Misguided foreign policy has left India friendless in South Asia

Chinese rivalry has blinded Modi to adverse political trends in nearby nations

20241003 Modi Analysis

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a series of miscalculations in his attempts to strengthen the country’s ties with neighboring nations.  © Reuters

TORU TAKAHASHI, Nikkei senior staff writer

TOKYO -- Eager to position India as a leading Asian power to rival China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized strengthening ties with Sri Lanka and other nearby countries. However, political developments in neighboring nations, along with some misguided diplomacy from New Delhi, are undermining the leader's efforts.

In Sri Lanka, antiestablishment lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidential election on Sept. 21. However, the coalition led by his Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party held only three of the 225 seats in parliament, prompting Dissanayake to dissolve the legislature and call a general election for Nov. 14.

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