Bharatiya Janata Party's core political ideology guided Narendra Modi's foreign policy decisions in 2019. For the first time in 50 years, Indian fighter jets attacked terror camps in Pakistan. Modi tried to forge closer ties with the United States and balance ties with China.

Here’s a look at some of his major geopolitical decisions of the year gone by:

February 14, 2019:

A Scorpio car, laden with explosives rammed into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, killing 40 personnel. The attack was carried out by Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad. India launched a diplomatic offensive to expose Pakistan. The UN Security Council strongly condemned the attack.

February 26, 2019: Indian Air Force jets crossed the line of control (LOC) after 47 years and bombed a terrorist training camp in Balakot.

The next day, an air to air combat took place, in which one F16 was shot down and Indian forces lost a MiG-21 fighter. The pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan was detained by Pakistani forces. India made it clear that Abhinandan would not be a bargaining chip. United States too intervened through military channels. On the March 1, Pakistan released the Indian pilot.

May 30, 2019: Three months after the Pulwama attack, Narendra Modi decided to invite BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) heads of state for his swearing in ceremony, whereas in 2014 he had invited South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders. The message was clear: India viewed Pakistan as a hindrance to SAARC and therefore wanted to encourage an alternate regional cooperation mechanism.

August 5, 2019: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government decided to revoke Article 370 and 35A and bifurcated the then state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The US and the European Union urged India to uphold human rights and restore normalcy in J&K. Pakistan reacted by recalling its ambassador and sending back India’s envoy. China and Pakistan tried to get India censured at the United Nations Security Council, but the move fell through.

September 22, 2019: The Howdy Modi event in Texas was a defining moment in Indo-US ties. For the first time, an Indian prime minister and a US president jointly addressed the Indian community in the United States.

Despite the growing ties, the US government sent a strong message to India on the trade deficit, data localization and e-commerce norms. US President Donald Trump also offered to mediate between India and Pakistan.

October 11, 2019: India and China held their second informal summit in Mahabalipuram. Modi and Xi Jinping spent 6 hours with each other over two days. Both sides decided to set up a high-level mechanism to address the $58 billion trade deficit between the two countries.

November 4, 2019: The trade deficit with China was one of the main reasons India pulled out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The PMO decided joining the RCEP would not be in the best interests of India’s farmers or its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

December 13, 2019: India and Japan postponed a summit level meeting between Modi and Shinzo Abe after massive protests in Guwahati and other regions in the north east over the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, which covers only non-Muslim refugees. The Bangladesh foreign minister also cancelled his India visit, amidst concerns over the law finding voice in Dhaka.

First Published:Dec 24, 2019 8:55 AM IST