Is India a hegemonic state in South Asia? For more than half a century, South Asia has been confronted with formidable challenges to peace and stability. No doubt, it is a complex region in terms of its two nuclear-neighbouring states’ behaviour and geographical proximity. There has been a number of instances where peace initiatives have been obstructed by the hegemonic behaviour of one single state India which has conflicting border issues with most South Asian states.
Evidently, India is actively engaged in armed conflicts with every state which shares its border with this aggressive country. Apart from bilateral issues, India religiously follows a pattern of shunning every diplomatic effort of peace no matters even if it is offered by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a regional cooperation platform or any other bilateral forum. At the same time, India is inclined to stuff itself with lethal & advanced weaponry. This hawkish military expansionist policy is instrumental in threatening the strategic equilibrium and thus endangering the whole region.
India as a hegemonic state
Ever since its inception, India act as a hegemonic state toward its neighbouring countries. In order to attain this overwhelming approach of being a hegemon, India unfolded Monroe Doctrine similar to the one proclaimed for the Western Hemisphere by the U.S. in the 19th Century. The three main concepts of the doctrine—separate spheres of influence for the Americas and Europe, non-colonization, and non-intervention—were designed to signify a clear break between the New World and the autocratic realm of Europe.
Similarly, India’s first PM Nehru stressed the importance of keeping foreign powers out of Asia in the context of the attempts by the colonial powers to regain territories after WWII. Referring to the fact that America had secured itself from foreign aggression under the Monroe Doctrine, Nehru insisted that foreign armies have no business staying on the soil of any Asian country. Keeping this notion as a major determinant of its foreign policy, India started exercising its influence over the rest of the regional states. Pakistan however, never accepted the Indian influence neither in past nor present.
Tracing the pages of history, ‘Akhand Bharat’ (Unified India) a renowned political ideology of Hindutva/ Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), appeared to be very much connected with the notion of a hegemonic mindset. The present domestic tumultuous situation in India indicates that elite BJP hawks under the ruling government’s concurrent policies are not letting any Non-Hindu live peacefully in a so-called democratic and secular state. By following the footprints of Hindutva, Modi’s policies against Indian Muslims and minorities, clearly depict the Indian hegemonic mindset. The domestic situation is deteriorating day by day.
At the regional level, the situation is not much different. India has conflicting issues with every other neighbouring state. It persistently maintains an antagonistic attitude in regional matters. This is the basic reason that SAARC has been unable to produce any substantial output. On the other hand, India is feverishly involved in military expansionism and modernization with the collaboration of major powers. BJP government engineered an environment of threat perception for the rest of the regional states by making these mischievous tactics.
According to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recent report of April 2022, India’s military spending of $76.6 billion ranked third highest in the world. This was up by 0.9% from 2020 and by 33% from 2012. In a push to strengthen the indigenous arms industry, 64% of capital outlays in the military budget of 2021 were earmarked for the acquisition of domestically produced arms. The Indian defence sector has a big share of India’s budget and not much capital is thus spared for development and welfare projects.
India is home to two-thirds of the rest poor people in the world. In the 2021 Global Hunger Index, India ranked 101st out of 116 countries. With a score of 27.5, India has the highest level of hunger. About 12 Indian states fall under the ‘alarming’ category of the Global Hunger Index. These are the figures of that ambitious India which is more inclined in spending immensely on weapons procurement to achieve hegemony but doesn’t bother to ameliorate the miserable lives of its people.
Here lies the irony for the South Asian people as a whole, the ambitious defence procurement by India excessively disturbed the underlying principle of deterrence. Major Powers are discriminately supporting India in its ambitious military plans despite knowing very well the fragile complex regional environment. The arch rivalry between Pakistan and India is an open secret. The external hand of military cooperation not only disturb the strategic balance of the region but also creates a “security dilemma” for other states, particularly Pakistan.
In November 2021, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned adversaries particularly Pakistan, saying that the ‘new India’ will give a befitting reply to efforts made by them to destabilise peace in the respective country. He was quoted, “Pakistan has been warned that India will not deter from crossing over into its territory and do surgical and airstrikes if a threat arises from its soil. We have given a clear message to our neighbour on the western border that if it crosses its limits, we will just not retaliate on the borders but can even cross over into its territory and do surgical and airstrikes.” The statement by Indian Defence Minister very well reflected its threatening and hegemonic plans.
This once again validated the bleak reality that India doesn’t want to have peace with its neighbour Pakistan. However, Pakistan assertively comprehended its role as a peaceful nation. Islamabad has rebuked the Indian defence minister for making “highly irresponsible, provocative and gratuitous remarks.” Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that the minister’s remarks were “delusional” and reflective of New Delhi’s hostility towards its neighbours. India actually wants to divert the attention of the international community from the widespread violations of human rights & international humanitarian laws committed by the Indian occupation forces in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Indian warmongering attitude is very well comprehended with its hegemonic posture in the region. The external powers know very well that they indiscriminately support India, and act as catalysts in ruining the peace and stability of the region. In fact, the external powers’ support proves to be a catalyst for Indian aggression. India is not at all sincere with the regional initiatives of cooperation which overall obstruct the economic prosperity of the region.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Asian Mirror’s editorial stance.
