India’s evolving engagement with Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific
India has demonstrated a strong commitment to fortifying its strategic, economic, and cultural relations with nations in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region through its ambitious ‘Act East’ policy. However, how did India’s “Act East” policy differ from its “Look East” approach? Why was it decided to include a strategic component?
— Mathew Joseph C.
(The Indian Express has started a new series of articles on topics and concepts covering history, politics, international relations, art, culture, and heritage, environment, geography, science, and technology, among other subjects, that are authored by experienced writers and learned academics for UPSC candidates. Increase your chances of passing the highly sought-after UPSC CSE by reading and discussing with subject matter experts.South Asia expert Mathew Joseph C. examines how India’s “Act East” policy enhances its relationships with Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region in the essay that follows. The paper will be released in two sections: the first covers how India’s “Act East” strategy evolved from its “Look East” policy, and the second section explores China’s aggressive actions and how India’s proactive “Act East” policy affects other nations in the area.)
The second session of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) was recently held in Singapore and India in advance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore and Brunei, two significant ASEAN members.
As part of its ‘Act East’ policy, India is committed to strengthening its strategic, economic, and cultural connections with countries in Southeast Asia. This commitment is demonstrated by the Prime Minister’s visit, which is scheduled for the first week of September.
How has India’s “Act East” policy changed, though? When did India’s “Look East” policy change to “Act East” policy, and why? What is the main goal of the “Act East” policy, and how is it assisting New Delhi in strengthening its relations with nations in the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia regions?
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Links between Southeast Asia and India and the Cold War
The historical connections between the Chola Empire and the Kingdom of Kalinga with Southeast Asia serve as excellent illustrations of India’s long-standing civilisational ties with the region’s nations. Another compelling illustration of the extensive cultural ties that exist between India and the region is the deep roots of the Ramayana tradition in Southeast Asia.
During the Cold War, little emphasis was placed on these cultural ties. Southeast Asian nations joined the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), a US-led military alliance founded in 1954 with Pakistan as a founding member, during the Cold War.
India stayed apart from the nations of Southeast Asia due to its declared goal of avoiding military alliances. The friendly relations that emerged between India and the Soviet Union during the latter stages of the Cold War also contributed to New Delhi’s isolation from Southeast Asia.
More than any other Asian nation, India was impacted by the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. In the chaos of world affairs, India unexpectedly lost a superpower ally. The political elite and Indian civil society both had deep-seated mistrust of the US at the time, making it impossible for India to jump on board with the US. In addition, the Indian political, security, and strategic elite’s Nehruvian worldview made it difficult for them to engage with the US and the US-led Western world.
From Act East to Look East
When he took office in 1991, P. V. Narasimha Rao, the prime minister at the time, took over this disorganized situation. Nonetheless, he took the initiative to lead the nation and made important adjustments to both internal and foreign policy. India chose neoliberal approaches for its internal affairs and began to lean toward the US and the West in its foreign policy. In this political-historical framework, India established its policy of “Look East” in 1992.
The “Look East” policy’s declared goals were to strengthen ties between India and Southeast Asian nations and position India as a counterbalance to China, which many of these nations saw as a danger to their security. At first, trade and economic ties were the main foci of the “Look East” program. But with China’s ascent, it gained a new geopolitical significance.
In an effort to operationalize the “Look East” policy, India became a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992. It joined the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in 1996 as a full conversation partner. In 2005, India started taking part in the East Asian Summit (EAS). It joined the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) as a dialogue partner in 2010.
It is the development of India’s policy to “Look East” toward the Asia-Pacific area. India was able to strengthen its ties with neighboring countries that were wary of China’s increasing military and economic power thanks to the “Act East” policy.
Northeast India and Act East policy
As previously stated, the “Act East” policy places a strong emphasis on connectivity and security. India formed strategic alliances with nations like Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Australia with this in mind. The “Act East” policy places a high priority on maritime security, which was a major source of concern for the neighboring countries because of China’s hegemonic actions as well as the existence of pirates and non-state actors.
Furthermore, as was the case with the previous “Look East” policy as well, India’s Northeast is a crucial component of the “Act East” policy. The “Act East” policy places a strong emphasis on connectivity initiatives with the goal of creating numerous connections between Northeastern India and ASEAN nations as well as other regions. India anticipates that its connection initiatives with the Asia-Pacific region will significantly close the development gap in the country’s northeastern area.
