NEW DELHI - Indian mandarins took a dim view of European Union’s approach in South Asia. They felt EU’s policies in India’s “backyard” were “obvious, shabby, shortsighted and full of contradictions,” naive, overly proactive, and possessing a “tendency to go overboard” when it comes to delicate issues.
A US embassy cable dated Nov. 5, 2004 detailing conversation between the US embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Robert O. Blake, Jr. and Indian Ministry for External Affairs (MEA) officials, reports a huge gulf between EU and India on South Asia. “The EU has supported or pursued policies which will not help South Asia in the long run. The EU instinct is to internationalise issues, such as Nepal and Kashmir, that India believes are better located in the bilateral realm,” the cable quoted Europe Director of Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Dammu Ravi as saying. The cable leaked by WikiLeaks shows that India did not like EU maneuverings to “internationalise the issues such as Nepal and Kashmir” terming the efforts as “interventionist, UN-tinged approach.”
“The EU has not yet realised that when it comes to South Asia, India understands the issues best,” he (Ravi) opined.
According to the cable, “Ravi echoed Joint Secretary of Nepal and Bhutan desk—Ranjit Rae’s recent assessment that the EU has illustrated “its naivete on Nepal by pursuing an interventionist, UN-tinged approach.”
“Whether regarding Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, or Kashmir, MEA officials have expressed annoyance with the EU approach to South Asia, describing the EU as too obvious, shabby, shortsighted and full of contradictions as well as naive, overly proactive, and possessing a tendency to go overboard….” read the cable. India also observed the division inside EU regarding the political developments in Nepal, according to the cable sent three months before the takeover of erstwhile King Gyanendra Shah in 2005.
“Ravi also underlined the lack of unity within the EU on Nepal, observing that some member states believe the best approach is to support the Monarchy, while others argue for military intervention. Europe should carefully choose its words because what they say could have extreme consequences,” stated the cable classified by DCM Blake.
It also showed India was furious over the take of EU regarding Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. “He (Ravi) also emphasised the Indian perception that the EU is unbalanced when dealing with Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Encouraging the sides to talk is one thing, but the EU has a reputation for being partisan in favour of the refugees, he stated."
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