In published articles, I have been critical of India's relative neglect of its small immediate neighbors. The visit that PM Manmohan Singh is to make to Dhaka in September 2011 partly makes up for this, and it is gratifying that serious preparations are under way. The Indian National Security Adviser, Shivshankar Menon is currently in Dhaka to help in groundwork for this visit. This is a good development.
Perhaps for the first time, the Indian PM will be accompanied by the Chief Ministers of 5 of India's states that adjoin Bangladesh, including the recently elected Mamta Banerjee of West Bengal. This is an important acknowledgment of the key role of sub-state diplomacy in neighborhood relations. The other CMs are from India's North-Eastern state that have an equally vital interest in working closely with Bangladesh.
In the past, the manner in which lots of small issues are handled with neighbors has been conditioned by mindset issues, especially the way officials of the two countries on the ground deal with one another. This makes it important to acknowledge the devolution that must be put in place, giving to local agencies the responsibility for handling mutual contacts across the border in a manner that is in consonance with the larger interests of the two countries. That is the only effective way of ensuring that good agreements signed between leaders are implemented with care, with mutual respect and an attitude of cooperation.
