed to create the most propitious climate for domestic growth, including by working towards a regional security environment that allows us to focus on our economic goals. Attracting foreign investment and technologies to meet the requirements of requirements of infrastructure, investment, transport, energy, etc. Several big initiatives in the areas of urban infrastructure (Smart Cities), manufacturing (Make in India), Skill India and Digital India have been launched.

• At the same time, we continued our engagement with developing countries. These trends were apparent in the Prime Minister’s visit to all the Central Asian Republics, his visits to the Indian Ocean island countries, his engagement with the Pacific Island countries (followed later by the organisation of the Pacific Islands Forum Summit) and the highly successful hosting of the India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi and visits by both the Prime Minister and President to Africa. Within Asia, the visits of the PM to GCC states {Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar) and Iran. These engagements helped to cement existing ties, create new linkages and integrated interests and cultural and civilisational ties.

• While focusing diplomacy to support our domestic development, India also continued its policy of sharing its developmental lessons with the rest of the developing world. This was seen not just in a number of initiatives in our immediate neighbourhood, but also in the landmark Third India-Africa Forum Summit and the Summit of the Pacific Island countries in New Delhi. A major announcement of a US$ 10 billion Line of Credit for development projects in Africa was announced during the IAFS, apart from grant assistance of US$ 600 million. Significant developmental projects were also progressed in most of our neighbouring countries as well as in Mauritius, Seychelles, Jordan, Palestine, and Mongolia. Human capital development in the form of scholarships and training slots continued to be a big part of India’s development cooperation abroad. The past year also saw India set up Information Technology Institutes in a number of countries and launch projects for tele-education and tele-medicine.

• Our engagement with the ASEAN grouping and its associated bodies re-established the strong dialogue architecture we have built with this regional body, and was an important part of the Government’s Act East agenda.

• In the multilateral arena, India made notable contributions to the working of important groupings like the G20, BRICS, Commonwealth and the SCO. The BRICS grouping saw the operationalisation of two key India-backed initiatives - the US$ 50 billion New Development Bank and the US$ 100 billion Contingent Reserve Agreement. India will host the BRICS and BRICS-BIMSTEC Summit in October 2016. PMSH invited.

• At the 21st Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, India highlighted the need for a true global partnership to fight catastrophic climate change, emphasised the ambitious targets that India has set for itself (our INDC is 40 percent of energy capacity from non fossil fuels by 2030) to expand clean and renewable energy, and called upon the developed world to also set ambitious targets for themselves and to ensure availability of affordable clean energy to the developing countries so that they can continue to develop within the remaining carbon space. Launching of the International Solar Alliance last year at CoP. Civil nuclear cooperation with partner countries, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

• India’s foreign policy also seeks a fair and just global order which is attuned to the realities of the 21st century. An important element of this is the reform of the United Nations Security Council.

• Along with the broadening of foreign policy objectives, the concept of security has also changed in recent times. Viewed not merely in terms of existential threat to security but dominated by quest for capital, resources, technology, capabilities and best practices. In conventional security studies paradigm, security was understood through the prism of securing borders against the enemy. The definition of security has widened as new threats have emerged. Energy, cyber, water security.

• In this changed perception of security, Terrorism has emerged as a major challenge. India has faced the challenge of cross-border terrorism since the 1990s. 26/11 (2008) was another major eye-opener. There has been a marked expansion of India’s global partnership on terrorism and India’s strategic and security dialogues. India continues to build consensus on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the UN. India has also called for strengthened efforts to prevent supply of arms to terrorists, disrupt terrorist movements, curb and criminalize terror financing; secure our cyber space and minimize use of internet and social media for terrorism and radicalization. Bangladesh has also faced some serious challenges from terrorism and is an invaluable partner in our fight against terrorism.

India-Bangladesh Relations

• India and Bangladesh share a special relationship. We have a shared history, language, culture, ties of family and kinship, also India’s longest border (4096) kilometres is with Bangladesh. There are many synergies in our relationship: both countries have young populations, seeking development, high growth rates. Understanding in India that India can only prosper if Bangladesh prospers. Our foreign policy goals are common: it is to meet our development requirements; to fight the scourge of terrorism and extremism which seeks to destroy the fabric of our societies. India and Bangladesh are partners in progress and development.

• We have already spoken of our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy stemming from the realisation that for India’s growth and development the entire region needs to prosper. Major initiatives have been taken in our relationship with our neighboring countries. Among India’s neighbors, our relationship with Bangladesh is often regarded as a paradigm for cooperation between neighbouring countries. Enhanced economic engagement and connectivity are the main elements of ther ‘Neighborhood First’ policy.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in June 2015 was one of his most successful visits anywhere in the world. As many as 77 decisions were listed in the Joint Declaration, which laid down the roadmap of future cooperation, and 22 bilateral agreements were signed in areas as diverse as energy, connectivity, infrastructure and transportation, people-to-people contacts.

• India and Bangladesh amicably settled the Land Boundary issue which had been pending for 68 years last year. The Indian Parliament was unanimous in passing the Land Boundary Act. The settling of the land and maritime boundaries has opened up new avenues in bilateral cooperation. Co-operation in blue economy is an emerging model where both countries can explore avenues of cooperation in areas such as marine biotechnology, green tourism, hospitality, deep-sea fishing, response to disasters, etc.

• Prime Minister also announced a USD 2 billion Line of Credit for Bangladesh where Bangladesh is free to choose the projects as per its development needs and priorities.

• Enhanced connectivity with the world is among our foremost foreign policy priorities. Our Railways were integrated during the British times and in fact until 1965. There is a renewed effort to revive the pre 1965 linkages and restore the connectivity which had existed earlier. Inauguration of the Phulbari-Banglabandha Immigration post opens up new opportunities in Bangladesh’s connectivity with North-east. Last year new bus services were launched: Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati Bus Services, Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala Bus Services. Kolkata-Khulna is in pipeline. New paradigm in connectivity BBIN. Motor Vehicle Agreement between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) for easier movement of vehicles. Focus on sub-regional cooperation and enhancing connectivity.

• Coastal Shipping has been operationalised-and the first ship sailed from Chittagong to Vishakhapatnam in March this year. In June, India-Bangladesh trans-shipment was inaugurated between India and Bangladesh and the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade operationalised.

• The two Prime Ministers inaugurated the Petrapole Integrated Check Post which will facilitate cross-border movement of people, goods and consignments.

• Export of internet bandwidth to Tripura, export of power from Tripura to Comilla, cross-border gas pipeline; LPG Terminal in Chittagong; opening of Indian investments in Special Economic Zones in Bangladesh. Other power projects in the pipeline; Indian companies are keen to enter into Bangladesh- it is a positive sign of growing confidence between both neighbours.

• Against the backdrop of enhanced economic cooperation, regional peace and stability of utmost importance [Impacts on growth and development in Bangladesh]. Common battle against terrorism which seeks to undermine peace and development in the region. Security cooperation [visit of Home Minister of