by Avinash Paliwal
India’s Near East: A New History by Avinash Paliwal is a major new work on how India’s eastern neighbourhood—encompassing its own northeastern states, Bangladesh, and Myanmar—has shaped the country’s diplomacy, security strategy, and national identity. Rather than treating this region as a peripheral frontier, the book argues that the “Near East” is central to understanding India’s statecraft and geopolitical ambitions, especially under the Act East policy. The narrative unfolds across three chronological parts, blending political history with strategic analysis: Solidarity (1947–1970): Examines the early post‑independence period, how partition and decolonisation shaped relations with Burma (now Myanmar), and the lasting impact of India’s 1962 war with China. Security (1971–1990): Focuses on how New Delhi’s security priorities influenced its role in the liberation of Bangladesh, internal unrest across the northeast, and military‑civilian politics in Yangon and Dhaka. Connectivity (1991–2024): Analyses the shift from Look East to Act East, exploring India’s attempt to promote economic and strategic links in the region, and how political stability was prioritised over economic engagement in policy decisions. Paliwal’s central argument is that India’s ambitions in its Near East are constrained by internal divisions, ethnic and communal conflicts, and geopolitical competition, especially with China and Pakistan. He shows that efforts to build connectivity and influence have often been undermined by the region’s historical fragmentation and the Indian state’s focus on stability and control rather than inclusive development. The book is meticulously researched and richly detailed, combining historical narrative with analysis of political economies, identity politics, cross‑border migration, and state capacity. It also highlights the enduring limits of India’s influence even in its immediate neighbourhood, challenging simplistic assumptions about New Delhi’s regional leadership.
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