Breaking the Vicious Circle

India and its South Asian neighbours are caught in a rising tide of political unrest. This tide frequently washes over international frontiers as a result of migration induced by economic or security factors, cross-border activities on the part of militant groups, the spread of weapons between countries and the highly lucrative trade in drugs. It is adversely affecting relations between regional countries and creating a region of chronic instability. It is also turning away investment and retarding economic development. The issue we need to explore in the context of India’s rise to power is whether such problems are amenable to an early solution, or whether they are likely to continue to act as a restraint on India’s development as a regional power.