In ancient times, borders were mostly broad, frontier zones that allowed for transition from one Kingdom or territory to another. But today, well defined and demarcated Borders and mutually accepted interests that lead to good relations with neighbours are what are required.

It is not easy to know if any of our neighbours will ultimately be a friend or foe. Hence, we should aim to work sincerely with each of them, trying to build bi-lateral relationships in dozens of ways in the international context, so as to shape their interaction with us, thus creating new tactics and new relationships as sources of indirect leverage.

“Grand Strategy is simply the level at which knowledge and persuasion, or in modern times, intelligence and diplomacy, interact with military strength to determine outcomes in a world of other States with their own grand strategies.” – Edward Luthwak

We should pursue an all-encompassing Grand Strategy to deal with our neighbours. Preferably by what Joshua Cooper Ramo terms-‘Effects Diplomacy’. This calls for encouraging people to people and cultural contacts and a mesh of mutual trade pacts and even encouraging their setting up of manufacturing or infrastructure companies and other assets within our Country. This will deter them from any action which then could result in greater economic loss to them. If the neighbour, or even a non-neighbour foreign country seeks to be listed in the Indian Stock Exchange, then at least 49, or preferably 74 percent of the equity shares must be allocated to the Indian Public. To make such investments attractive, easing Regulations and simplifying the Taxation would be a good step. (See- Comments on I.T. & G.S.T.).

Our strategy should always be based on deterrence from a position of strength and with our interests having primacy – India / Bharat first, even as we are considerate of others interests. Hence it is essential that we build an appropriate military using, to the best advantage, all the technological advances, innovations and systems of this Information and Technology Age in a self-reliant – ‘Atma Nirbhar’ manner. Our strategy should also be based, not on a ‘Tug of War’ policy but on the ‘Manthan’ policy – the ancient Asian way of dealing with neighbours.

As the adage goes, -’Good fences’(Borders) lead to good neighbourly relationships. Settling the borders and understanding the value of ‘MANTHAN’ / Cooperative type attitude is long overdue. Even the
McMahan line, drawn with a broad -nibbed pen on a small-scaled map, thus covering a very broad swatch, leading to disputes on where exactly the Border demarcation lies, and so also the Durand line and the Radcliffe lines, all need a proper survey and final settlement.

Border demarcation, after comprehensive, on ground survey of our entire Northern Border, from the Myanmar-China-India border point in the east to the China-Pakistan- India border point in the west, with due inputs from the Military posted along the Border, clearly demarcating our points of interest and the heights we need to occupy to protect them. The boundary line should be in the valley beyond such heights. The adversary would then occupy the next ridge or heights and therefore the valley in between would remain a ‘NO-MAN’S LAND’ and which would thereafter prevent ‘nibbling’ or ‘Fait accompli’ actions which cannot be acceptable by either side. This was done in 2012 to 2014, and the details of the Survey were shared with China. Follow – up action is now required to implement it. Some ‘Give and Take’ of territory, would avoid future combats. (See Manthan Policy)

It should be noted that the Borders drawn by the colonial British Powers, especially just before being compelled to declare Independence to India and leave the Country, were done in a hurry, with the intent of breaking -up India into its many Princely States and Provinces by granting them individual freedom to choose whether to remain Independent, or join into India or Pakistan. Such hastily drawn borders suffered from adhocism, lack of proper consideration of cultural, geographic and accessibility factors. These Border demarcations cut through existing Tribal communities, in the case of West Pakistan-Afghanistan, where the Durand Line cut through Pashtun communities, and in the Indian North-East, with the Radcliffe border again running through community territory dividing them into two countries, which even today lead to disputes.

The border demarcation was made almost farcically in the case of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) where fairly large/ muti- village sized enclaves of each other country’s lands were marked out as enclaves in the other country. Even these first order enclaves were further divided to hold pockets of second order enclaves again of the other country and even such enclaves held even smaller, village sized third order enclaves again of the other country. Imagine the condition of the people living in these tiny enclaves, requiring multiple permits just to move from their village to meet/ visit their family in other enclaves or in their declared Country, at times even upto six permits. They remained a neglected almost stateless lot, denied any opportunity to develop. This matter was somewhat settled some 68 years later, when the present BJP government came into power, by mutually exchanging such enclave territories between India and Bangladesh, but the proper demarcation of the Border, with due consideration of Cultural and Geographic factors, still needs to be done.

So too with our other neighbours, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal and Tibet (now occupied by China). With these countries too we need to settle or even re-draw our borders to remove any of the errors or the contentious issues of old borders drawn haphazardly by the withdrawing British and, finalize them so as to properly resolve all such errors and issues, especially in view of the regional conflicts within their existing borders with breakaway factions.

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