Enhancing India-Myanmar Ties: The Way Ahead

Editor: Samatha Mallempati (Ed)

The edited volume is an outcome of national seminar held at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on “Enhancing India-Myanmar Ties: The Road Ahead”. The edited volume examines the various political changes that took place in Myanmar under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi since 2016. The NLD’s landslide victory in December 2015 elections brought a change to the political system that was mostly controlled by the military apparatus after Independence in 1948. The NLD took the responsibilities of the State with a promise to bring political and economic changes. In this context the volume offers insight into the contemporary India-Myanmar bilateral relations and various issues that are relevant in enhancing, bilateral and regional cooperation within the framework of India’s “Act East Policy”. The edited volume examines the historical and cultural relations, prospects for enhancing trade and connectivity and impact of insurgency at the border. The volume also focuses on the importance of enhancing India-Myanmar relations for the overall development of India’s Northeastern region. The chapters in this edited volume are written from the perspective of scholars from India, closely following India-Myanmar relations.

Editor: Samatha Mallempati (Ed) Dr. SamathaMallempati is a Research Fellow in Indian Council of World Affairs. She did her MPhil and PhD from South Asian Division, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi and Masters in Political Science from JNU. Her research interests include developments in India’s neighbourhood, foreign policy with a specific focus on Sri Lanka, Maldives and Myanmar. She has published in various journals and has been contributing to various websites on topics related to internal developments in Sri Lanka, Maldives and Myanmar.

Contents

Foreword

Contributors

Introduction

1. India and Myanmar: A ‘New’ Phase of Civilisational Partnership
NetajeeAbhinandan

2. India-Myanmar Relations: Political Changes and Policy Initiatives
K. Yhome

3. Insurgencies and Ungoverned Territories on the India-Myanmar Border: Implications of Bilateral Relations
AnshumanBeheraandAparupaBhattacharjee

4. Peace and Reconciliation in Myanmar: Outcome, Responses and Implications
SamathaMallempati

5. China’s Engagement of Myanmar
G. V. C. Naidu

6. India-Myanmar Relations with Special Reference to North East India
G. Jayachandra Reddy and M. Sasikala

7. India’s Act East Policy through the North East: Engaging Myanmar with Cross-Border Electricity Trade
GaddeOmprasad

8. North East India and North West Myanmar Borderland Connectivity: A Micro-Level Observation
NongthombamJiten

9. India’s Act East Policy: Implications for India-Myanmar Bilateral Relations
KaustavPadmapati

Index