BEYOND BORDER

BEYOND BORDER

Name of the Book: Beyond Borders: Look East Policy and North East

Publisher: DVS Publishers

Editor: Dilip Gogoi

Number of pages: 317

Price: Rs 675

A policy-- Look East Policy which has never been officially formulated has always been the centre of intense discussions and any new book on the topic is always a welcome addition.

"Beyond Borders: Look East Policy and North East" a book edited by Dilip Gogoi is a product of "Cotton Conclave"-- an initiative of Cotton College under the banner of National Scholars Meet in Februarty 2008. Gogoi teaches political science at Cotton College.

The book focusses on the Northeastern region and its relations with its neighbours, predominantly in the backdrop of the Look East Policy. Though the Look East Policy has been in existence for more than 15 years, the benefits to the region has been minimal.

The book aims to critically engage with issues of security, foreign policy, regional autonomy and sub regional cooperation.

The 13 chapters in the book throw light on different aspects of Look East policy and have been dealt in a scholarly fashion throwing new way of thinking.

Jayanta Brahma an assistant professor in Political Science at Goalpara College in the chapter on "Revisiting India's Foreign Policy: Mapping the Northeast on the Foreign Policy Agenda" argues that foreign policy preferences of a nation tend to be dictated by the geopolitics of a particular region. India's Look East Policy has strong economic imperatives and long term strategic ramifications. The author says India must articulate its foreign policy preferences in alignment with interests of Northeast region.

Dilip Gogoi on " East through Northeast: India and Southeast Asia in the new Asia" explains how India's domestic front and its neighbourhoods have undergone significant changes in the post cold war era and tries to explore the roots and rationale of Look East Policy. After telling the people of the opportunities and potential of Northeasr in the context of its neighbours, he argues that the region is still to find a credible place in the wave of sub-regional cooperation and recommends for comprehensive policy strategies which will help the region in attaining its full potential.

Yogendra Singh a doctoral student at JNU looks at the possibilities and implications of India's involvement in the various infrastructure projects aimed at increasing connectivity between Northeast and Southeast Asia. Different projects have been reviewed and various factors including the security challenges which inhibit the process of connecting the two regions have been been dealt in detail. Singh says without addressing these challenges, it will be difficult to make the Northeast a gateway to Southeast Asia.

Shubhrajeet Konwer a political science teacher at Gauhati University deliberates on the disputed international borders in Northeast which have the potential to create a major conflict in the region. Konwer says that the resolution of border problem between India and China is difficult due to the twin issues of Tawang and Tibet.

All in all, the book provides insight into the real issues on the ground and the future potential which may come up as India tries improve its ties with the neighbouring countries . The book is also important in the sense as it focusses on the Northeast which is the fulcrum of Look East Policy.

The scholarly discourses are right but the question uppermost in minds of people here is-- when will it benefit the region which is lying at handshaking distance with its neighbours with whom its future lies.

ROOPAK GOSWAMI

Published on June 17; 2011