India and Central Asia

Abstract

One might be misled to believe that Central Asia and India are linked most by history and cultural exchange — in the academic sphere interest in India’s Central Asia policy is rather limited, and media coverage is not much better. Nevertheless, the rulers in New Delhi, whether British or Indian, have always recognised the importance of developments in Central Asia for India’s security and economy. Whereas the British directly intervened in a number of cases in the nineteenth century, their successors have been keen to remain low key with their activities. This has been especially true for the years from 1990 onwards, when traditionally enigmatic power structures in Afghanistan became even more enigmatic. On other major fields of intense activity abroad — for example, its ambitions for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council or its Look East Policy — Indian diplomacy is largely public in nature, as that serves Indian interests and garners popularity at home at the same time. Openness in Indian policy in Central Asia, however, would hurt Indian interests abroad and would not pay off in Indian domestic affairs. Nevertheless, it seems that New Delhi gives the region top priority. Nowhere else is Indian policy so assertive and self-confident, risking more than irritations with major powers like the US and Russia and opposing external pressures. Still, for Central Asia there is no clear-cut Indian strategy: there is a vision of a stable, secular, and India-friendly Central Asia, which in the mid-term would make Pakistan a stable, secular, peaceful, and cooperative neighbour. India, however, not only lacks the means, but even an idea of how to achieve such goals. Notwithstanding parallel interests of Central Asian states and most external actors, India cannot have the illusion that other states have better concepts for solving the problems, thereby doing a favour. They simply lack the proper strategies and means to accomplish the job.KeywordsSecurity CouncilIndian PolicyPipeline ProjectSecret ServiceCentral Asian StateThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.