By Tridivesh Singh Maini
On numerous occasions, India has failed to seize opportunities to mend relations with its neighbors, largely due to the inability of the political leadership to stand up to domestic political pressure. One clear example was India’s inability to convert the personal rapport between Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
More recently, Bangladeshi Premier Sheikh Hasina has been attempting to cement a cordial relationship with India, and has at times annoyed hardliners in her own country who accuse her of selling out to Indian demands. However, India hasn’t been able to reciprocate. Indeed, there was an embarrassing moment for New Delhi when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to accompany Singh on his Bangladesh visit last year.
As a consequence of these failures by the government, Indian non-state actors are beginning to play a growing role in forging ties with the outside world. India’s economic prowess and increasing cultural reach have enhanced the confidence of its business community. In the context of India’s neighborhood relations, it isn’t only business groups, NGOs and peace groups that have made valuable contributions toward more harmonious relations. In 2010, the Times Group began “Aman Ki Asha” – a collaborative project between the two largest newspapers in India and Pakistan, The Times of India and Jang respectively.
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