The ‘border states’ of India, especially in the Northeast, are now considered crucial to the conduct of India’s foreign policy in the region. There is an urgent need for a robust national doctrine that could guide them in tackling pressing issues concerning them and also helping them boost their economy by accessing opportunities beyond borders. Much as it is important to check cross-border infiltration of illegal migrants and terrorists, a defensive security mindset may prevent states from leveraging the neighbourhood for economic opportunities.
This volume constructs such a framework by exemplifying Tripura’s not-so-well-known influence on India’s policy towards East Pakistan and then Bangladesh for more than half a century—the so-called ‘Agartala doctrine’. The contributions to this volume detail the regional environment in India’s eastern and northeastern neighbourhood, where its ‘Look East’ policy is unfolding. The collection provides definite pointers to challenges and opportunities that can be explored for India’s economic growth, strategic advantage, and cultural influence in a comparative view of similar experiences from China, Russia, and USA.

Bringing together a rich mix of perspectives from academics and practitioners from South Asia, this book is a valuable window for all those interested in understanding India’s foreign policy in this region.

About the Author

Subir Bhaumik, a veteran BBC journalist and author, is now a senior fellow with the Kolkata-based Centre for Studies in International Relations and Development (CSIRD) and a senior editor with the Dhaka-based bdnews24.com

Table of Contents:
List of Tables and Figures Foreword by Dipu Moni Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction: Agartala Doctrine—The ‘Tripura Line’of Appropriate Response in Foreign Policy Subir Bhaumik SECTION I 1 Influx Devil: The Spanner in India–Bangladesh Relations Samir K. Purkayastha 2 Bangladesh and India’s Northeast: A Shared Destiny Farooq Sobhan SECTION II 3 Look East Through Northeast: The Ultimate Challenge of Development Laldinkima Sailo 4 Northeast India and Its Neighbourhood: Perspectives on India’s Look East Policy Biswajit Mohapatra 5 Look-East and Regional Groupings Shashi Tharoor 6 India–Bangladesh–Myanmar Cooperation: Potential for Sub-regional Cooperation Sandeep Chakravorty SECTION III 7 China and India’s Look East Policy Baladas Ghoshal 8 BCIM-EC and the Northeast: A Case for Graduated Engagement Binoda Kumar Mishra 9 The BCIM Economic Corridor: A Leap into the Unknown? Patricia Uberoi 10 The Geopolitics of Change in Myanmar Bertil Lintner 11 The Chinese Vision of the BCIM Economic Corridor Chen Lijun and Kong Can SECTION IV 12 China’s Provinces and Foreign Policy: Lessons and Implications for India and Its States Jabin T. Jacob 13 Russian States in National Foreign Policy Aditi Bhaduri 14 States in USA’s Foreign Policy Edmund Downie Conclusion: Relevance and Road to the Future Subir Bhaumik Index Notes on Editor and Contributors