Exercises – India and Her Neighbours

Model Answer: A maritime neighbour is a country connected to another through a shared sea or ocean, even without sharing a land border. The ocean serves as a link for trade, cultural exchange, and historical ties.

Example 1: Sri Lanka — Separated from India by the narrow Palk Strait (only 32 km at the nearest point), Sri Lanka shares deep Buddhist and Hindu heritage with India, dating back to Emperor Ashoka’s time.

Example 2: Maldives — An island nation of over 1,100 islets, only 130 km from India’s Minicoy island. It shares cultural ties through the Dhivehi language (which borrows from Sanskrit, Tamil, and Malayalam) and has received India’s help during natural disasters.

Model Answer: Buddhism, which originated in India, has been one of the strongest cultural bridges connecting India with her neighbours across Asia.

China: Buddhism reached China around the 1st century CE through trade routes. Chinese monks Faxian and Xuanzang travelled to Indian learning centres, while Indian monks like Bodhidharma carried teachings to China.

Sri Lanka: Emperor Ashoka’s children Mahendra and Sanghamitra introduced Theravada Buddhism in the 3rd century BCE, creating a lasting spiritual bond.

Bhutan: Indian master Guru Padmasambhava introduced Vajrayana Buddhism in the 8th century CE, shaping Bhutan’s entire religious identity.

Thailand: Theravada Buddhism is widely practised, and Hindu-Buddhist stories from Indian epics are integrated into royal ceremonies, dance, and literature.

Indonesia: The Borobudur Stupa (8th–9th century CE) is the world’s largest Buddhist monument, reflecting the depth of India’s religious and cultural influence.

Model Answer: An open border is when people from two countries can travel across the border without needing a visa or passport.

The India-Nepal open border, based on the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, significantly impacts daily life:
• Families: People with relatives on both sides can visit freely, maintaining family connections.
• Employment: Workers can cross for jobs, and many border towns have vibrant cross-border job markets.
• Education & Healthcare: People from both sides access schools and hospitals in either country.
• Trade: Daily commerce thrives in border markets, with India supplying petroleum, medicines, and food items, and Nepal exporting agricultural produce and handicrafts.
• Pilgrimage: Religious visitors cross freely to visit sacred sites like the Pashupatinataha temple.

Both countries cooperate to ensure the border remains safe and is not misused, making it a symbol of trust and friendship.

Model Answer: This statement means that the relationship between neighbouring countries goes far beyond sharing a border — it includes cultural ties, shared history, economic cooperation, spiritual connections, and mutual aid during crises.

Example — India and Maldives: The Maldives does not share a land border with India, yet the two countries are deeply connected. The Maldivian language Dhivehi borrows extensively from Sanskrit, Tamil, and Malayalam. India was among the first to recognise the Maldives’ independence (1965) and has been the first responder during disasters like the 2004 tsunami and the 2014 water crisis. Both are members of the International Solar Alliance. This shows that shared culture, language, historical ties, and mutual assistance — not just geography — define what it means to be neighbours.

Model Answer: India has supported smaller neighbours through multiple channels:

1. Infrastructure Development: India helped build the Afghan Parliament building and the Zaranj-Delaram highway in Afghanistan. The Tala Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan was built with Indian support.

2. Disaster Relief: India provided swift assistance to the Maldives during the 2004 tsunami and the 2014 water crisis in Male, and supplied COVID-19 aid. India also helped set up the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre in Hyderabad for the entire Indian Ocean region.

3. Cultural Restoration: India restored the earthquake-damaged Ananda temple in Bagan, Myanmar, and gifted a replica of the Sarnath Buddha statue to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.

4. Energy Cooperation: Hydroelectric projects in Bhutan generate power for both Bhutan’s economy and India’s energy needs.

5. Strategic Partnerships: India develops Iran’s Chabahar Port for better access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Model Answer: Shared challenges often push nations to work together, creating stronger bonds than they might have had otherwise.

Example 1 — Tsunami Early Warning: The devastating 2004 tsunami exposed the urgent need for better warning systems. India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other Indian Ocean countries then joined hands to set up a network of sensors, satellites, and communication links. What began as a shared tragedy became a model of regional cooperation.

Example 2 — Climate Change & Solar Energy: The Maldives faces the threat of submersion due to rising sea levels. Both India and the Maldives are members of the International Solar Alliance, an Indian initiative promoting sustainable energy. A shared environmental challenge has led to joint research and technology sharing.

Example 3 — River Management: India and Bangladesh share transboundary rivers from the Ganga and Brahmaputra systems. Managing these rivers fairly for agriculture, fisheries, and flood control requires ongoing cooperation — turning a potential source of conflict into a platform for collaboration.

Model Answer (open-ended): If borders were based on culture rather than politics, the map would look very different:

• India and Nepal might merge into a continuous cultural zone, since they share Hindu festivals (Dussehra, Diwali, Holi), pilgrimage sites, and the open border already reflects this closeness.
• West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh might form a Bangla-speaking cultural region, united by their shared language, literature, music, and the Sundarbans ecosystem.
• India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand could be linked by a “Buddhist Heritage Zone,” tracing the spread of Buddhism from India through Southeast Asia.
• India and Indonesia might share a “Ramayana Belt,” as both countries celebrate the epic — from Ayodhya to Balinese Ramayana performances.
• India and Pakistan would show deep overlap through shared Punjabi culture, Urdu-Hindi linguistic links, Sufi music, and common cuisine.

This thought experiment shows that political borders do not always reflect cultural realities. People-to-people connections often transcend the lines drawn on maps.