India’s Foreign Policy Falters Under the Weight of Nationalist Politics

Narendra Modi's foreign policy has become reactive and optics-driven, focused on symbolic actions and headline-grabbing diplomacy rather than long-term strategy.

Narendra Modi’s decade in power has been marked by an aggressive push for Hindu nationalism, recasting the idea of India from a secular democracy into a majoritarian state. While this ideological shift may have consolidated political power at home, it has come at a steep price abroad. India’s foreign policy—once rooted in non-alignment, pluralism, and soft power—is now faltering, increasingly shaped and limited by domestic identity politics. The result: strained alliances, emboldened rivals, and a loss of moral leadership in the region. Now, in the wake of the latest India-Pakistan conflict, India’s global relationships are being tested more severely than ever. One of the starkest casualties of this transformation has been India's relationship with Bangladesh. Once entrenched in strong ties under Sheikh Hasina’s long tenure, the relationship has frayed significantly.

Following a student-led uprising in 2024, Hasina who enjoyed an extremely favourable relationship with New Delhi was ousted from power and subsequently took refuge in India. The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has since banned the activities of Hasina’s Awami League party, marking a major political shift in Dhaka.

India is yet to respond to the Bangladesh government's request for the extradition of Hasina over allegations of human rights abuses and corruption. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), both with religious overtones targeting Muslims in India (labeling many Indian Muslims as Bangladeshi citizens) , had already fueled deep resentment in Bangladesh. Remarks by Indian leaders describing Bangladeshi migrants as "termites" further inflamed public outrage. As political winds shift and China offers non-interference alongside infrastructure and investment, India risks losing its traditional foothold in the country. Bangladesh's interim Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping for an official visit to Beijing. The meeting took place on March 28, 2025, at the Great Hall of the People. During this visit, Yunus and Xi discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation, including economic partnerships and regional stability. Notably, Yunus called for China to play a "greater role" in ensuring peace, reflecting Bangladesh's desire for a more active Chinese involvement in regional affairs .