Commentaries
Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s campaign of ‘Self-Reliant India’ or ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ has become a necessary and sufficient component for India to engage in the evolving global order. As India celebrates 74 years of the setting up of its Foreign Office created on 9 October 1946, the country has evolved significantly over the years. Today the Indian State is determined to play a rightful role at a global stage through its clarion call of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Indian vision of a Self-Reliant India focusses both on strengthening domestic capability to contribute to global welfare as well as making India more attractive for foreign nations for meaningful engagement.
As India embarks on its journey to realise self-sufficiency in a unified and inclusive world, it is imperative to revisit and reflect on the keynote speech made by the Indian Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, at a webinar on 'Self-Reliant India: Reimagining the North East India in terms of Employment and Skill.’ With a focus on the Indian North-Eastern region, the address by the Indian Foreign Secretary found much resonance with PM Modi’s version of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
The meaning of the word self-reliance has changed dramatically in the present global scenario. The soul of India’s notion of self-reliance is guided by the mantra of ‘Vasudhaiva kutumbakam’, which sees “the world as one family” and believes in realising the welfare of the world. By being deeply rooted in the country’s rich culture and tradition, the notion of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ is based on the assumption that a self-sufficient India can help or contribute to the realisation of a prosperous world. India does not advocate self-centric arrangements but bases the meaning of its vision in the happiness, cooperation, and peace of the world. For instance, following the Covid-19 pandemic, India truly lived up to the title as the ‘Pharmacy of the world’. Driven by its vision of playing a significant role in the realisation of a mutually beneficial world, India not only met its domestic medical requirements but also relaxed the ban on exports of Hydroxychloroquine and provided its supplies to help countries such as Bhutan and Nepal, which are dependent on India for pharmaceutical products.
Likewise, India looks at the development of its Northeastern region under a broader framework of realising a meaningful relationship with the countries in its eastern neighbourhood. The geographical proximity, cultural commonalities, and other natural complementaries between India and the countries in the region can contribute to building a strong, and mutually beneficial relationship. Highlighting the vision of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and the prospects of a mutually beneficial engagement with its eastern neighbours, the Indian Foreign Secretary in his address illustrated the efforts taken by PM Modi’s government in the development of the Northeastern region through the state’s foreign policy initiatives.
India pitches the development of its North-Eastern region at the heart of its Neighbourhood First and Act East Policy. The Foreign Secretary succinctly remarked, "a strong, stable, and prosperous Northeast is a key to building a self-reliant India and that the Indian government's Act East Policy provides an effective means to achieve it.” The Act East policy, which aims at generating greater economic integration and strategic partnership with the South, South-east and East Asian nations have made the Indian Northeastern region a top priority for the Indian government in the realisation of both its domestic and foreign policy objectives. The region that lacks proper connectivity with the rest of India and is connected only through a narrow stretch of land called the ‘Chicken’s neck’ shares a long international border with five neighbouring countries-China, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Thus, acting as an interface between Northeast India and the countries east of India, the region has a great potential to contribute to India’s growth engine as well as potentially generate substantial gains for other neighbouring countries. It so does by enhancing economic relations via better infrastructural connectivity, regional security, and bringing development in northeastern India.
The potential of India’s Northeastern region, however, can be fully realised by “re-imagining” its development strategy and seeking closer regional engagement. To the same, the Indian Foreign Secretary emphasised the significance of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' campaign announced by the Indian PM, which offers innovative opportunities for businesses and industries, helps make local manufacturing globally competitive, and attracts and brings investment and technology to the local regions.
India’s Northeastern region which is known for its rich resource base has lucrative potential for Agri and medical tourism and can offer big economic market spaces. The region being a great source of agro resources and bamboo also has the potential to replace the country’s bamboo import with local production. Thus, to boost local production and incentivise the youngsters and startups, the Indian PM pledged to make a huge investment under the National Bamboo Mission. However, lack of proper connectivity with the rest of the country acts as a constraint to the domestic trade of Northeast India. The development of the region, therefore, is possible through establishing regional connectivity and commerce. Improved connectivity with the extended neighbourhood can augment the region’s travel and tourism sector and also help local businesses or farmers connect with global supply chains. For example, with better connectivity, Sikkim, which became the first 100% organic state in the world can offer an export market for agricultural products and encourage agricultural technology adoption to its immediate and extended neighbourhood.
Connectivity and commerce, therefore, remain the cornerstone of India’s Neighbourhood First and Act East Policy. The Foreign Secretary defined India’s vision for the region around 3Cs- Connectivity, Commerce, and Cultural Commonalities. The Indian state engages bilaterally, multilaterally, and plurilaterally to promote the linkages with its Southeastern neighbours. To cite a few examples of the growing links, the Foreign Secretary brought to attention the projects undertaken between the Indian State and foreign governments on the issues of connectivity and commerce.
To improve the overall regional connectivity including rail, air, road, and water, the Indian State collaborates and partners with its neighbours to accelerate development and economic cooperation. Referring to the India-Japan Act East Forum, the Foreign Secretary highlighted on the several collaborative projects undertaken by the two states on water and sanitisation and forest management, aimed at bringing economic modernisation in the Indian Northeastern region.
Furthermore, improved connectivity and infrastructural development increase the prospects for trade between Northeastern states and Southeast Asian countries. For example, Bhutan has emerged as a potential trade partner of Northeast India as bilateral trade between Northeast India and Bhutan through LCSs has increased over years. Regional connectivity projects also remain significant for landlocked countries like Bhutan that benefit immensely through cross-border trade. India is not only Bhutan’s largest export market and the biggest source of its imports but also provides transit facilities to it to access seaports for trading with the rest of the world. Moreover, India’s desire for an integrated neighbourhood and a prosperous world is reflected in its recent decision of helping its special neighbour, Bhutan, by opening up an additional trade route under the Jaigaon Land Customs Station, for supplying Bhutan the raw materials for its Pasakha Industrial Estate during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation.
Elaborating on the connectivity projects with its immediate neighbourhood, the Foreign Secretary also drew attention to the successful completion of four out of six rail links between India and Bangladesh and the significant development of a new inland waterways route connecting India’s northeastern state of Tripura to Bangladesh. The waterways project is likely to create more trade opportunities for Bangladesh with India’s northeast and also boost its economy by levying tariff charges. Whereas the new arrangement reduces the distance between Kolkata and Agartala, from 1600 to 600 km, making the trade for Indians more cost-effective, and time-efficient and boost the economic growth of the northeastern state of Tripura. Similar projects with other neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan also found their mention in the address.
The Indian government also remains committed to the implementation of two major road connectivity projects—the IMT project connecting the North-East with Myanmar and Thailand and the BBIN MVA (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal). Both projects are tasked with improving cross-border connectivity, boosting trade among member countries, and strengthening economic integration to take economic growth forward and develop exceptional road infrastructure in the Northeast region.
Therefore, adequate infrastructure and better and improved regional connectivity as argued by the Foreign Secretary would accentuate the traditional strengths of the Northeastern region in the service sector and help bring in investment in Business Process Outsourcing, eco-tourism, wellness, and hospitality. This will ensure increased economic and job opportunities, enhance tourist footfall, reduce the cost and time of transport, and, therefore, raise the overall livelihood of the people in the region. Thus, as India’s ‘gateway to the East’ the development of the northeastern region is of significant importance to the realisation of both India’s self-sufficiency and its contribution to a mutually beneficial world.
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