The Strategy of (Re) connectivity: Revisiting India’s Multifaceted Relations with Central Asia

Editor Kashif Hasan Khan

Central Asia has re-surfaced as a crucial point of reference in the international, geostrategic power rivalry or a “new Great Game,” with Russia, China and the US vying over security and energy interests in the region. It has immensely attracted the attention of other important regional players such as Turkey and Pakistan. For India, an emerging power with regional and global ambitions, Central Asia plays tremendously important role, as its ‘extended neighbourhood’. Strategically positioned Central Asia with its rich resources, relatively advanced infrastructure, human capital and recently introduced economic reforms, is an attractive partner for India. Therefore, New Delhi, with its growing aspirations, undertakes various initiatives to reconstruct the ancient connections with Central Asian states and adjust them to the new geostrategic realities of the 21st century.

The book discusses the issues which are vital to Central Asian Republics and to India, including the threats they face, such as terrorism, fundamentalism and its consequences. It touches upon the China’s regional aspirations and objectives, including the massive BRI initiative (Belt and Road), discusses the challenges of (lack of) territorial connectivity between India and Central Asian Republics, the interests of other great powers, etc. This publication analyses various aspects of historical background, presents some literary discourses, while thoroughly referring to the contemporary strategic, socio-political and economic dynamics of the region.

Editor Kashif Hasan Khan Dr. Kashif Hasan Khan is Director of Silk Road Research Centre, Ala-Too International University, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. He has previously worked in the corporate sector as an International Business Consultant. He has worked in Turkey, Philippines, England and India. His research and teaching interests include international business, international trade theories, the economy of Central Asia and history of economic thoughts. Kashif has written a number of articles, attended and coordinated national and international conferences in India and abroad. His major work has been with Asian Development Bank (ADB), Minorities Commission of India as well as the IT sector.

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Notes on Contributors

The Significance of India’s (Re)connectivity Strategy in Central Asia: An Introduction

Agnieszka Kuszewska and Kashif Hasan Khan

1. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): Comparative Perspectives on India and Central Asia
Sadananda Sahoo

2. Prospects, threats and challenges of India’s ‘Connect Central Asia’ policy in the current international security context
Agnieszka Kuszewska

3. India’s Connectivity Push and Road to Central Asia
Poonam Mann

4. The Importance of India for Multi-Vector Foreign Policy of Kyrgyzstan
Halim Nezihoglu

5. Milieu of National Initiatives: Perspective on Cross Leveraging India and Central Asia Relations- A Case Study of Uzbekistan
Bilal Bhat

6. Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki of Osh (1173–1235) and the Indo-Kyrgyz Sufi-trajectory
Mohd. Sanaullah

7. South, East and Central Asia: A Dialogue of Cultures through Silk Route
Ranjana Banerjee

8. Historical Bonds and Common Words Between Hindi and Turkmen
Meretguly Gurbanov