Irrawaddy Imperatives: Reviewing India's Myanmar Strategy

India's engagement with Myanmar has been successful for 30 years, but the coup d'état in 2021 has changed the situation. Irrawaddy Imperatives: Reviewing India's Myanmar Strategy offers a fresh perspective on India's relationship with Myanmar, arguing that a strong and developed Myanmar is in India's best interests and that Indian businesses should invest in the country, especially along the India-Myanmar border.

Format: Hardback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2022
Publisher: Pentagon Press

Within the realm of Indian academia, there exists a significant scope for enhancing our understanding of Myanmar. India's engagement with Myanmar, which commenced in 1991, has been marked by 30 successful years of bilateral cooperation. However, this trajectory underwent a dramatic shift on February 1st, 2021, when Senior General Ming Aung Hlaing staged a coup d'état, leading to widespread violence and loss of lives. In the face of such tragic circumstances, pursuing business as usual as a foreign policy option is no longer feasible.

Irrawaddy Imperatives: Reviewing India's Myanmar Strategy, despite being written prior to the coup, offers a fresh and innovative perspective on India's relationship with Myanmar. The book employs three principal approaches: the borderland studies approach, the geographic realism approach, and the third concurrent approach, which emphasizes the centrality of the Northeast and its people as the primary stakeholders in India-Myanmar relations. The objective of the book is to formulate a policy for India towards Myanmar, arguing that a strong and developed Myanmar holds immense potential for both India and the development of India's Northeast region. To achieve this, Indian businesses must actively invest in Myanmar, particularly along the India-Myanmar border.

The book highlights the importance of engaging with Myanmar's diverse ethnic groups and regional dynamics, recognizing their role in shaping the country's future. It emphasizes the need for India to prioritize stability, development, and human rights in its engagement with Myanmar, while also considering the strategic implications of its proximity to China and Southeast Asia. The book suggests that a comprehensive and multifaceted approach is required, encompassing economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and political engagement, to foster a sustainable and prosperous relationship with Myanmar.

Furthermore, the book emphasizes the importance of leveraging India's soft power and diplomatic influence to promote regional stability and cooperation. It suggests that India can play a pivotal role in mediating conflicts, fostering dialogue, and promoting peace in the region, particularly in the context of the ongoing Myanmar crisis. By engaging with Myanmar's neighbors and international stakeholders, India can contribute to a broader regional effort to address the challenges facing the country and promote a more inclusive and prosperous future.

In conclusion, Irrawaddy Imperatives: Reviewing India's Myanmar Strategy provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing discourse on India's engagement with Myanmar. By adopting a comprehensive and nuanced approach, India can foster stability, development, and human rights in Myanmar, while also promoting its own strategic interests in the region. Through active investment and diplomatic engagement, India can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Myanmar and contributing to the broader regional stability and prosperity.

Weight: 814g
Dimension: 163 x 238 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789390095346