Current Indian foreign policy is informed by a realization that a combination of economic reforms and the end of the Cold War has steered India into a position of some considerable influence in the post-9/11 world. Nevertheless, Indian foreign policy has a long way to go before it can meet the needs and aspirations of its people.

It is well within India ’s capabilities to assume such a role. What is needed both at the elite and popular levels, is not just a greater will and courage to take up such a role but also an acknowledgement that this is necessarily a long-term process, the fruits of which might not even be visible in the space of a generation or a lifetime but which will nevertheless require preparation, investment and the ability to think beyond immediate interests and beyond India’s borders.

Contents

1.   Rising India ’s Foreign Policy: A Partial Introduction
      Jabin T. Jacob

2.   India-China Relations: Rising Together?
      Bhartendu Kumar Singh

3.   India-Nepal Relations: Redefined by Jana Andolan II
      Padmaja Murthy

4.   India-Myanmar Relations: ‘Constructive Engagement’ Moves from Ad hocism to a Roadmap
      Yogendra Singh

5.   India-Bangladesh Relations: Mired in Misunderstanding
      Sandeep Bhardwaj

6.   India-Sri Lanka Relations: Ethnic Issue at the Centre
      N. Manoharan

7.   India-Pakistan Relations: Composite Dialogue in Stasis
      Samarjit Ghosh

8.   India-Afghanistan Relations: Steady Progress amidst Instability
      Raghav Sharma

9.   India-United States Relations: On the Upswing?
      Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

10.  India-Africa Relations: Miles to Go
      Sandipani Dash

11.  India- West Asia Relations: Time for a Look West Policy
      Siddharth Ramana

12.  India-Central Asia Relations: Falling Short of Expectations
      Raghav Sharma

13.  India-ASEAN Relations: Complicated Economics, Sensitive Politics
      Yogendra Singh

14.  War by Other Means: Attacks on Embassies and Foreign Nationals
      Sonali Huria

15. Failure or Functional Anarchy? Understanding Weak/Failing States in South Asia
      D. Suba Chandran

16. Talking to the Taliban: Fraught with Peril
      Mayank S Bubna

17. US and the Af-Pak Strategy: Pakistan ’s Interests and Responses
      D. Suba Chandran

18. India’s Look East Policy: Focus on Northeast India
      Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman

19. India and Asian Integration: Global Recession Redefines Asian Values Debate
      Chietigj Bajpaee

20. Five-Party Talks in South Asia : Guaranteeing Borders
      Jabin T. Jacob

21. Border Trade for Peace-building: The Promise of Nathu La
      Satyajit Mohanty

22. Connecting South Asia : A Roadmap for New Roads
      D. Suba Chandran, N. Manoharan, P.G. Rajamohan, Vibhanshu Shekhar,
      Jabin T. Jacob, Raghav Sharma and Sandeep Bhardwaj

From the Foreword

“Given the paucity of comprehensive, analytical studies on India ’s foreign and security policy, this book is most welcome and well-timed. It is also unique in representing the views of a young generation of scholars, which has emerged in the transitional phase of the past two decades.”

Lalit Mansingh
Former Indian Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to the United States


D. Suba Chandran And Jabin T. Jacob (Eds.)
New Delhi: Macmillan, 2011