SAARC

SAARC

ž  The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) comprises eight member states (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri-Lanka) .The SAARC was established when its Charted was formally adopted on 8 December 1985.SAARC is a manifestation of the determination of the people of the South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding and to create an order based on mutual respect, equity and shared benefits.

ž  The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2005. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

ž  The 11 stated areas of cooperation are agriculture; education, culture, and sports; health, population, and child welfare; the environment and meteorology; rural development (including the SAARC Youth Volunteers Program); tourism; transport; science and technology; communications.

ž  The concept of SAARC was first adopted by Bangladesh during 1977, under the administration of President Ziaur Rahman. In the late 1970s, SAARC nations agreed upon the creation of a trade bloc consisting of South Asian countries. The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was again mooted in May 1980. The foreign secretaries of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981. The Committee of the Whole, which met in Colombo in August 1985, identified five broad areas for regional cooperation.

Introduction to India

ž  India – an influential nation in South Asia, also known as the Asian tiger is home to the world’s second largest population. It is a country of bulk variety, arguably the most sundry nation in the world, whether it concerns religious, cultural, or ethnic diversity. It operates the world’s most vigorous democratic republic, and has had a key voice in global affairs since its "creation" with the division of the Indian subcontinent shortly after the Second World War by the British Empire.

ž  Its history is undeniably full of both grandeur and austerity. It has shown its considerable ability to endure trying consequential events through an intense, yet remarkably peaceful struggle for freedom from the noose of imperialism during the late nineteenth and early 20th century. With a strong and traditionally democratic culture that has maintained India’s relative nonconformity throughout the millennia, all signs point to a rapid increase in acceptance of India’s rising status in the international community. 

ž  India’s hard power is measured by its substantial military, which has sustained its autonomy and desire through many wearisome points in the nation’s history. The country deploys a large UN force, and has an immense strategic importance due, in part, to its rapidly developing nuclear sector. 

ž  The notable aspects of India’s soft power cover as many different spheres as imaginably possible, from simple agriculture, to ritual religious practice, to quality technological services. With a rapidly growing consumer base, and a swiftly rising overall economic output fueled by its young and increasingly educated population, India has begun its trip on the path to becoming a dominant world power within the next century as opposed to the dormant role it has played so far.

ž  West India contains the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and part of the massive, central state of Madhya Pradesh. The west coast extends from the Gujarat peninsula down to Goa, and it is lined with some of India's best beaches. The land along the coast is typically lush, with rainforests reaching southward from Bombay all the way to into Goa. A long mountain chain, the Western Ghats, separates the verdant coast from the Vindya Mountains and the dry Deccan plateau further inland.

ž  Home of the sacred Ganges River and the majority of Himalayan foothills, East India begins with the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, which comprise the westernmost part of the region. East India also contains an area known as the eastern triangle, which is entirely distinct. This is the last gulp of land that extends beyond Bangladesh, culminating in the Naga Hills along the Burmese border.

ž   India reaches its peninsular tip with South India, which begins with the Deccan in the north and ends with Cape Comorin, where Hindus believe that bathing in the waters of the three oceans will wash away their sins. The states in South India are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, a favorite leisure destination. The southeast coast, mirroring the west, also rests snugly beneath a mountain range---the Eastern Ghats.

ž  Because of India's size, its climate depends not only on the time of year, but also the location. In general, temperatures tend to be cooler in the north, especially between September and March. The south is coolest between Novembers to January. In June, winds and warm surface currents begin to move northwards and westwards, heading out of the Indian Ocean and into the Arabian Gulf. This creates a phenomenon known as the south-west monsoon, and it brings heavy rains to the west coast. Between October and December, a similar climatic pattern called the north-east monsoon appears in the Bay of Bengal, bringing rains to the east coast. In addition to the two monsoons, there are two other seasons, spring and autumn.

Culture & People

ž  With nearly 1 billion citizens, India is the second most populous nation in the world. It is impossible to speak of any one Indian culture, although there are deep cultural continuities that tie its people together. English is the major language of trade and politics, but there are fourteen official languages in all. There are twenty-four languages that are spoken by a million people or more, and countless other dialects. India has seven major religions and many minor ones, six main ethnic groups, and countless holidays.

ž  Religion is central to Indian culture, and its practice can be seen in virtually every aspect of life in the country. Hinduism is the dominant faith of India, serving about 80 percent of the population. Ten percent worship Islam, and 5 percent are Sikhs and Christians; the rest (a good 45 million) are Buddhists, Jains, Bahai, and more.

India-Facts

ž  Mixed Economy 

ž  Population 1.17 billion -1/6th of world's population

ž  1.3% annual population growth

ž  66% Literacy rate

ž  22% below Poverty Line

ž  7.8% Unemployment Rate

ž  1.064 males/female 

ž  Life expectancy 65 years

India’s Involvement in SAARC

ž  India succeeded in building excellent trade relations and cordial relations on social, political and economic front with the 6 SAARC countries. India has been an active member of the SAARC and aims and fostering better mutual understanding by supporting people-to-people initiatives. India offers a great source of potential investment in terms of trade and commerce as it is the sole SAARC member to be sharing borders with all 6 members via land or sea. SAARC’s prime objectives include: promoting the welfare of the people of South Asia, accelerating the Economic growth, social progress; providing dignified livelihood to all individuals and on a larger scale promoting the self-reliance amongst the South Asian nations and building trust and appreciation for other countries’ problem. In the way of achieving these objectives, poverty has been major hindrance. India offered a contribution of US $ 100 million at the twelfth Summit held at Islamabad in 2004.

ž  India’s disputes and military rivalry with Pakistan is believed to be the cause of ineffectiveness of SAARC in integrating South Asian countries. If Indo-Pak relations improve, many SAARC nations could benefit from it by improved trade relations and creation of better export markets. SAARC has failed to work towards regional co-operation mainly because India has been reluctant to solve major regional disputes which have given rise to economic and political problems in South Asia. Since India has an unbeatable economic, military strength and international influence compared to all 6 members of SAARC, the disparity of power brings in the reluctance from smaller states to work with India. They have fear of dominance from India if they co-operate in order to facilitate faster economic growth.

ž  India has also heightened the fears of fears of South Asian nations by acting in a dominating and arrogant way. Its dispute with neighboring Bangladesh due to redirection of water flows impacting Bangladesh’s agricultural production has kept Bangladesh afraid of its powers. Nepal is also fearful that India may take over its world trade because of its geographical suitability. As a result of all these fears and disagreements, SAARC has failed to promote regional co-operation and mutual trust amongst the South Asian countries.

ž  The tension between India and Sri Lanka that prevailed for 4 years over Indian Military trying to curb the revolution by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil E Elam and Indo-Pak Dispute over the Kashmir valley and the resulting Trade violations are enough to prove that South Asian countries fail to achieve SAARC objectives by any means.

ž  India must come to the front and initiate measures to encourage nations to prove their mettle and make the SAARC summit a meaningful affair. Appropriate measures should be taken with the intent of maintaining peace and resolving disputes amongst the SAARC member countries. Special Economic Zones and Export Promotion Zones should be created in all member countries to make trading easier and smooth the relations between the South Asian nations.

India’s relation with SAARC nations

Indo-Pakistan Relation

ž  Indo-Pakistan relations are significant factors in geo-political and military-strategic situation in South Asia. A series of problems remain unresolved after the partition of British India. The clashes between Hindus and Muslims at the time of partition and the wars explain the continuing doubts between these two countries which have negative impact in the south Asian region. Stability in South Asia has been achieved only through a fragile 'balance of power' between Pakistan and India. Indo-Pakistan relations can be fully examined only by investigating the military-strategic and political situation on the global level, first of all, relations between Russia and Republics of central Asia, U.S.A. and China and the relations of these countries with India and Pakistan are to be studied for a fuller understanding of Indo-Pak relations. The interests of these countries and levels of involvement in the conflict in South Asia have been different and decided by their geo-strategic positions and how each of them looks at its interests. Retaining the territorial integrity and national security of the erstwhile U.S.S.R. needed the establishment of friendly and good neighborly relations with the countries of South Asia, adjoining the Southern borders of the state. The development, strengthening and improvement of political, trade and economic relations with the South Asian countries formally was based on the relations with India, as for many years, Soviet leaders looked up the situations in south Asia mainly through Indian eyes.  American Interests in South Asia contributed American global politics and to a great extent was based on the evolution of Soviet-American relations. American interests in South Asia were based upon close relations with Pakistan, its political and military ally. Now the American's policy in South Asia is moving towards India.

ž  Global factors play a predominant role in South Asia and this has a great impact in Indo-Pakistan relations. If the Kashmir problem cannot be analyzed without these outside influences, the problem of nuclear non-proliferation cannot be investigated without reference to the regional factors. Pakistan and Indian positions on these issues and many other problems are diametrically opposed. Pakistan's attempts to "counter-balance" India's dominance in population territory and natural resources and level of socio- economic and political development and consolidate its position especially after the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 were based on US and Chinese military and economic assistance. The purpose was strengthening its defense capability and also to preserve an internal parity in the region. Pakistan's foreign aid requirements were: based on American desire to involve this strategically important country in containing communism during the period of cold war. Prior to 1971, the problem of regional security in South Asia was related mainly in its strategic aspects. To Pakistan, it maintain its territorial integrity and for India, It meant to strengthen its position in South its territorial integrity and for India, It meant to strengthen its position in South Asia, in non-aligned movement and in the international sphere. The Pakistani conception of national and international security with the settlement of international conflicts with the participation of outside forces contradicted the Indian appros.ch to national and regional security based solving on all disputes by the interested parties themselves without outside intervention.  Kashmir has been the main cause of friction between India and Pakistan. Kashmir has geopolitical and strategic significance due to its location and the centre of Asia, where the borders of the Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China meet.

ž  The issue has created the balance of forces on the regional as well as on the global level. Since the mid 1950's in difference platforms including the UNO the USSR took the position that Kashmir issue, if any should be solved within the framework ~f the Indian Republic. It also holds the view that Pakistan's occupation is illegal. The physical proximity of Kashmir to the Soviet border and its strategic significance encouraged the US to back Pakistan and treat Kashmir issue as an open one. Washington stated that the people of Kashmir be granted the right to self determination through the process of plebiscite under international auspices in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution of 21 April 1948. Hence in South Asia the cold war between the super powers and the east west confrontations including the attitude of the third parties have shaped the relations between India and Pakistan. By the late 1950's the situations because more complicated and China failed to fit into the rivalry between the two super powers and China took its own position even in the relations between India and Pakistan. During that period China was in confrontation with Soviet Union and tried to prevail over India, its geo-political rival in Asia and the third world. China achieved mutual understanding and co-operation with Pakistan - an ally of the US, which was one of China's main enemies. Though China has asserted Pakistan that it would support on all important issues, including assistance for the nuclear programme, China did not go any further during the war between India and Pakistan, apart from delivering arms and protesting to India in a threatening manner. Military conflicts between India and Pakistan have not brought any results. In 1972, a diplomatic solution was tried through Simla Agreement. The agreement stands for solving outstanding issues and disputes only through peaceful means at bilateral negotiations.

India's Relations with Nepal

ž  India considers South Asia as its geopolitical region of influence and expect that its smaller neighbors pay due regard to its sensitivities. Pakistan becomes angry when India presumes 'the right' to prescribe what kind of weapons system is sufficient for Pakistan. The Nepal's ruling class are equally resentful at how India over runs Nepal, politically, culturally and economically. Bangladesh has deep grievances over water arrangements; India's 'big brother' attitude creates suspicion and hostility. They look at India's policy of bilateralism as a method of coercive diplomacy. In turn, India feels that its rights and security sensitivities are not respected. India has not the politico-military and economic power to compel acquiescence, except in the case of the land-locked states of Nepal and Bhutan. India may have failed in its efforts to block arms transfer to Pakistan but it has been much more successful in preventing US arms sale to Nepal in 1983 - 84 or in discouraging US plans to Sri Lanka to set up high power transmission facilities or build an oil tank complex in Trincomallee. However it is an accepted fact that India has played a significant role in creating balance in order to ensure stability in the south Asian state system, by invitation in the Maldives, by forces of circumstances in East Pakistan and by agreement in Sri Lanka. The politico-military backlash against the role of the IPKF in Sri Lanka has created a poor image and also it adversely affected the relations between Sri Lanka and India and that of LTTE and Government of India. It has also brought home to the Indian ruling class the limits of Indian power to shape the regional environment. India's move to merge the Protectorate of Sikkim was an object lesson in the ability to use a politically non-dominant ethnic community the Nepali in Sikkim to change the politico-demographic reality there. India's conflict of interest with these smaller countries comprises minor disputes over territory like Kachchativu with Sri Lanka, Kalapani with Nepal, Tin Bhiga and New More Island with Bangladesh.

ž  Just like Pakistan, the other neighbours Nepal and Sri Lanka have invited extra regional powers 1.0 counter Indian power. Nepal sought to play off China against India. India's relationship with Nepal began when India set up its embassy at Kathmandu. Bhabani Sen Gupta and others in their study on, Regional co-operation and Development in South Asia explain how in 1951, after the liberation of Tibet by Communist China, Government of India placed Nepal within India’s security orbit. Nepal is perceived as a buffer state between India and China and its overtures were seen as threatening and punished for chat. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi showed his unhappiness at an Arms Agreement between Nepal and China by closing the transit points and thus bottling up land locked Nepal. Before that, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi did not approve Nepal's proposals for International recognition as a 'Zone of Peace'. According to Bhabani Sen Gupta, India's acceptance of the zone of peace concept would not have affected on the Indo - Nepal Treaty, but its impact on the Nepalese elite would have been effective. He further says that it would not make a least change in the geo-political realities of the Himalayas or in Nepal's relation with India and China. Twenty years later, in the context of the Gujral doctrine's new responsiveness towards the sensitivities of neighbors, India has agreed to review the Indo - Nepal treaty. There is public opinion in Nepal against unequal agreements on the sharing of waters of the rivers Gandaki and Koshi. Nepal like other neighbors looks at Indian bilateralism as euphemism of for hegemonic diplomacy. The 1996 agreement on Mahakali River symbolizes the problems of suspicion and mistrust and the promise of co-operation. The 1950 Treaty established the unique open border between India and Nepal. The Indian security believes that the theory about a greater Nepal across the Trans-Himalayan region has again been revived, particularly in the context of tile politico-demographic shifts in Darjeeling and Sikkim.

ž  The Greater Nepal concept is manipulated to give political legitimacy to Bhutan's expulsion of 110,000 people of Nepalese origin. Nepal wants to Involve India to pressurize Bhutan to take back the Lhotsampas. Bhutan says that they are Nepalee citizens. Increasingly, the management of the challenge of population movements - refugees, migrants and stateless peoples - requires a co-operative regional responds. A regional regime will de-politicize the issue of giving refugee and build up group pressure on states not to make their citizens stateless. The encroachment of Indian Territory by the Nepalese citizens is another irritant in the relationship between these two countries. Over 5839 acres of land along river Gandaki in West Champaran district is presently reported to be under illegal occupation by the Nepalese citizens. India's Border with Nepal is not only open but has become insecure by the militants, criminals and anti-India elements. It is relevant to be noted here that to curb the menace from the militants and criminals, India has been engaged in modernizing the Nepal defense structure by providing assistance in accordance with the 1950 Treaty and Arms Assistance Agreement 1965, provides an important military link between the two countries. A militarily stronger Nepal would reduce Chinese threat to India through Nepal becoming a more effective buffer. Only in an atmosphere of peace and friendship the security arrangements are effective and implementative. Even if one signatory makes a half hearted attempt to accept the treaties and arrangements then the effect of the same is diminished. One of the biggest criticisms against India, according to the Nepalese, is the Indian bureaucracy and its mindset to rule Nepal with a carrot and stick policy. There should be attitudinal change amongst the policy makers in India who would be sensitive to Nepal's sovereignty and adhere to good neighborliness.

ž  The draft proposal sent by India in 1989 shows the Indian minds as to treat Nepal with suspicion who, it is said can harm India's security interests, India's draft proposal tried to dominate Nepal. The trade relations between India and Nepal require special attention. The government of India cannot look after the economic needs of Nepalese because of its own compulsions. India is hard pressed for its resources and its economy for its development. On each and every issue Nepal talks about its sovereignty and independence being under constant threat and India talks about its security interests. It would be in the interest of both the countries to strike a balance between the two.

ž  One has to observe security and co-operation from a holistic approach. Small state Nepal can feel secure if it develops economic political and cultural dimensions. On the other hand India should stress on developing confidence building measures (CBMs) with Nepal in order to strengthen its security interests. Indo-Nepalese relations have also been occasionally strain over the form of government operating in Nepal (The communist could assume power in Nepal only on anti-India plank) and certain trade related and transit problems. For e.g.: the trade blockade of 1989. Moreover, it has been said that bureaucracy and proclaimed stringency on the part of Indian authorities is hampering in Indo-Nepal trade ventures. It must also be noted here that the controversy between Nepal and Bhutan regarding the Nepalese refugees in Bhutan and the use of Nepal by extremists and secessionist elements from North-East India are some other problems that could assume significant dimensions in the coming years.

Indo-Bangladesh Relation

ž  The problem of Bangladesh migrants is a major tension between India and Bangladesh. What is significant to note here is that it is engulfed in the fundamentalist political discourse in India. It is a fact to remember here is that the political parties like B.J.P. are targeting Muslim Bangladeshi migrants. Incapability of Bangladesh to provide food and security to its citizens makes it unavoidable that people will cross the border for a livelihood. Apart from that, India should take some of the responsibilities for the making of environmental refugees in Bangladesh as a consequence of the degradation caused by the Indo-Bangladesh Farraka agreement, fencing the border is not an alternative.

ž  An integrated economic development of the region is essential for more regional co-operation, despite of natural gas in Bangladesh which can transform the economy of the region. Foreign investors are looking at India as the natural market for piped natural gas from Bangladesh. This would remove the history of distrust and suspicion, which has been preventing co-operation, especially after the emergence of Bangladesh. Anti-India propaganda is being launched by the ruling elite of Bangladesh. The Farraka Water Barrage Agreement is looked at as the symbol of India's hegemonic bilateralism. The revised 1997 Ganga Water Agreement represents an approach more responsive to sensitivities of Bangladesh. For India and Bangladesh, the denial of sanctuary to militants across the border is very essential. If done so, this can bring about better relationship between India and Bangladesh. India has been backing militant, Chakma groups like the Shanti Bhahini while Bangladesh has been providing sanctuary to insurgent groups like the Bodos and ULFAS.

ž  Indo - Bangladesh relations suffered due to the persisting disputes like the problem of illegal migration from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the demarcation of boundaries involving fertile island and enclaves. Moreover, both the countries frequently each other in their respective troubled territories. The bilateral talks and negotiations are not yet reached in the desired destination of amicable settlement in the issues like sharing of Ganga water, Farrakka Water Barrage, Electric wire fencing across the borders, surprised attacks from Bangladesh rifles against India's Border Security Forces and the anti-India sentiments and all other forms of insurgencies. To illustrate this, Bangladesh has repeatedly accused India of supporting the militant wing of the Chakma insurgency of Bangladesh, where as India believes that Bangladesh encourage various subversive and guerrilla activities in the North Eastern states of India such as Tripura and is or Misoram.

Indo-Sri Lanka Relation

ž  The Tamils are a minority in Sri Lanka. The majority Sinhalalites have followed a policy of discrimination against the Tamils. This has led to a civil war between Tamil groups and Sri Lanka. Thousands of Tamil refugees have come to India since the beginning of civil war in Sri Lanka. India has provided humanitarian relief of the refugees. Emotional solidarity with their persecuted ethnic kin encouraged the state government in Tamilnadu to find the militants. It is alleged that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi armed and trained the militants. Sri Lankan President Julius Jayawardane's close proximity with the USA, UK and Israel were looked by the Indian government as complicating India's security interests. This was the time when India was building up its regional muscle and wanted no extra regional power to get involved in its neighborhood. There was a fear precipitated, that the partition of Sri Lankans would take place due to the acute ethnic crisis. India went for a peace agreement with Sri Lanka and sent IPKF to implement it. Three years later, Sri Lankan government forced India to withdraw its Forces from the Island and learned a lesson from this humiliating exit. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi created a situation, wherein India stopped its moral support to Tamil militants. Successive Sri Lankan governments have been cautious in respecting India's sensitivities about a foreign presence in its backyard. Indo-Sri Lankan relations go deep into history, which is shrouded in myth, mystery and miracles. From pre-historic times there has been a flow of people from the Northern and Southern India in to Sri Lanka. "The Buddhist Sinhalese derived their spiritual strength from the north of India and the Hindu Tamils derive their spiritual sustenance from their ancestors of South India. Sinhala Buddhists and Hindu Tamils were involved in historical rivalry and antagonism after the advent of South Indian invaders on the Island. During the colonial rule, India and Sri Lanka did not have independent interaction except in late 18^th and 19^th centuries when mass indented labor from South India was recruited on tea and coffee plantations.

ž  The problems arising out of divided communities spread across the South Asian countries are particularly intractable when open borders encourage constant interaction between the populace of these countries. Indo-Sri Lankan relations also remain strained over the discrimination and occasional mistreatment meted out to Tamils in Sri Lanka. Indeed, relations between India and Sri Lanka have also not improved much due to the withdrawal of the IPKF following the break of 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord and the hectic democratic efforts of President Kumaratunga for restoring peace in the island. Both countries continue to view each other with suspicion regarding the LTTE crisis, while Sri Lanka battles as against the increased hostility of Tamil Tigers who are disrupting the stability of the Island with wide connotations for the entire region. Recent reports have repeatedly suggested that India is keeping a cordial relationship towards Sri Lanka, even Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has lost much of shine in so far as her peace proposals to end the bloody ethnic war in the island remained just a package. Meanwhile, attacks by the LTTE at soft targets in the capital city have turned Colombo into a 'nightmare' - security checks, blocks and arrests of minorities have disgruntled the Tamils and eroded much the goodwill the President once commanded.

Indo-Bhutan Relation

ž  Both India and Bhutan have been to maintain good and cordial relations without any mistrust and suspicion. The Treaty of 1949, between India and Bhutan is very significant in terms of the interests of both the countries. Bhutan has changed today in all respects, including the economy and international stature since 1949.

ž  Apart from Bhutan being a landlocked country, it is extremely backward. After coming out oj' isolation, India financed the first two five year plans. At present, the Indian government is involved in many projects, which comprise hydro- power plants, cement plants and roads etc and 40% of external revenue that Bhutan obtain is from the sale of electricity to India. In this sphere, Bhutan has greatly benefited from India. Most important, of the total aid given by India to other developing countries in 1996-97, the share of Bhutan was 52% which amounts to Rs. 181 crore. There is a free trade regime between India and Bhutan not requiring even customs post on the Indian, side of the border. Being a land locked country, India provides it with about 13 transit routes. At present, Bhutan is very keen on sub regional co-operation through the growth quadrangle, which encompasses Bangladesh, Nepal and the North Eastern parts of India. It emphasizes on the economic context in its relation with the SAARC countries.

Indo-Maldives Relation

ž  As an extremely weak and vulnerable country, Maldives’s main objective of survival as an independent: entity is faced with many difficulties and challenges. The state has inbuilt structural weakness and deficiency, which create many limitations on its ability to manage its National Security problems. This raises the question in regard to alternative security options, which are available to Maldives. Maldives peculiar geo-physical configuration again a coral chain of 1190 small islands throng like a garland in the central Indian Ocean - conjures up the image of a paradise for International tourists. For the Maldivians, however this is the fundamental cause for their vulnerability and in security. Much of the threats to the atoll island stem from non-military sources. At the same time military threats merely creates peripheral security concerns. I.: has a relative merit over other South Asian Countries as far as Internal political dimensions of security are concerned.

ž  Unlike Sri Lanka, Maldives has a cohesive and homogeneous social structure with unique historical antecedents that constitute a source of strength of to its internal security. However its vulnerability is deep rooted in geography and this position creates a strong structure of insecurity. Some recent studies point out that problems of man![ island, developing states are associated with their small size, remoteness and prone to disaster situations. Thus being a small country it has its own security implications. Although economic and environmental vulnerabilities are the main sources of insecurity of Maldives, military threats are not altogether absent. Like any other countries in South Asia it does not have any military threat from its neighbors.

ž  India's helpful attitude and utmost sensitivity to the security interests of Maldives constitute a real source of strength. Both the countries have a similar approach to South Asian security; they oppose the involvement of external forces in the region and are committed to develop a cordial relationship based on mutual respect, understanding and goodwill. Maldives trusts India's assurance to respect its independents, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The leadership of Maldives adopts a pragmatic approach towards India by accepting its pre-eminent position in South Asia. The cordial bilateral relationship, both the countries have evolved over the years. India is completely irrelevant in Maldives’s security thinking and concerns. On the other hand, India is considered as source of contingency security assistance to the island state at the time of crisis. As the real military threat to the country came from the mercenaries how tried to stag: two coups in 1980 and 1988 in quick succession at the behest of some of the expatriate Maldivians who were dissatisfied with the existing political systems. The 1988 coup was a crucial and powerful military development, which the Maldivian government without a regular army, could foil only with India's prompt military assistance. There are no major dispute between India and Maldives. Yet, there are certain internal political pressures stemming from peculiar political situation where a President has been in power for a long time.

India - Afghanistan Relation

ž  India and Afghanistan have a strong relationship based on historical and cultural links. India has played a significant role in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan. Democracy and development are the key instruments to ensure that Afghanistan becomes a source of regional stability. This has been reflected in the Strategic Partnership Agreement, signed between Afghanistan and India during Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to India in October 2011, which reinforced the strong, vibrant and multi-faceted relations between the two countries and at the same time formalized a framework for cooperation in various areas between the two countries: political & security cooperation; trade & economic cooperation; capacity development and education; and social, cultural, civil society & people-to-people relations. This agreement is a strong signal of abiding commitment to peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan during this critical period of security and governance transition. The commitment is also reflected in the extensive developmental assistance programme, which now stands at around US $2 billion, making India the 5^th largest bilateral donor in Afghanistan after the US, UK, Japan and Germany. This, by any reckoning, is a substantial amount for a non-traditional donor like India.  

Development Partnership

ž  India has played an active role in the development of Afghanistan based on the understanding that social and economic development in Afghanistan is crucial to regional stability. The principal objective of India’s development partnership is to assist in building indigenous Afghan capacity and institutions and to ensure that development touches all the regions of Afghanistan and encompasses all the sectors of development. India’s pledged assistance to Afghanistan stands at a little under U.S. $2 billion, making it the fifth largest bilateral donor in Afghanistan. All the projects are undertaken in partnership with the Afghan government, in consonance with the Afghanistan National Development Strategy.

PROBLEM AREAS OF INDIA

ž  The country went through the decennial census operations during 2010-11 culminating in the final count of population on 1^st March 2011. On that day India’s population was just above 1210 million. Of these people 883 million live in rural areas and 377 million live in urban areas. In other words, as of 2011, 68.8 percent live in rural areas and 31.2 percent live in urban areas. Incidentally an urban area is defined as one where more than 5000 people live and at least 75% of them depend on non-agricultural activities for their livelihood. As compared to the census of 2001, the rural population increased by 90.06 million and urban population by 91 million. Percentage wise rural population was 71.2 percent in 2001 and the corresponding figure for urban population percentage was 28.8 percent. Thus it is seen that the proportion of people living in urban areas and depending on non-agricultural activities is increasing rather rapidly. This trend was noted even between 1991 and 2001. This trend is mainly because agriculture and related activities were the sole occupation available for people in rural areas and land being a limited resource, as the population grew by mid 1990s land could not support any further addition to the labour force in rural areas. Thus employment seekers started migrating to urban areas in general and in particular to the major cities like Bombay, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad etc. The spurt in urban population has put tremendous pressure on available public utilities and facilities in the cities. The problems have become so serious that a few years ago a separate Ministry of Urban Development with a cabinet rank minister in charge was created by the Government of India. It is the purpose of this article to highlight some of these problems which seem to afflict almost every big city in the country.

BORDER DISPUTES

ž  Border areas have their own problems and peculiarities. Such areas are in general less accessible, making provision of basic facilities more difficult and costly. Such areas are often more vulnerable to illegal infiltration of population, which adds pressure on their economic and environmental resources. Moreover, porous nature of the border enables easy cross border passage for insurgents and criminals including drug traffickers. Thus, governments of the states with international border are required to bear heavier burden for not only providing basic facilities to the people living in such areas but also for the broader national goal of securing the border.

ž  The Northeast region with 99 per cent of its boundary being international border, the problems and peculiarities are even more accentuated. The region consists of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. The region is best known for its picturesque topography, cultural heritage, ethnic beauty and rich natural resources. The region has rich bio diversity, oil and natural gas, coal, limestone, hydro potential and forest wealth. The region is famous for its exotic flora and fauna. The vast array of aromatic plants of the region can be used in aromatic industry for the manufacture of perfumes, incenses, etc. Rich bio-diversity, heritage sites & ethnic beauty can make it a destination for the tourists. Several big & small rivers flowing across this region are suitable to construct hydro projects to generate electricity. Moreover, owing to climatic advantage the region can also be a major producer and exporter of tea. In spite of resourcefulness the entire region is regarded as underdeveloped. The remoteness, difficult terrain, infrastructural bottlenecks and unfriendly neighbors are the serious impediments of the development of the region. Being a border area, the region is suffering from specific problems like illegal cross-border movements, law and order, security, insurgency, smuggling etc.

ž  There are major disputes between India and Pakistan since the partition of British India in 1947. The two South Asian countries have been involved in four wars, including one undeclared war, as well as many border skirmishes and military stand-offs. The dispute for Kashmir has been the cause, whether direct or indirect of all major conflicts between the two countries with the exception of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where conflict originated due to turmoil in erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

ILLITERACY

ž  Illiteracy rates in many third world countries are alarmingly high; nestled in the heart of Asia, India's education program is falling behind other nations.  It is a country where the population will reach one billion people by the next century, while only one-third of them will be able to read. Due to various social and economic problems India's education program continues to be undercut. The biggest victims of the educational system are those living in rural areas. Allocation of government funds and the conditions of the destitute rural schools contribute to the low quality of education by rural children. While there are many rural areas school systems which are operating in poor conditions there is one in particular whose schools outperform most other rural schools and also those located in wealthy areas of India. Consequently, Kerala, a rural state of India remains a puzzle to many educators. Its illiteracy rate does not follow the trend of most rural schools.

ž  While the children living in rural areas continue to be deprived of a quality education, part of the reason why is due to their teachers. A large number of teachers refuse to teach in rural areas and those that do are usually under qualified. In recent years the number of qualified teachers has increased because of increased efforts by the government and private groups to improve the general education and professional training of teachers.  There is more of an emphasis on the training of rural teachers, whose educational backgrounds are generally not as sound as their urban counterparts. Those that refuse to teach in rural areas cite distance and lack of interest by students as problems. Many of the teachers also lack the enthusiasm to teach because of their meager salary - less than one hundred dollars per month. Another obstacle faced by the schools is that obtaining more teachers for rural schools is difficult because of state guidelines that approve of high student-to-teacher ratios. 

ž  High illiteracy rates in rural parts of India are an area of the Indian education system that cannot be overlooked. Hampered by the government and by other factors the quality of education in rural districts has been quite poor. High dropout rates and low enrollment by the children have contributed to the large illiteracy rate.

CORRUPTION

ž  Corruption in India is a major issue and adversely affects its economy. A study conducted by Transparency International in year 2005 found that more than 62% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or influence peddling to get jobs done in public offices successfully. In its study conducted in year 2008, Transparency International reports about 40% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or using a contact to get a job done in public office. Indian media has widely published allegations of corrupt Indian citizens stashing trillions of dollars in Swiss banks. Swiss authorities, however, deny these allegations. The causes of corruption in India include excessive regulations, complicated taxes and licensing systems, numerous government departments each with opaque bureaucracy and discretionary powers, monopoly by government controlled institutions on certain goods and services delivery, and the lack of transparent laws and processes. There are significant variations in level of corruption as well as in state government efforts to reduce corruption across India.

SHORTAGE OF ELECTRIC POWER

ž  A very serious problem facing the entire country is the acute shortage of electric power both in urban and rural areas. This can be solved only by generating much more electricity than at present.  However, this solution has met with almost a wall-like obstruction. Conventional methods of generation like coal based thermal power; nuclear power and hydro electric power are being opposed by people for reasons of environmental pollution, displacement of people submergence of land and forests etc. There are some gas based power stations which are less polluting but due to lack of sufficient quantity of natural gas they are working at less than half their load capacity. Non-conventional sources of power like solar power and wind power are not that economically viable or affordable by the consumers. The power generation is also intermittent requiring large storage capacity for energy. One does not know what new problems will arise in storing energy on such large scale.

SECURITY

ž  Finally a very recent problem in large cities where all sorts of people have settled down has been the security situation. Well to do citizens are being forced to organize their own security. This is the reason for the coming up of gated communities with private security arrangements. Entry to these communities is strictly controlled and monitored by the security staff. This is a sad reflection on the capacity of the authorities to provide security to their citizens.

ž  Thus almost all major cities in India are facing serious problems of slum clearance, housing, inadequate civic amenities for a fast growing population, absence of efficient public transport system, the growing insecurity in the cities and so on. Problems will become more acute and may go beyond repair if immediate steps are not taken to solve at least some of these problems. Meanwhile the forecast is that half the country’s population will be living in urban areas in another two to three decades. This trend needs to be reversed urgently by providing urban facilities in rural areas and locating several industries and providing employment opportunities in rural areas.

Solutions

-          Gender discrimination must not be allowed.

-          Highly punishable.

-          There must be transparency in the legal system.

-          They must come on an understanding and announce it a free zone for all.

Strategic perspectives of India; & Trade and other official relations

ž  “The Indian elephant cannot transform itself into a mouse. If South Asia is to get itself out of the crippling binds of conflicts and cleavages, the six will have to accept the bigness of the seventh. And the seventh, that is India, will have to prove to the six that big can indeed be beautiful.”- Bhabani Sen Gupta.

ž  Contrary to regional expectations, expansion of economic relations with India has benefited the regional economies and India has granted numerous economic concessions.

ž  In the case of Nepal, for instance, the constraint of the value-added component imposed on Nepali products for duty-free entry into the Indian market was reduced from 80 percent to 50 percent, and now even this has been completely removed. In relation to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, India agrees in principle to reduce their adverse trade balances but the modalities have still to be worked out. Following the Gujral Doctrine India announced at the 1997 Male Summit to unilaterally withdraw restraints to entry to India of all exports from within the South Asian region, including Pakistan. Indian companies had invested US$83 million in 140 ventures till 1999 in four SMCs. In addition Indian companies have extended US$ 3.5 million worth of loans and credits and guarantees worth $16.5 million to their affiliates in the SAARC region. As a major positive development for regional cooperation India’s preferential imports as compared to 1996, became more diversified in 2000.India already has a free trading arrangement with Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka and negotiations are underway for a free trade agreement with Bangladesh.

Strategic perspectives of India; & Trade and other official relations

ž  India has adopted a preferential policy towards investment in SAARC countries. A fast track channel for processing investment proposals has been created to expedite projects. The ceiling for processing investments under the fast track channel had been increased from an initial US $4 million to US $ 15 million and further to US $30 million in May 1999, in case of member countries of SAARC other than Nepal and Bhutan.

ž  The trade deficit of Nepal vis-à-vis India has declined sharply and has turned into surplus in 2002. Since the implementation of Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) there has been a phenomenal increase in India-Sri Lanka trade. Since the ISFTA became operational in March 2000, bilateral trade between the two countries has increased by 195 percent. Under international conventions India is obliged to provide only one transit route to facilitate Nepal’s trade with third countries, but India has provided 15 transit points. Readymade Garments Sector (RMG) is included in India’s sensitive list, but India has granted Bangladesh the opportunity to export six million pieces of RMG products to India, provided the entire fabric for the purpose is imported from India. India is Bhutan's largest trade partner. During the year 2001-2002, inclusive of electricity, Bhutan's exports to India totaled Rs.4.91 billion and constituted 94.5 percent of its total exports.

SWOT Analysis

Strength

ž   The primary strength of the Indian economy lies in its strong banking and credit system, which had been proved by its constant growth and development even during the its recession period(2008-2009). The strong and heavy regulation imposed by the RBI has been making a huge positive impact upon its economy.

ž  Although agriculture occupies only 18.5% of GDP it’s the spine of the Indian economy, employing nearly 50% of the total population. Indian agricultural system is efficient enough to make itself self- sufficient in terms of food supply and even has an export value to it.

ž  The vast number of skilled youth population also contributes as an advantage to the ever demanding economy.

Weaknesses

ž  The major weakness of Indian economy lies in its excessive dependency on agriculture. Since agriculture is monsoon dependent trade, production can differ by huge margins causing instability in the whole economy. A huge part of the population is still living below the poverty line with inadequate social development.

ž  Literacy rate is also one of the main weaknesses of the Indian economy. More than a third of the population remains illiterate, thus easily exploitable.

Opportunities:

ž  India has ample opportunities for its further growth and development. The agricultural sectors along with small and medium enterprises need to be encouraged and assisted as they have high growth potential. The government should focus on developing and implementing various projects for rural development as majority of the population resides in rural India. There’s also a scope for large scale infrastructural developments all over the country. Along with it, tourism sector can also be exploited to gain maximum advantage over foreign reserves and creating employment opportunities.

Threats:

ž  Terrorism and corruption are the greatest threats that India faces. These two factors are hampering both the growth of the people and trade relations which is a must for the overall economic development. The rising inflation, hording and black-marketing, also pose a threat to economic development. Exports has been facing downward trend due to the worldwide economic downturn. Thus the Indian government should redefine its policies and bring affective reforms.

PEST Analysis of INDIA

 Political

ž  Frequent strikes, protests and bandh (complete or partial shutdown of cities), often instigated for political reason

ž  Often in response to some change introduced or proposed by the ruling party

ž  If it's a union or organization strike/protest, opposition party will support it in order to strengthen its vote banks

ž  Examples of reasons for strike

ž  Increase in LPG or petrol prices or even onion or potato prices

ž  Allowing foreign supermarket chains to enter

ž  Not raising public transport tariff (autos and taxis)

ž  Death of a political leader

ž  Release of controversial movie

ž  Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI): 94^th out of 176 nations, score of 36 out of 100 from scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean) 

Economical

ž  Indian consumers are price sensitive

ž  Consumer spending: set to go up from $977 billion to $3.6 trillion by 2020

ž  Average household disposable income: to hit $6977 by 2025

ž  Inflation and slow economy: 40% increase in expenses, less saving every year

ž  High personal income tax and VAT: up to 30% and up to 14.5%

ž  Weak currency

Social

ž  Poor Infrastructure

ž  4,320,000 km of road network, 4 km of road for every 1000 people

ž  National Highways: 40% of traffic, 1.7% of network, 24% 4-lanes

ž  29.8% living below national poverty line                  

ž  5^th largest consumer economy by 2025(Mc Kinsey Report)

Technological

ž  Increasing Connectivity

ž  350 million internet user by 2015

ž  More than half will access the net via cell phones

ž  Online Shopping

ž  Consumers use the internet to research and then buy things

ž  To counter, several businesses offer home delivery and cash on delivery options

ž  Social Media

ž  Number of users to hit 66 million by June 2013

ž  74% of the urban internet users use social media

Strategic Grouping of SAARC Nations

The Strategic Leadership for Development

(1) Leading to manage growth

In the last five years, India’s GDP has been growing at a rate of 10 percent annually. As well, exports from Indian firms have doubled over the last five years. The forecasts are equally positive, with GDP, private consumption, investment growth and domestic demand all expected to grow a by slightly less than10 percent per year for the next 5 years. This explosive growth scenario generates two different views of leadership at the firm level. Some Indian executives actively take on a short horizon view: “Why do we have to worry about leadership when any mistakes or weaknesses are easily remedied by the growth in demand; if we take our critical leadership cadre away from the business of the day – the opportunity costs are unfathomable”. The longer horizon view is: “What if the economists are wrong and the growth scenario doesn’t pan out? What if the number of foreign entrants into the Indian market space creates a level of competitiveness that begins to counterbalance the benefits of growth?”

CEOs at India’s biggest firms take the second view. What happens when the economic boom begins to wind down? Will companies have leadership teams in place that know how to create growth opportunities in a leaner environment? Will Indian managers be able to effectively and efficiently compete against competitors to capture more of the markets in which they do business? In today’s high-growth environments, creating and capturing growth is a key leadership skill that many Indian leaders simply have not had the opportunity to develop. Leaders with this set of skills will be crucial to Indian corporations’ long-term success.

(2) Developing a global mindset is crucial to being a successful leader

For a little less than a decade, FDI inflows to India have been on a positive upswing. The biggest sources of FDI into India include Mauritius, Singapore, the U.S., the UK and the Netherlands. Indian managers are constantly being confronted by the challenge of working with partners who are much more globally experienced. Expatriates working in multinationals and Indian firms have almost always lived in multiple countries, have been able to speak more than a few languages, and have education bases that span the globe. These global managers often hold pivotal positions in their firms, and Indian CEOs realize that they depend on their advanced global mindset to drive growth not only in India but also outside India. In fact, in countries as far away as the U.S. and Canada, it is now becoming impossible to reach the senior management level without having lived and worked abroad for at least 3 years. The bar for leadership is going up – leaders must be global. To ensure that Indian companies have Indian managers with a global mindset, the companies will need to provide top managers with the training that enables them to think across country boundaries and cultures, to work in multi-cultural environments, to learn how to coexist with business realities that are often very different from the ones at home, and to understand organizational structures such as joint ventures and acquisitions, both very common in the global business scenario.

(3) Developing and retaining talent

The dark side of growth and globalization for Indian companies is retaining high-quality people at reasonable salary levels. Indian managers often blame GDP, foreign firms willing to pay higher salaries, booming sectors such as education and real estate, growing costs of MBA programs, and the repatriation of droves of NRIs (non-resident Indians) making India home once again. Rarely do managers turn the mirror around and blame themselves – managers are unwilling to admit that most managers are not very good at creating a work environment or designing systems that effectively develop and retain people. In the Indian scenario, attrition rates can range from 15 percent to 50 percent per year, depending on the sector and the management level. Employees usually state better compensation or opportunities for career growth as the main reasons for leaving one job for another. However, more recently, Indian employees are becoming concerned about developing a reputation for being a ‘serial’ employee – one that jumps from one employer to the other. Between these two realities is an opportunity for top managers to lead in a way that develops and retains talent. This means that managers will have to hone their skills in fostering employee engagement, become strong communicators with exceptional interpersonal skills, inspire commitment, and participate in coaching and mentoring employees for growth.

(4) Developing strong fiscal management

In India, a successful leader must understand the financial markets. In the last few years, the number of companies accessing debt has increased, as have the number of IPOs, the funds raised by these IPOs and the relative success rate of the IPOs. Understanding the intersection between financial management and leadership is crucial to success, especially in light of the forecasted business growth in India. In order to lead, top managers must understand key questions such as: How does the relationship between debt and equity in my firm affect my ability to grow? How does cash management influence decision making and the company’s ability to take advantage of opportunities inside and outside the firm? How do the numbers influence the value I can create and offer to customers? Managers at multiple levels and across different functions of the organization have to have this level of understanding. In high-growth environments it is not enough to look to the CFO to provide the answers. Without understanding the fundamental financial implications of every decision, leaders will simply not be prepared to lead their companies to success in the new Indian economy.

(5) Institutionalizing creativity

Indian business is a hotbed of innovation. The number of patents filed each year for the last 5 years has been increasing by almost 11 percent annually. In 2004, the number of patents granted was slightly more than 10 percent of the number filed; today that number has increased to almost 50 percent. Indians are becoming more astute innovators; however they are being outpaced on every front by the Chinese. In order to lead successfully, the top manger will have to understand how to foster innovative ideas and thinking at the individual level, how to create an organizational culture that supports innovation, and how to ensure that the right structures are in places that enable innovations to rise up in the organization. Managers will have to understand and be able to leverage the innovation value chain in their own companies.

(6) Cross-enterprise strategy formulation and implementation

To make good on the pressures to lead such as managing growth, keeping the best people in the job, developing and acting with a more global perspective, or thinking in a way that is more bottom-line oriented, leaders have to change the way they think. Most leaders prefer to stay within their own functional areas of expertise; this is usually also the function or department of the organization they understand best and the one in which they don’t have to share too much power in decision making. However, this kind of territorial leadership behaviour will hurt today’s Indian organization. Tomorrow’s leaders will have to focus on developing the leadership skills that enable them to look beyond the walls and silos in the organizational chart and approach issues from a perspective that spans the entire organization. They will need to have an advanced understanding of the ramifications of their decisions and actions across the organization, allowing them to capitalize on the opportunities and synergies that result from seeing the big picture. They will need to develop advanced competencies such as being able to (1) quickly and effectively understand the business, i.e. how it configures it resources to create value for customers, (2) manage complexity and ambiguity by being good at developing a set of strategic options that allow the firm to create and capture value, (3) design micro and macro structures within the organization to enable execution of complex strategies, and (4) inspire commitment and excitement from the people who execute the firm’s strategy.

What do the six dimensions of leadership development described above say to the traditional leadership development approaches that tend to focus on 360’s, personality dimensions and how they enable and disable leadership, or even newer approaches that focus on more fashionable dimensions of personality such as emotional intelligence and its link to leadership effectiveness? Being an effective leader at the individual and interpersonal levels is still crucial. However, in today’s business environment, leaders without the strategic skill sets outlined above are simply out-dated and unprepared to drive bottom line results. Leaders without a honed ability to drive organizational excellence are like parents without the ability to discipline or guide their children. Both enable disastrous consequences.

Possibilities of Success

ž   In the rapidly changing global environment, regional integration in South Asia has assumed a new strategic significance. Not surprisingly, it has altered the potential political-economic and strategic gains from SAARC for all the country partners. As the largest economy of the region, it is imperative and an opportune time for India to inculcate an environment of trust among SAARC partners, which would encourage greater commitment to regional integration among all the countries. India stands to gain substantially from greater economic integration in the region, in terms of both economic non-economic payoffs. Indeed, India emergence in the world economic order in the twenty-first century is not possible until and unless she ensures a stable and secure regional economy and her forthcoming chairmanship of SAARC in 2007 holds the door of opportunity for her to demonstrate her own commitment to regional cooperation and integration.

ž  The success factor of Indian economy also lies upon its robust nature in implementation of its banking and credit system, thus making the economy strong even during the recession period. Agriculture employing nearly 50% of the Indian population is one of the primary factors for its success making India self dependent upon its food supply. Tourism industry is also one of the promising industries for the Indian economy as it generates huge sum of revenues for the country. Media and Entertainment Industry are also playing a huge part in the economy.

REFERENCES

ž  Shome, Parthasarthy. 2001. India and Economic Cooperation in South Asia, New Delhi: Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations.

ž  “India’s Trade Integration, Realising the Potential”, 2007, TD/TC/ WP (2007)6/REV1, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/24/60/40369398.pdf

ž  Jatinder Singh. 2012. Presentation on SAARC and Nations. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/singhjeet/presentation-on-saarc. [Accessed 03 October 13]

ž  N/A. 2013. Relations of India and Pakistan with Other SAARC Countries. [ONLINE] Available at:  http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/6534/12/12_chapter%206.pdf. [Accessed 09 October 13].

ž  N/A. 2013. India - Afghanistan Relations [ONLINE] Available at http://mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/afghanistan-aug-2012.pdf. [Accessed 09 October 13]