PM Swearing-in Ceremony and the Politics of Diplomacy

Khutheibam Farook Ali *

For the first time in Independence India, in the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister, Bharatiya Janata party (BJP)-led-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Prime Ministerial-designate candidate Narendra Damodardas Modi has invited all the heads of state and government of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations. The SAARC nations include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Departing from the earlier convention, the invitation of all the heads of state and government of SAARC nations in the Prime Minister Swearing-in ceremony signals the Modi's intention to tackle India's most troubled relationship with its neighbours, including Pakistan. The invitation and efforts at normalizing the relationship can be seen as a realistic signal in the sense that unless India has good neighbours and allies, it (India) can hardly focuses beyond in the Great game politics.

BJP-led-NDA Prime Ministerial Candidate Modi will take the oath as the 15th Prime Minister of India on 26 May 2014 after his rightwing Hindu nationalist BJP scored a landslide victory, securing the first majority by a single party in the post-1990 Coalition era in the 16th Lok Sabha General Election. BJP-led-NDA won impressive seats of 336 and BJP lone won 282 seats, making it (BJP) lone party to muster the magic figure of 272 in the Coalition era.

According to External affairs ministry spokesperson, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Bhutan Prime Minister Lyonchen Tshering, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawab Sharif, and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be attending the swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is on an official visit to Tokyo, Japan till 28 may 2014 and as such Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will represent Bangladesh at the swearing-in ceremony. Moreover, apart from the SAARC nations, Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam will also be attending the swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

The decision to invite SAARC leaders in and of itself speaks to the BJP's and Modi's often obscured foreign policy agenda. Modi, who campaigned on a platform of good governance and economic growth, will look to boost India's economy by deepening ties with its neighbors and ideally elevating India to the role of a regional leader within the somewhat moribund SAARC institutional framework. Reaching out to India's neighbours at this time is thus a sensible strategy.

Afghan president Karzai's presence will likely to reinforce Afghanistan's interest in working with Modi. Pakistan Prime Minister accepting the invitation of attending the swearing-in ceremony symbolically speak to Sharif's government's sincerity in looking to a "new beginning" with India under Modi.

As a part of goodwill gesture, Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa has ordered the release of all Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody to mark the swearing-in of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi. The release of all Indian fishermen will be made ahead of the President Rajapaksa visit to New Delhi to attend Mr. Modi's swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Along the same line, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawab Sharif government has also decided to release 152 Indian fishermen on May 26 2014, the day Narendra Modi will take oath as Prime Minister.

The acceptance of invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony by SAARC leaders for Prime Minister Modi creates the space for the new government to reboot India's fraying relations with its immediate neighbours.

It has also deftly put the political onus of participation on neighbouring countries, especially in the case of Pakistan, where the military has always opposed normalization of relations with India.

However, there are many foreign policy challenges ahead and this step can be seen as realistic step in extending the warm friendship relations with its (India) neighbours. Also it would be only fair to give India's new PM a chance, and space to implement the mandate the citizens have given him.