Achintya Kumar Dutta

Connecting Nations Achintya Kumar Dutta

An important aspect of India's foreign policy from the 1990s has been its attempt to consolidate its ties of friendship and mutual understanding with its East and South East Asian neighbours. India's Act East Policy has initiated a new positive approach towards South East Asia through its roots which can be traced to India's past history and tradition. While it began primarily with religious interaction which lead to the spread of Buddhism in the far-flung areas of South East Asia, economic and cultural connections followed soon after. Against this backdrop, the present volume analyses various facets of India's connectivity with the South East Asian countries, including its linkages with the north-eastern states of India; a rediscovery of Indian imprinted culture, mainly Buddhism and other religions in the South East Asian region and beyond; the use of the Indian diaspora for economic development; and the implementation of various agreements signed by India with the South East Asian countries. This volume is an interesting combination of the analytical method of historical linkages between India and South East Asia with critical observations of the contemporary dynamics of international politics.