NEW DELHI, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- India's prime minister Friday warned of the danger of failed states emerging in South Asia.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made his statement before flying to the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka to attend a summit of the 11-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
"The danger of a number of failed states emerging in our neighborhood has far-reaching consequences for our region and our people," Singh told the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, a leading Indian strategic think tank.
"We see signs of the ills of disaffection, alienation and conflict not only in India but also across our neighborhood. We have to be alert to these developments and deal with the dangers that lie ahead," he said. "The impact includes crises which generate an inflow of refugees and destabilization of our border areas."
Singh did not mention which countries he thought could become failed states. However, India has expressed concern over the security situation in Bangladesh and the increasing flow of illegal immigrants from there. Dhaka denies Indian claims that thousands of Bangladeshis illegally cross into India annually, the Hindustan Times reported Friday.
On its border with Nepal, India has added more troops as political unrest and Maoist guerrilla violence has continued since King Gyanendra seized power in February.
