December 2020 - Page 2 of 2

Women in Politics

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Women in Politics

This article deals with ‘Women in Politics .’ This is part of our series on ‘Society’, which is an important pillar of the GS-1 syllabus. For more articles, you can click here.

Introduction

Women have a very low status in the political scenario of the country. For example, the number of women in Parliament has never crossed the 20% mark till now.

Historically, women were not considered fit for politics earlier. According to philosophers like Kant, women have the inability to control emotions & thus, the inability to be impartial & rational requires their exclusion from politics.

Steps taken to improve women representation in politics

73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendments to the constitution provide the reservation of 1/3rd of seats for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
108th Constitutional Amendment Bill was introduced in the Parliament to provide 1/3rd reservation for women in Lok Sabha
110th Constitutional Amendment Bill was introduced in the Parliament to reserve 50% of seats for women in Local Bodies
Pam Rajput Committee recommended 50% reservation of seats for women at all political levels.

Data on Women Representation in Politics

17th) Lok Sabha has 14.6% women representatives.
Rajya Sabha has 11% women representatives.
State Legislatures have just 9% women representation (some states like Nagaland have 0% women representation).

Case Study of Bhakti Sharma

Bhakti Sharma, sarpanch of Barkhedi Abdulla village, was just 25 years old when she left her job with an attractive package and post-graduate degree in political science to become sarpanch of her village.
She gives up her two months’ salary to each family where a girl child is born in the village.
In 2015, she was chosen as one of the 100 most popular women in the country.

Examples of Women in Indian Politics

Problems in the Reservation approach

One-size-fits-all policies designed in New Delhi backfire in states like Nagaland.
It would perpetuate the unequal status of women since their merit will always be questioned.
The right to choice of voters will be restricted as they will have limited choice.
Sarpanch Pati Syndrome: In many places, the concept of Sarpanch Pati has emerged where the woman is just the nominal sarpanch, whereas her husband is the real decision-making authority.
Reservation does not lead to real empowerment as seats are contested by women from wealthy families and business and political families.

Watch this video to know more about the phenomenon of Sarpanch Pati

Points in favour of reservation

Due to reservations in Panchayati Raj Institutions, a positive impact on governance is visible where women head them. Women representatives have contributed immensely in overcoming social taboos and constraints like removing ghunghat, sitting at the same height as men on chairs etc.
Though it begins with token equality that caused acute discomfort and even confrontation, women, especially Dalit women, have been able to push boundaries and create space in the decision-making sphere across all sectors.
The acts made by women are more gender-sensitive and are able to include female perspectives in them.

Feminization of Agriculture

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Feminization of Agriculture

This article deals with ‘Feminization of Agriculture .’ This is part of our series on ‘Society’ which is an important pillar of the GS-1 syllabus. For more articles, you can click here.

Introduction

Feminization of agriculture means the increasing visibility and participation of women in agriculture.
Women constitute nearly 35 % of all agricultural workers (NSSO 2011-12).
However, they are joining agriculture as agrarian proletariat /labour class (& not as owners).

Historians and even M.S. Swaminathan believe that it was women who first domesticated crop plants and initiated the art and science of farming. While men went out hunting in search of food, women started gathering seeds from the native flora and cultivating those of interest from the point of view of food, feed, fodder, fibre and fuel.”

Reasons for Feminization of Agriculture

Migration of males from rural areas to cities leaving behind agricultural chores to women. This trend in the agriculture sector was most visible during 1999-2005, marked by declining agriculture growth rates which saw a distressed migration of male members to relatively better-paying jobs either in the urban informal economy or the agriculturally prosperous states.
Widowhood forces a woman to till the land to feed her family.

Has this led to women’s empowerment?

Yes, it has

It has increased the participation of women in the workforce & helped them to

Acquire financial independence
Imbibe decision-making skills.

No, it hasn’t

Feminization of Agriculture is not an intended consequence but an unintended impact of distress migration.
Due to the patriarchal nature of society, they are referred to as flexible labours. Hence, they are joining the sector as an agrarian proletariat.
Although they participate in agriculture, they don’t have land rights (According to the agricultural census, 73.2% of rural women are engaged in farming activities, but only 12.8% own landholdings.)
Because of rural sector schemes like MGNREGA, men are migrating back, and women are again confined to domestic spheres (a phenomenon known as the ‘de-feminization of agriculture’).

Issues

Lack of Property Rights: Given India’s social and religious set-up, women do not generally enjoy equal property rights as their male counterparts. As a result, they are not guaranteed the rights they would otherwise be given if they were recognized as farmers, such as loans for cultivation, loan waivers, crop insurance, subsidies or even compensation to their families in cases where they commit suicide.
Women also have poor access to credit, irrigation, inputs, technology and markets.
Agricultural implements are designed for men.

What steps can government take in view of feminization of Agriculture ?

Gender-responsive agricultural budgets and policies are the need of the hour.
More property rights should be provided to women.
Machines like tractors should be specifically designed for women.
Women should be provided preferential membership in rural cooperatives.
Formation of Agricultural SHG for women.
Providing creche facilities to such women farmers.

Steps taken by Government

15 October is celebrated as ‘Women Farmers day‘.
At least 30% of budget allocation should be provided to women beneficiaries in all schemes & programs (including agriculture).
Low duty and tax if the land transfer is in a women’s name in some states like Punjab.
The government is promoting Women’s Agricultural Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

Side Topic: Defeminization of Agriculture

Due to schemes like MGNREGA, men who migrated to other areas in search of jobs have started returning. It has led to a reverse process known as the Defeminization of Agriculture.

Concept: Feminization of work

It has three dimensions

When more females are working
When there is an increased concentration of women in certain jobs
When men start participating in the work that was traditionally the domain of women (Eg: cookery)

Low Female Labour Force Participation

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Low Female Labour Force Participation

This article deals with ‘Low Female Labour Force Participation.’ This is part of our series on ‘Society’ which is important pillar of GS-1 syllabus . For more articles , you can click here .

Introduction

LFPR of women is continuously decreasing . In 2017-18, LFPR among women was just 25%.

Only in Meghalaya , women LFPR was above 50% .

Possible reasons for low Woman LFPR

Social Causes
- Patriarchal Mindset : Patriarchal norms of Indian society and social constraints on freedom of women results in lower LFPR among women.
- Nuclearisation of families : childcare and household work restricts woman participation in work.
- Caste factor : in some upper castes, there is a stigma attached to women working outside the home .
Many sectors like Armed forces arent open for women .
Unpaid household work : Economists distinguish between production for self-consumption and production for the market. Only the latter is counted as ‘work’. Most of woman are working at home, but since it is unpaid, it is not counted in labour force participation.
Rising incompatibility of work : Due to structural change in Indian economy , skilled jobs in service and construction sector coming up but women don’t have necessary skills for these jobs .
Higher Education : As women are pursuing higher education, their entry in the job market is delayed (Feminization U-Hypothesis ( given below)).
An income effect of the husband’s higher earnings. Rise in the income of men has resulted in withdrawal of women from the labour market.
Violence against woman force woman to move out of labour force . Eg :
- Violence against woman at workplace restricts their participation.
- Mode of transportation is not safe for woman restricting their movement.
Problems like looking after young child, lack of crèches facility at workplace etc. force working mothers to quit job .

Feminization U-Hypothesis

With development,

Women’s labour force participation drops during the initial phase of industrialization .
But in long run, Labour Force Participation will increase once a certain level of development is reached.

Steps ahead

Bangladesh Model – Promote Apparel & Shoes Sector as these two sectors are most women friendly .
Open more sectors for woman : eg Defence Services etc.
Skilling woman so that they can fit in post LPG Reforms economy .
Promoting woman entrepreneurship : Via Standup India and many other schemes .
Maternity Benefits : Government has already increased it to 26 weeks. Extend it to informal sector as well.
Self Help Group (SHG) promotion like Kudumbshree to make women especially in rural areas to be self-employed.
Japan Model (Womenomics) : It includes getting more women into positions of leadership.
Reshaping societal attitudes and beliefs about women participation in the labour force.

Side Topic : Women in leadership roles in India

Women representation on company boards in India is also very low at mere 13.8% .
But this number is gradually increasing, which is a very positive sign. Many big corporates are headed by women, example Pepsi by Indra Nooyi, Axis Bank by Shikha Sharma, ICICI Bank by Chanda Kochhar (who just quit) etc.
In 2020 , Germany has made mandatory quota for minimum number of women working in senior management positions in the country’s listed firms.

Reasons for lack of women in leadership role

Glass ceiling Effect : It restricts the promotion of women to the top most positions. This glass ceiling exists due to the persistence of patriarchy in the society, and also due to the fact that the present leadership consists of men who promote the interests of men only
Leaky Pipeline Effect : Tendency for the proportion of women to decline as management grade rises .

India-Maldives Relations

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India-Maldives Relations

This article deals with ‘India-Maldives Relations.’ This is part of our series on ‘International Relations’ which is an important pillar of the GS-2 syllabus. For more articles, you can click here.

Brief History

The archipelago of Maldives consists of 1192 islands, of which roughly 200 islands are inhabited with an estimated population of 430,000.
The Maldives was a British colony since the mid-1880s. The Maldives was important for Britishers to secure trade routes with India (the crown jewel of the British Empire).
India – Maldives formal relations began with Maldivian independence in 1965 when India became the first country to give formal recognition to the Maldives.
The first state-level visit happened in 1974 when President Ahmed Zaki of Maldives made an official visit to India.
Later, India saved the regime of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom under Operation Cactus from a Coup attempted by the Pro-Eelam group in 1998.

Key Players in Maldivian Politics

Mohammad Nasheed

He was elected democratically in 2008.
India and Maldives had a cordial relationship during President Nasheed’s tenure. He made his maiden international trip to India in 2008, and India promised a $100 million loan to improve the tourism industry in the Maldives.
But subsequent coup d’état in 2012 led to his fall. In 2013, he lost to Abdullah Yameen in a rigged election.

Abdullah Yameen

He came to power in rigged elections in 2013.
He started his autocratic rule and declared an emergency in 2015.
Later, he went close to China, posing a threat to Indian interests.
During President Yameen’s time in office, Male-New Delhi relations turned sour because of his pro-China stance.

Ibrahim Mohammad Solih

He was elected in 2018 as the new President after defeating Abdullah Yameen.
India’s engagement has significantly grown since President Solih came to power, particularly in development partnerships.
Narendra Modi had attended the swearing-in ceremony of President Solih.
India announced $1.4 billion in financial assistance to bail out its debt-trapped economy.
Solih also visited India on his first overseas trip since assuming the presidency (Dec 2018).

India-Maldives Cooperation

Strategic Importance

The strategic importance was realized for the first time during British rule. The Maldives is located just 700 km from the strategic Lakshadweep island chain, 1200 km from the Indian mainland and around major trade routes of India. Hence, Maldives is crucial for securing the trade routes of India.
India has various Military assets in the Maldives for surveillance purposes in the Indian Ocean, making Maldives part of our security grid. India and Maldives also cooperate to contain piracy in the region.
India has the ambition to be a ‘Net-security provider’ in the Indian Ocean region, and this calls for close military and naval ties with the Maldives.
50% of India’s external trade and 80% of her energy imports transit through the Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) in the vicinity of Maldives.
Islamic State and Lashkar e Taiba are gaining ground in the Maldives due to the rise in Islamic fundamentalism and extremism.

Economic Relations

India and Maldives signed the Comprehensive Trade Agreement in 1981, after which trade flourished.
Bilateral trade between India and Maldives stands at US$ 289 million (2018).
While the exports from the Maldives to India are not of much significance, the imports to the Maldives from India quite substantial.
State Bank of India (SBI) is one of the major banks operating in the Maldives.
Taj Hotels of Tata Group are an important component of the tourism industry of Maldives.
Indian tourists also account for close to 6% of Maldives’ tourists each year.

Multilateral Cooperation

The Maldives has supported India’s permanent membership candidature at UNSC and has also voted in favour of India for a non-permanent seat for 2020-21.
Both India and Maldives are part of
- SAARC
- Indian Ocean Rim Association
- Commonwealth
India and Maldives have always supported each other in multilateral platforms such as the UN, the Commonwealth, the NAM, and the SAARC.
Maldives is part of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), where Pakistan frequently raise its voice on the Kashmir Issue. Hence, Maldives is an important ally that plays a part in safeguarding Indian interests in OIC.

People-to-People Relations

Maldivian students attend educational institutions in India.
Maldivian patients fly to India for super-speciality healthcare.
India Cultural Centre (ICC) in Male was inaugurated in 2011, which conducts yoga, classical music, and dance courses.
Hindi commercial films, TV serials and music are immensely popular in the Maldives.
India has assisted in developing the following
- Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital
- Maldives Institute of Technical Education (now called the Maldives Polytechnic)
- Technology Adoption Programme in Education Sector in the Maldives

Indian Diaspora

22,000 Indians live in the Maldives, making it the second-largest expatriate community of Maldives.
25% of the doctors and teachers in the Maldives are Indians.

Other

The Maldives was the first country to receive the Corona vaccine from India.
India has funded and assisted in forming and constructing the National College of Policing and Law Enforcement in the Maldives. It will help strengthen law enforcement and deal with drug trafficking and Islamic radicalization in the Maldives.
Maldives supports India’s candidature for permanent membership of an expanded and reformed UN.
In 2015, India launched Operation Neer to help the Maldives by providing water aid after a major fire broke out at the Male Water and Sewerage Company.

Indian Initiatives for the Maldives

India has announced $500 million assistance for the Greater Male Connectivity project (GMCP) to connect Male to three neighbouring islands – Villingili, Thilafushi and Gulhifahu islands. GMCP would be the largest civilian infrastructure project in the Maldives.
India also provides training to the Maldivian Defence Forces.
Major completed development assistance projects by India include Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Maldives Institute of Technical Education, Construction of National Police Academy etc.
Grants for projects under High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs): These include ambulances, Convention Centre, drug rehabilitation centre, police station up-gradation, development of Addu Tourism zone etc., in the Maldives.
Water-Aid: India has provided large-scale assistance to the Maldives in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2014 Male water crisis under Operation Neer.
Mission Sagar: India launched Mission Sagar to provide assistance to Indian Ocean Region Nations during the Corona period. Under the project, INS Kesari was dispatched for Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, to provide food items and COVID related medicines.

Issues in India-Maldives Relations

Chinese Presence

Maldives is part of China’s Maritime Silk Road (MSR).
The Maldives has provided a base to the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean, which has the potential to disturb the Balance of Power in the region.
China and Maldives signed a controversial Free Trade Agreement with China in 2017. But with the regime change, Maldives’ new government has decided to pull out of FTA with China, realizing the one-sided nature of the FTA).
The Maldives has earlier cancelled Infrastructure contracts given to Indian companies in favour of Chinese Companies (e.g., GMR’s contract for building Male’s Airport).
Chinese Debt Trap: Chinese loans are 1/4th of Maldivian GDP, which the Maldivian economy can’t service on its own.

GMR Issue

In 2012, Maldives annulled the $500 million contract with GMR Group to develop a modern International Airport near Male. Later the project was transferred to a Chinese company.

Growing Radicalization

Maldives has provided the maximum number of terrorists per capita to ISIS.
Radical Wahabi and Salafi ideologies are on the rise in the Maldives.

Growth in Anti-India Feelings

‘India Out Campaign‘ gained momentum in 2022 demanding Indian military personnel to leave the Maldives. The campaign started on social media but was later led by Yameen.

Uneasiness over Indian Military installations in the Maldives

Earlier, Maldives had asked India to withdraw 2 Indian ALHs operating in the Maldives.
Maldivian refused to extend visas of 26 Indian navy personnel.

Increased bonhomie with Pakistan during Abdullah Yameen’s (previous President) reign

During Pakistan’s Army Chief’s visit in 2018, Maldives announced joint patrolling with Pakistan Navy to guard Maldivian Exclusive Economic Zone challenging the Indian position in the region.

Way Forward

India should enhance investment cooperation with the Maldives.
India should pursue a ‘Free-Purse’ policy of aid with the Maldives to counter the Chinese plans in the country.
While dealing with smaller neighbours like the Maldives, India needs to become a lot more magnanimous, staying faithful to its own “Gujral Doctrine.”
SAARC and IORA should be used to work on lingering concerns.

To guide India-Maldives relations, five basic principles of Gujral doctrine are relevant to Nepal, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, i.e. India would not ask for reciprocity but do all it could in good faith and trust.

India-Myanmar Relations

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India-Myanmar Relations

This article deals with ‘India-Myanmar Relations.’ This is part of our series on ‘International Relations’, which is an important pillar of the GS-2 syllabus. For more articles, you can click here.

Historical Bonds

Two Indian monks named Tapusa and Bhallika promoted Buddhism in the Myanmar region in ancient times. Ashoka, during his reign, also sent missionaries to Myanmar or Burma.
Rulers of Myanmar, since ancient times, have been majorly Kshatriyas, and their origins can be traced back to India.
Britishers exiled Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor, to Yangon in Myanmar and the Konbaung King of Myanmar to Ratnagiri.
When Britishers annexed Burma in the 19th century, they administered Burma as the province of India until 1937, when Burma was separated from British India and made a separate colony.
Yangon was once a centre for India’s independence struggle. General Aung San, Burma’s independence hero, was a close friend of Netaji.
In 1951, India and Burma established diplomatic relations in modern times through a treaty of friendship.

Importance of Myanmar for India

Myanmar is vital for India because

Myanmar is an integral part of India’s Act East Policy.
Myanmar can act as transit for North East.
It is the only Indian neighbour of ASEAN. Hence, Myanmar can serve as India’s Bridge to ASEAN.

1. Connectivity

It can be seen in the following aspects

1 . Bridge to ASEAN

Projects in which Myanmar is important include

IMT Highway: Highway connecting Moreh in India to Mae Sot in Thailand and passing through India, Myanmar & Thailand.
BCIM Project: Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar are part of this project.

2 . Important for connecting North East

Myanmar is essential for the connectivity of North-East India with the rest of the world.
The important projects in this regard include Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project.

Side Topic: Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project

Kaladan Multimodal Project can act as an alternate outlet for North Eastern states and an alternate route to connect to mainland India.
It will connect Kolkata (port) => Sittwe (port in Myanmar) => Paletwa (river port on Kaladan river) => Mizoram (via road).
The project will boost employment and lower the food prices in the region, but the intrusion into the area will threaten local heritage.

Side Topic: BCIM Corridor

BCIM Corridor will start from Kunming and end at Kolkata, passing through Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar.

Why China wants BCIM?

Southwest China is landlocked & poor. China hopes, the BCIM corridor will

Provide an outlet to Yunan province
Boost trade & tourism in the region

Thereby reducing poverty and extremism in its southwest region.

Advantages of BCIM

For Act East Policy and North East
- BCIM project is in line with India’s Act East Policy.
- Indian states of the North East will come into the mainstream.
It can help in containing insurgency in North East by providing economic prosperity.
Exploiting each other’s trade complementarities, i.e. China’s manufacturing, India’s Service sector, Bangladesh’s low-cost manufacturing and Myanmar’s cheap labour and raw material.
BCIM project will help in creating Energy Corridor as
- South-West China (Yunan Province), Bangladesh, Myanmar and Assam have petroleum resources.
- This region has vast potential for Hydro-Electric Energy.
It will lead to a revival of Kolkata port. Earlier, Kolkata’s importance was lost due to its unnatural isolation from its natural eastern neighbourhood.
It will help exploit a huge market as the region hosts nearly 50 crore people & a growing middle class with increasing per capita income.
Tourism in the region will get a boost as well.

Problems

Ethnic insurgency :
1. Fighting between Myanmar Army and ethnic Kokang rebels based near the Chinese border.
2. United Wa State Army runs a parallel government in North Eastern Myanmar.
3. Indian North Eastern states are themselves hit by insurgency.

China insists on making it part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and India is not part of BRI.
Due to this project, India’s trade deficit with China will increase further.
The region is also hit by communal violence involving Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims.

Side Topic : IMT Highway

It will connect Moreh in Manipur to Mandalay in Myanmar to Mae Sot in Thailand.
India and Thailand have constructed their part. Only Myanmar is lagging because of political instability.

2. LNG / Energy

Myanmar has extensive reserves of natural gas.
Myanmar’s gas is attractive for India because
1. Proximity: Easy to transport via pipelines.
2. Untapped: Indian Companies like ONGC Videsh can buy a stake.
3. It can usher prosperity in North-Eastern states.
ONGC has already invested $1.6 billion in Myanmar gas for a 30% stake in Shwe gas fields.
Jubilant Energy and Reliance are also working in shallow water blocks in Myanmar.
Note: China is far ahead as Chinese investments in the energy sector in Myanmar has been $ 8 billion.

3. Trade & Investment Opportunities

Myanmar’s economy is opening up. Hence, there are immense investment opportunities for Indian companies.
India imports beans, pulses and forest products from Myanmar while it exports steel and pharmaceutical products to Myanmar.
Myanmar is also helpful in ‘Make Outside India’ because of Free Trade Access to ASEAN Market.
There are extensive untapped Natural Resources (oil, gas, teak, copper & gemstone) in Myanmar, which can aid the growth of the Indian economy.
Myanmar is the second-largest supplier of beans and pulses to India.
There has been a massive presence of Indian companies in Myanmar. Tata Motors has established a truck assembly plant in Magway. Apart from that, GMR, TVS motors, Birla Corporation, ITC hotels, Shree cement and Bharti Airtel are the notable Indian companies in Myanmar.
State Bank of India has also acquired the commercial license for banking purposes in Myanmar.
India is also trying to build a Buddhist circuit in association with Myanmar, where India intends to promote tourism and create jobs.

4. Security

Insurgents in North East, especially Naga groups, find safe havens in Myanmar where the border is not fenced and free movement of people is permitted due to the 16 Km Free Movement Regime.
In 2015, Indian troops reportedly crossed into Myanmar to target an NSCN (Khaplang) military camp. India & Myanmar are now helping each other in containing insurgency by not allowing insurgents to take shelter in each other’s territories.
Myanmar is a part of the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand and Laos) and has become an important transit country for illegal drug trafficking. In 2010, India and Myanmar established the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty on criminal matters, which has emerged as the core legal instrument to address issues related to drug smuggling.
India has been a significant arms supplier to Myanmar. India has supplied T-55 tanks, transport planes and naval crafts to Myanmar.
In 2006, both concluded an MoU on intelligence sharing and training of Myanmar military personnel.

Side Topic: Rohingya Issue

Many Muslims were taken by the Britishers from Bengal to Burma from 1823 onwards when the British occupied the Rakhine state of Myanmar. After the independence of Burma in 1948, these Muslims stayed back in Burma. These are known as Rohingyas in Myanmar.
According to the 1982 Citizenship law of Myanmar, the Rohingyas were not recognized as an official ethnic group and, since then have become stateless in Myanmar.
In 2011, ethnic violence broke against the Rohingyas under a radical and rightist Buddhist monk known as Ashin Wirathu. It led to the mass exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, India and Thailand. Those who remained in Myanmar were ghettoized and persecuted.

There are around 40,000 Rohingyas in India. The Indian government has decided to deport the Rohingya Muslims as
- They have immigrated to India illegally.
- These illegal immigrants, living majorly in Kashmir, are susceptible to recruitment by terrorist groups and thus constitute a security threat to India.
- The influx of Rohingya Muslims to India also disturbs society’s demographic pattern and social, political, and cultural stability.

5. People to People Contacts

Buddhism reached Myanmar from India.
Both nations had excellent relations for centuries. Even during British colonialism, both Myanmar and India had almost a free movement of people & goods.
Many Tribes in North East, like Nagas, have a population on both sides of the border.
India has a two-million diaspora in Myanmar.

6. Multilateral Engagements

ASEAN: Myanmar is the only ASEAN country that shares a land border with India.
BIMSTEC: Myanmar is a member of BIMSTEC.
India and Myanmar are part of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation.
SAARC: Myanmar was given the observer status in SAARC in August 2008.

Issue: China Factor

Myanmar shares a 2,100-km border with China.
Myanmar is part of OBOR, and China is building a following in Myanmar
- Kyaukpyu port
- Pipelines and Rail connecting Kyaukpyu to Yunan.
Myanmar is important to provide an outlet to the underdeveloped South Western Province (Yunan).
Energy: China has invested $ 8 billion in the Energy sector.
Debt Trap Diplomacy: China holds 40% of Myanmar’s debt.
Myanmar’s military equipment is 80% Chinese.
With Ethnic conflict going on in Myanmar & its porous borders with China, Myanmar requires Chinese assistance to cope with the situation.

Advantages of India over China in Myanmar

India prefers to give ‘Development & Human Capital Formation loans” while China indulges in ‘Debt Trap Diplomacy’.
India can help Myanmar in building up strong democratic institutions.
India is investing heavily in Myanmar. E.g., Sittwe Port and Kaladan Multimodal Project .
Both are part of Multilateral Forums like BIMSTEC and the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
Cultural Ties: India is the birthplace of Buddhism, and most of Myanmar’s population follow this tradition.

Constraints

1. Military Coupe

In a Coupe in February 2021, the Military (Tatmadaw) has taken the control into its hand and has placed “State Counsellor” Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest. It was in response to her party’s landslide victory in the general elections in which the military-backed party was defeated badly.
In the absence of strong democracy, India cant invest freely in Myanmar. Apart from that, the coupe will strengthen the Chinese presence in Myanmar as Western pressure on Myanmar to restore democracy will force the military leaders to go near China.

2. Rohingya Problem

A large number of these refugees have also fled to India.
Sittwe port and Kaladan Multimodal Project also passes through Rakhine Province.
Due to state persecution of Rohingyas, an insurgent group in the firm of the Rakhine Rohingya Salvation Army has arisen.

3. Chinese Factor

China is investing in large projects in China as part of its ‘Debt Trap Diplomacy’. Ports like Kyaukpyu are alleged to be part of China’s String of Pearls strategy to contain India.

4. Project Delays

There is widespread discontent against India over continuing delay in the completion of flagship projects — Kaladan and the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway.

5. Insurgencies

India’s North-East is hit by insurgencies, making the completion of projects with Myanmar extremely difficult.
Sittwe port lies in the Rakhine province, which has been destabilised due to the Rohingya crisis.
Moreover, the Kaladan project is disrupted by the activities of the Arakan Army.

6. Economic Development

Myanmar is one of the poorest nations in Asia. Infrastructure in Myanmar is almost non-existent. Hence, Private Indian capitalists hesitate to invest.