India?s Southeast Asia Policy during the Cold War: Identity, Inclination and Pragmatism 1947-1989 (Politics in Asia)

Over the course of four decades of the Cold War, Chakraborti and Chakraborty analyse India’s path from nonalignment towards realism and self-assertion, and finally to confidence-building and interdependence with respect to their neighbours in Southeast Asia.

What were the reasons for India’s shift from non-alignment to a more pragmatic approach to foreign relations in its relationships with both the non-Communist states of ASEAN and the Communist States of Indochina? How was this shift perceived by those countries? To what degree were Pakistan’s foreign and defence policies responsible for India’s changes in alignment throughout the Cold War? What lessons can we draw from these events, as the Indo-Pacific is again becoming a major arena of great power rivalry? In order to address these questions, Chakraborti and Chakraborty study the development of India’s foreign and security policies throughout the period, tracking the changes of stances between and within administrations. They evaluate how these decisions were driven by a combination of ideology, pragmatism and changes in priorities as the regional architecture developed over time.

A valuable read for scholars and students of India’s foreign relations and of Indo-Pacific geopolitics more broadly.

Tridib Chakraborti is Emeritus Professor, School of Liberal Arts and Cultural Studies, Adamas University, Kolkata, India. He was a Professor, Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, former ICCR Chair at Dublin City University, Ireland and former Dean of Adamas University. He has published 4 books, 8 co-edited books and 60 book chapters in reputed publications.

Mohor Chakraborty is Assistant Professor in Political Science, South Calcutta Girls’ College, Kolkata, India. She studies Indian foreign policy, Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies and Area Studies. She is a regular contributor to journals and edited books related to her interest areas.