China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar – The Future and Past Follies of India’s Foreign Policy in its Neighborhood

Slowly and gradually and under the very nose of India, Nepal is becoming a vassal state of China.  Maoists took over the country and reversed its status as a Hindu State.  And now, there is serious talk in that Government of abandoning the special status treaty with India.  Because, they want to hedge their bets with China as well.

The nexus of Pakistanis and Jehadis – backed by ISI – and China is too strong in Nepal to ignore.  The aims and goals of China are not conducive to long term peace of India.  Yet, our political class doesn’t take note of the threat of encirclement that is going on.  Reviewing the 1950 treaty will be a big blow to the very peace for India.  China’s work and building up in TIbet with a view to have leverage against India is well known.  It will take time but ultimately “digest” Nepal as well.

CPN-UML central member Pradip Gyawalai sought review of the 60-year-old treaty of peace and friendship between Nepal and India, saying that the old security umbrella concept has already become meaningless in the present global context.

Ram Karki, senior Maoist leader and Nepal’s ambassador-designate to India, said that a section of people in both Nepal and India are guided by the concept of negative or pseudo nationalism, which is hindering the process of strengthening the relations between the two neighbours.

He said that there is a need to review the 1950 treaty and noted that preliminary discussions are being held at official levels in both the countries in the matter.

Interestingly, it was Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State to go all the way to Myanmar to strengthen ties.  Imagine a Secretary of State of US making a special trip to such a small country.  Because it is important in the future game in the Indo-China peninsula.  And, India – in whose backyard Myanmar is and who has had historical ties – is living and watching from a distance.  There is no foreign policy to speak of.

The convergence – actually unity of purpose between the actions of China and Pakistan, against India should have been looked at decades from now.  Now, in Chess speak – these two countries are in the “Middle Game” nearing the End Game.  Here is a good assessment of the work China and Pakistan are trying to do:

The proxy war waged by Pakistan and China are now converging on Delhi. This proxy war has various terrorist groups as its main tool. The main instruments of this war are none other but some Indians who are allured by ideology or money or both.  They have been convinced that India in its present form is a demonic state and needs to be destroyed.

The Maoists, Pakistan based terrorist groups, and terrorist groups in Northeast, Punjab and J&K are now in collaboration. They have forged a nexus for training, procurement of arms, establishing external linkages and providing safe-havens to each other. They are leveraging on one another’s strength and reach.

These indicators can be ignored by Indian establishment and people at our own peril