Question

Why did india call asean country leaders on republic day?

Answer 1

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to invite all 10 leaders of Asean countries as guests for the Republic Day celebrations is undoubtedly a bold one, on a par with his decision to invite all Saarc leaders to his swearing-in ceremony in 2014. The sight of 10 Asean leaders sitting on the dais, reviewing the Republic Day Parade, will be a public demonstration of India’s strategic outreach to Asean, which has always promoted its centrality in the economic and putative security architectures of Asia, as the continent moves up the economic and security ladder in the global international order.

Modi’s neighbourhood policy is partially crippled, and that’s not for want of trying. There are several factors that have led to such a situation: China’s role; the vice-like grip of the army on political power in Pakistan; state-sponsored terrorism and political turmoil in Nepal; and the Maldives is cocking a snook at India by playing the China card. The only exceptions are Bangladesh and Bhutan, but for how long are debatable. Turning our backs on Saarc cannot remain a long-term policy.

In this scenario, India’s strategic outreach towards the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and Asean is a logical policy outcome that fits into the Act East Policy. The change of name was to jettison the stasis that had infected the Look East Policy. Outreach to BIMSTEC leaders at the 2016 Brics summit in Goa and now at the Republic Day are both a linear progression towards a more robust policy in the Indo-Pacific region. While socio-cultural connectivity has historic roots, substantive progress in trade, investment and security cooperation has been tardy. The $100 billion target in trade is still far away from the current level that has stagnated at around $70 billion. Two-way investments hover around $90 billion.

As China’s hegemonic behaviour in the South China Sea and deep penetration of its navy into the Indian Ocean Region raise global concerns, Asean too seems more sensitive to security issues. China has set up military-logistics bases in Gwadar and Djibouti and is also working overtime to secure a foothold in the Bay of Bengal via Myanmar at the Kyaukpyu port.

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