There is a shared border between Pakistan and India. India has always been a nation that values peace and has worked to keep strong diplomatic ties with other nations. However, India’s relation with Pakistan has always been in strife due to the Kashmir dispute

Kashmir is a Himalayan region with a diverse ethnic population that is famous for the beauty of its lakes, meadows, and snow-capped mountains. It is around 86,000 square miles (138 square kilometers) in size.

The region was very contentious even before India and Pakistan achieved their independence from Britain in August 1947.

Kashmir was free to join either India or Pakistan under the partition plan stipulated by the Indian Independence Act.

Hari Singh, the maharaja (local king), initially desired Kashmir’s independence; nevertheless, in October 1947, he decided to join India in exchange for that country’s assistance in repelling a Pakistani tribesman invasion.

• After a tribal army invasion from Pakistan, the Maharaja of Kashmir signs an accession pact with India in 1947. India and Pakistan declare war on one other over the region.
• A plebiscite was advised by the UN in order to decide whether the state would join Pakistan or India. However, the two countries were unable to reach an agreement to demilitarise the territory in time for the referendum.
• The region was partitioned after India and Pakistan struck a deal in July 1949 to draw a cease-fire line as advised by the UN.
• 1965 – A brief war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir ends in a truce and a return to former positions.
• In 1999, Pakistani Forces and Pakistan trained militants infiltrated the Indian-administrated Kargil area from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, sparking a new conflict between India and Pakistan. India repels the assault, holds Pakistan responsible, and cutting ties.

(Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-16069078 )

Pakistan and China are close allies. China has the third-largest nuclear force in the world and the third-strongest military in the world. ( source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#Military)

Since China is not a threat to Pakistan, Pakistan does not concentrate on building a powerful army to defend itself against China. Thus, the Pakistani army requires a justification to continue to be relevant. Although Pakistan is a democratic parliamentary republic according to its constitution, the military has held power for more than half of the country’s 74-year existence. Pakistan has been ruled by four distinct military rulers since 1947.

Despite relatively democratic power changes in Pakistan subsequently, the army’s influence on decision-making bodies has not diminished. In fact, recent events in Pakistan and the vote to remove Prime Minister Imran Khan from office raise the possibility that the influence has grown subtly.

Kashmir has been used by the army to influence civilians and demonstrate its relevance in the nation. It is obvious that Pakistan lacks the resources necessary to effectively manage and sustain Kashmir. Pakistan has been fighting big and minor wars with India ever since the split in an effort to conquer Kashmir and establish its significance.

Here are some instances of how the army plays an important role in the country’s functioning.

February 8: Avoid involving the (Pakistani) army in political matters. According to Major General Babar Iftikar, head of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the organization is completely concerned with the enormous responsibility of examining security, internal, and external threats.

On April 25, General Qamar Bajwa, the head of the army, spends seven hours briefing a group of journalists on various political topics. He tells them that the Tehrik Labaik Pakistan (TLP) will assimilate into society and engage in peaceful political activity.

The assertion that the army has no place in politics must be abandoned.

The Pakistani army has far greater influence over how the nation runs than the ruling party. Every sector, including healthcare and education, is managed by the army and functions according to their wishes. Whether a person is in uniform or not, power will always corrupt them. Because they have unrestricted authority over all parts of governance, the army is notorious for its corruption, and a lot of money is seen flowing towards them.

As a result, Pakistan views Kashmir as crucial to just prove its relevance and has made its primary goal to conquer it despite not having the resources to manage its own nation.

India is one of the world’s oldest and most diversified countries, with a long history that has seen countless empires rise and fall. India is becoming a developing superpower with the world’s fastest-growing economy. We have long been regarded as a “peace-loving nation.” Our Indian Army is also a major contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions.

With the world’s third-largest military budget, fifth-largest nominal GDP, and third-largest purchasing power parity economy (source: Wikipedia). India is a regional power, a developing global force, and a potential superpower. We are gaining worldwide clout and have a strong voice in the global industry. 

India has been attempting to develop strong ties with its neighbors and other countries in recent years. We have a long history of cooperation with a variety of countries and are part of BRICS. India was a founding member of several international organizations, including the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, the G-20 major economies, and the Non-Aligned Movement. 

Other international organizations in which India has had a significant and influential involvement include the East Asia Summit, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the G8+5, and the IBSA Dialogue Forum. India is a member of SAARC and BIMSTEC on a regional level.

Doesn’t it make you feel patriotic?

Well, it always makes me feel that way. With so much to say, these are only a few examples of how far our country has come in recent years and how it has risen to become a global leader.

India had a very clear strategy under Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure that it never participated in any of the cold wars by siding with America or Russia, under the Non-Alignment Movement. Non-alignment began for India as a policy of non-involvement in the military affairs of a bipolar world and the context of colonialism, to maximize involvement through multi-polar participation in the pursuit of peace and security.

In today’s time, the world is witnessing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s attempts to subdue Russia. Russia is being opposed by NATO countries. India is the best-placed country at the time of this crisis, it is neither supporting nor opposing any country during the war.  The reason for India taking a neutral stance is that Russia was the only country that came to our aid when we were at war with Pakistan in 1971. The west has repeatedly shunned India and refused to help it. While Ukraine has also repeatedly voted against us in the past. Keeping all this in mind, India chose to remain neutral rather than take sides in this time of crisis.

The current government recognizes the importance of cultivating and maintaining relationships with its neighbors and other countries. Party in power has emphasized the “Neighbourhood First” policy as a key component of Indian foreign policy since coming to power in 2014. The strategy aims to foster friendly and cooperative connections with its neighbors in a variety of fields, including the economy, science and technology, research, and education.

Through its development assistance initiative, India has also provided every possible assistance to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in addressing their numerous issues. Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, India has provided wheat and other necessary food commodities, as well as Covid-19 vaccinations, to Afghanistan as humanitarian aid.

All of this combines to make India an ideal negotiating partner, both in terms of capability and relationships. India has a great reputation in Southeast Asia. As a result of India’s tremendous cultural advancements, the country has maintained cordial relations with all of its neighbors and other countries as well. 

India’s foreign policy is to maintain international peace, freedom, and cooperation. Its foreign policy is founded on Panchsheela’s nonalignment and disarmament ideas. Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, Burma, China, and Afghanistan are India’s immediate neighbors. All of these states have cordial historical, religious, economic, ethnic, and linguistic ties with India.

India likes a calm, prosperous neighborhood that is sensitive to its own needs and desires. However, from the beginning of its independence, India’s fundamental concerns have been the promotion of internal cohesion and the management of its frequently tumultuous relations with its neighbors and the rest of the world. Though various confrontations have arisen in the past, India’s government leaders and citizens constantly hope for peaceful relations with its neighbors and other with other countries.

With extensive efforts for building great international relations, EAM, Dr. JaiShankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been able to place India on the centerstage of International politics. India helping 70 Countries around the world with Covid Vaccines on humanitarian ground has earned India great amount of goodwill from all over.