RELEVANCE OF GUJRAL DOCTRINE

WHY IN NEWS:

• Government released a postage stamp in the honor of I K Gujral.

BACKGROUND:

• 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.

RELEVANCE:

• Aligned with India’s foreign policies:
  • For example India’s present ‘neighbourhood first policy’ is closely aligned with Gujral doctrine
• Build trust:
  • Being a dominant economy in the region, making unilateral concessions can help built trust and regional cooperation
• Neutralize anti-India rhetoric:
  • Application Gujral doctrine will reduce anti-India sentiment in countries like Nepal
• To secure cooperation of government against non-state actors:
  • Government-government cooperation can be improved in dealing with emerging threats from non-state actors such as terrorism, drug trafficking etc.
• Ensure overall socio-economic development of the region:
  • A peaceful, stable constructive environment in the periphery is vital for increased investment, trade and economic activities >> which will in turn result in prosperity
• To tackle Chinese influence in the region

CHALLENGES TO GUJRAL DOCTRINE

• Chinese factor
  • 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.
  • India is unable to match the scale of resources China is able to deploy in our neighbourhood to win influence.
• Delay in project completion:
  • Development cooperation as an instrument of India’s neighbourhood policy is weakened by the paucity of resources.
  • For example: Kaladan multimodal project etc.
• Minimal intra-trade within the region:
  • With intra-regional trade at less than 5% of total trade, South Asia is the least integrated region in the world (World Bank report)
  • 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.
• Security threats:
  • 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.
• Asymmetry in size and India-phobic attitude
• Recent usage of hard power in neighbourhood
  • For example Hot pursuit, surgical strike

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Explain the contemporary relevance of Gujral doctrine in shaping India’s relation with her neighbours?