Why should India have good relations with its neighbors? Well, the answer to this question is same as to why we should have good relations with our neighbours? So that we have good bonding and could help each other out at any difficulty. Adding to it, probably everyone would agree that the support of neighbours is always unparallel and they would always be the first ones to speak from your side.
As far as answering the original question, that is, ‘why should India have good relations with its neighbours?’ is concerned, there is a universal fact that a country cannot change its neighbours. Since neighbours cannot be changed in this case, it would always be better to have good relations rather than the bad ones.
India has a international land frontier extending over a distance 15,200 km, which has also been a source of numerous problems with her neighbours, and has in turn resulted in claims on each other’s territories. In reference to Indo-Pak boundary conflict, Pakistan has staked its claim on various Indian territories, as in Jammu And Kashmir, Rann of kachchh and some parts of Siachen glacier. The truth remains that the status of conflict has been worsening and has not only been affecting India and Pakistan but the world as a whole. This dispute has also many times initiated several wars such as the Indo-Pak War of 1965 and 1971 followed by the Kargil War. Hence, decent relations with the neighbouring countries would not only ensure peace and security of the concerned nations, but also safeguard its claim over its own territories and would make no other ways for the neighbouring counties to call it their own. Adding to it, good relations with the neighbouring countries would also reduce the border management expenditure. India, as a whole, spends a huge amount of money in its defence and border management. This has been a result of our not-so-trustworthy neighbours such as Pakistan and China. Year by year the defence expenditure has been increasing, as a result of which, we cannot invest much of its share in other issues such as poverty, education and sanitation. This would not have happened , if we had appreciable relations with our neighbouring countries.
Taking in reference the India-Nepal Border, the expenditure has been drastically lesser as compared to the India-Pakistan Border and India-China Border. This is mainly because of the good relations between India and Nepal. The friendship between the two countries allows them to have mutual trust and belief and hence peaceful borders. In fact, India-Nepal Border is an open international border. This 1,758 km long border is relatively peaceful. Adding to it, Indian and Nepali nationals do not need passports or visas to enter each others countries. This decision has helped the tourism industry as well as the local manufacturers.
Comparing the relations between India and Nepal and India and Pakistan, we would come to the conclusion that relations between India and Pakistan have been complex and largely hostile due to a number of historical and political events. The relations have largely been defined by the violent partition of both of these countries, the Kashmir conflict, and various military conflicts between the two nations. The relations since the creation of these countries, have been rocky, where the nations have been involved in four major wars. Kashmir has been the bedrock issue between both the nations and has remained an unresolved boundary dispute.
Despite many positive initiatives, the Indo-Pak relationship in recent times has continued to be an all-time-low. India and Pakistan are neighbours, and neighbours cant be changed. Thus, it is in the better in interest of the nationals that they bring all the issues on the board and resolve them harmoniously. India, being a neighbouring country is concerned since it is affecting India more than any of the countries in the world. Hence, better relations is directly proportional to the peace and security of the nation.
There are certainly many other benefits from a good India-Pakistan relationship. If there is peace at the border and a solution of Kashmir dispute is arrived upon, then the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is passing through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, can benefit Kashmir, its people and the economy. Other than this, Kashmir can also act as a gateway to Central Asia. Adding to it, terrorism is affecting both India as well as Pakistan and the porous boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan provides safe haven to the terrorists. And thus, the truth remains that a stable Afghanistan is in the best interest of both Pakistan and India. Also, if Pakistan gives access to India to connect to middle east, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, it would definitely give boost to our growth rate and prosperity. These were some of the reasons why India should have good relations with Pakistan.
Talking about the Indo-Chinese border, if India and china settle their border dispute, government can put more resources on development of human resources and fighting common challenges of climate change and other diseases.
Acknowledging the fact that India and its neighbouring countries share some sort of similar culture, they usually offer great exchange of cultural ties and a promise of peaceful growth in the future. But the cultural ties alone cannot ensure peace and harmony among the neighbouring countries. Taking into account, the India-Pakistan relations, despite historic, cultural and ethnic links between them, the relations between India and Pakistan have been plagued by years of mistrust and suspicion ever since the partition of India in 1947. But exceptions are always present. For many years, the India-Myanmar relations were strong due to cultural links, flourishing commerce, and common interests in regional affairs and the presence of a significant Indian community in Myanmar.
Hence, it is considerably beneficial to have friendly relations with the neighbouring countries. Every year, these wicked relations, cost us a lot of our economy, because of which, we are not able to concentrate on our internal problems. . Hence, either we live peacefully or get burnt at hands of rich countries on minute issues which can be solved.
