Bimstec can fill SAARC’s space
Without Pakistan, India can work better in this grouping
India has made a strong pitch for enhanced connectivity between the member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) at the grouping’s summit in Kathmandu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this should include connectivity in trade, transport, digital networks ourtake and people-to-people. This fits in well with the two key policies of “neighbourhood first” and “Act East” considering that Bimstec member states account for 22% of the world’s population and have a combined GDP of nearly $2.7 trillion. For the other members, Bimstec holds the potential of gaining access to India’s vast market, while New Delhi sees the grouping as a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is clear India is looking to the twodecade-old Bimstec to get around the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which has become dysfunctional because of differences between New Delhi and Islamabad, and to counter China’s creeping influence in countries around the Bay of Bengal due to the spread of its Belt and Road Initiative. Most Bimstec members have formally signed on for President Xi Jinping’s ambitious plan to build a modern Silk Road or closely aligned their developmental plans with those of China’s, thanks to investment lavished on infrastructure projects.
India, as the solitary holdout, realises the need to offer its neighbours a viable alternative to the One Belt, One Road project. India’s renewed push for Bimstec, which has held only four summits since it was founded in 1997, has coincided with a sharp downslide in relations with Pakistan. This is largely because policy makers in New Delhi believe it will be easier for India to work through a grouping not affected by the continuous tensions with Pakistan. But India must keep in mind that key players in Bimstec, such as Nepal, have pointed out they see the grouping and Saarc as complementary to each other.
However, India’s grand connectivity plans will require considerable funding, an area in which India cannot match China. India’s ability to build a framework that works without violating international norms should go some way in overcoming this.