ABOUT THE BOOK:
Indian engagement with the Southeast Asian region extends beyond recent conceptualisations to periods when connectivity was defined not just in strategic but also in cultural terms. Close cultural interaction between India and Southeast Asia began in prehistoric times and continued until the beginning of colonial rule. And in the new millennium, India is trying its best to reconnect with the region with its "Look East" policy, and to strengthen its engagement by Acting East. It is undeniable that India views the region as a crucial partner today and there are vital concerns that both regions share. But contemporary concerns should not overshadow the broader issues that have been important to both regions through the ages.
The current volume looks at different issues and perceptions of the region. Issues like borders, security, disputes are analysed alongside issues like religion, culture and traditions. Some retrospectives essays also attempt to question lost opportunities in Indian foreign policy and prescribe how India should look at the region. India's connection and engagement with the region has therefore been analysed and re-imagined. An interesting feature of this book is that it is an attempt by scholars in Kolkata and Hanoi to bring together their ideas and research on states, borders and religion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Arpita Basu Roy is a Fellow at theMaulanaAbulKalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Kolkata and an expert in International Relations. She is a PhD in International relations from Jadavpur University and has been the Pavate Wrangler Fellow at Cambridge University in 2010. She works on issues related to security, gender, population movements and political transition in the South Asian region. Her research areasare Afghanistan, Indian foreign policy and discourses on security, including human security.
Subhadeep Bhattacharya is a Fellow at the MaulanaAbulKalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Kolkata and a PhD. candidate at the Department of History, University of Calcutta. He has been working on India's relations with Southeast Asia, geopolitics, defence and security inSoutheast Asia.The Asia Pacific region is his field of interest. |
