India's Relationship with its South Asian Neighbours: Contemporary Trends

India's relationship with its neighbours in South Asia has been always influenced by domestic politics. Moreover, there has been a continuous fear psychosis amongst the smaller states of the area, which consider India a regional hegemon. India however needs to adopt the stance of an “elder brother” rather than a hegemon. This paper traces the commonalities of South Asian countries, details the diverse security issues of the region and how they affect interstate relationships between India and its neighbours and in conclusion argues that there is a need to move towards a cooperative security framework in South Asia. This would not only rejuvenate SAARC but also build trust and mutual confidence between India and its neighbouring countries.