'We should not be scared of China': Jaishankar reacts to 'India Out' campaign in Maldives, Bangladesh

After the Maldives, the 'India Out' campaign is gaining steam in Bangladesh. On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was asked whether India's foreign policy was failing and that it was losing its neighbours like Maldives and Bangladesh to China, which has been competing with New Delhi to increase its influence in the Indian Ocean region.

Jaishankar rejected the suggestion that New Delhi's foreign policies were failing, but said there was competition. "There are two realities we must recongnise. China is also a neighbouring country and in many ways will, as part of competitive politics, influence these countries (Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh)." 

Also read: China's research vessel headed to Maldives stopped by Indonesian Coast Guard: Report

"I don't think we should be scared of China. I think we should say, okay, global politics is a competitive game. You do your best, and I will do my best. China is a major economy, it will deploy resources. It will try and shape things in China's way. Why should we expect otherwise? But the answer to that is not to complain about what China is doing. The answer is, you are doing it. Let me do better than," the minister said while responding to a question during an interaction with students at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai.

The EAM then asked the students to visit Sri Lanka and Nepal to see India's goodwill. "My advice would be to please go to Sri Lanka, I say this to all of you. Mix with normal people in Sri Lanka and ask them what do you think about India. You will feel yourself grow with their answer." 

Jaishankar said the world had turned its back on Sri Lanka during the economic crisis. He said there was a petrol shortage, people were pushing their cars to petrol pumps to get fuel, and there were queues of kilometres, the country was running out of food, and it could not get essential commodities. 

Also read: 'China is mapping Indian Ocean, Maldives has zero capability to detect it': Indian geostrategist blasts President Muizzu

"At a time when the world turned its back, the only country that came forward was India. And came forward not in a small way, we committed $4.5 billion to Sri Lanka. Just to give you reference points, they (Sri Lanka) negotiated with the IMF. Their package was less than $3 billion - our package was 50 per cent bigger than what the IMF gave. No country came close. So this idea that neighbours are turning against us, we need to have more confidence in ourselves," he said.

The foreign minister then talked about bilateral relations with Nepal, another neighbouring country which shares a border with China. "After you are done with the Sri Lanka holiday, go to Nepal. Nepal has discovered export of electricity to India is an enormously rewarding transaction for Kathmandu," he told the students. 

Also read: Turkish drones over Indian Ocean: Maldives makes another military move amid tensions with India

Jaishankar said for the first time in Bangladesh's history, India has actually allowed Indians to go through Bangladesh and use the Bangladeshi ports - "this has had a huge impact in the northeast." Otherwise, he said, the people of the northeast had to come down through the Siliguri corridor and come through Bengal to go to the eastern ports. "The fact they can access the Chittagong and Mongla ports is very big - the entire eastern Indian economy will change because of this." 

"You are right there is competition. India should not be scared of competition, it should welcome competition, and say we have the ability to compete," the EAM said. 

While India enjoys good relations with Bangladesh under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, its relation with Male has taken a hit after the Maldives elected a pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu. Muizzu came to power on an anti-India plank. He ran the campaign, 'India Out' - which he said was to check New Delhi's influence in the island nation. Soon after taking over as President, Muizzu asked India to withdraw its military personnel and signed a deal to buy Turkish drones to patrol its exclusive economic zone in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives has also allowed China to dock its research naval ship in Male.  

Now, a similar 'India Out' campaign accusing India of interference in Bangladesh politics is gaining traction, Asia Nikkei reported on January 26. The campaign is being pushed by members of the Bangladeshi diaspora and embraced by some opposition circles within the country, the report said.

Pinaki Bhattacharya, an exiled blogger, shared a poster, which reads: "BoycottIndianProducts".