- The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) promised in manifesto to get back Kartarpur Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak, in an exchange of territory with Pakistan.
- It bring to the fore the idea of “para diplomacy” or “sub-state diplomacy” in promoting national interests.
- This involves formal interactions between entities below the federal level — provincial and local governments — in pursuit of shared national goals.
- The conduct of para diplomacy is not in opposition to the national governments, which have a monopoly over the engagement with other sovereigns.
- Para diplomacy, conducted in tandem with the central government, can often produce openings that can’t be generated between the congealed positions of the national governments.
- India and Pakistan in their on-again, off again peace process over the last quarter of a century have occasionally encouraged substate diplomacy in Punjab. E.g. occasions when the chief ministers of east and west Punjab met to explore mutually beneficial cooperation.
- The context on each border is different with unique burdens of history and different degrees of political difficulty. E.g. West Bengal complicated Delhi’s engagement with Dhaka over Teesta.
Dig Deeper: Read about Look East, Act East and Think West policies, along with IMEC.
