Key points
- Tide on the Subcontinent has shifted dramatically against India: CFR
- Pakistan benefiting from Chinese modernisation: Report
- Indian prime minister under pressure from opposition, allies alike
ISLAMABAD: The United States (US)-based think tank Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has asserted in its latest report that India is losing influence in South Asia, as China increasingly shifts the regional balance in its own favour — and that of Pakistan.
The report notes that traditional Indian allies—Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives—are gravitating toward China, drawn by its investment initiatives and strategic diplomacy, which have placed India on the defensive.
It comes at a time when voices within India criticise the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government for its apparent failure to assert regional dominance, especially in the wake of recent conflict with Pakistan.
Highlighting what they describe as India’s declining credibility and China’s growing presence in the region, Indian opposition and even Modi’s own party leaders claimed that following military setbacks against Pakistan, India is now losing ground on the diplomatic front as well.
Eroding influence
According to the CFR report, the Modi government’s regional dominance is eroding, with South Asia increasingly distancing itself from India. In this changing landscape, China and Pakistan are emerging as beneficiaries, it said.
“In a relatively short period of time, however, roughly the last two years, the tide on the subcontinent has shifted dramatically against India. Pakistan, of course, has long been India’s adversary while also being one of China’s closest partners in the world. Now, as China modernizes, that partnership benefits Pakistan in its balancing against India; in recent India-Pakistan battles, Pakistan used modern Chinese air-to-air missiles, defense systems, and advanced fighter planes to reportedly significant effect,” the US think tank said.
“India Out” campaign
It also mentions that India’s decision to provide refuge to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sparked public discontent and anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh. In the Maldives, the “India Out” campaign has reportedly succeeded, with the current government strengthening ties with China.
In Nepal, the report points to the ruling communist government’s growing alignment with China and apparent disregard for India. Similarly, Sri Lanka’s new president has cited China’s economic model as an example to follow, which the report characterises as a diplomatic setback for India.
