Re-examining the Implication of Act East Policy in Northeast India: Narratives and Challenges
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56405/dngcrj.2023.08.01.09Keywords:
Act East Policy, Northeast India, Southeast Asia, Trade and Development, Indo-PacificAbstract
This article provides a brief analysis of the Act East Policy in relation to its implementation in northeast India. It does so by exploring the key narratives of the policy, including economic integration, strategic partnerships, connectivity, infrastructure development, cultural exchanges, and engagement in regional multilateralism. It also highlights some of the challenges surrounding the policy, such as limited economic benefits, infrastructure challenges, concerns about China's influence, a perceived lack of a people-centric approach, and environmental issues.
Downloads
References
Anand, S. (2022). Govt-accelerated Development Initiatives in North East transform ‘Look East policy’ into ‘Act East Poliy https://www.livemint.com/news/india/govtaccelerated-development-initiatives-in-north-east-transform-look-east-policy-into-act-east-policy-rajnath-11669042368461.html. Accessed on 10 June 2023.
Bajpaee, C. (2017). Dephasing India's Look East/Act East Policy. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 39 (2), 348-372.
Baru, S. (2021). What’s Going Wrong with India’s Act East Policy? https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-singapore-relationship-southeast-asia-policy-7330227/ Accessed 19 October 2023.
Barua, T. (2020). The Look East Policy/Act East Policy-driven Development Model in Northeast India. Jadavpur Journal of International Relations, 24 (1), 101-120.
Baruah, S. (2003). Citizens and Denizens: Ethnicity, Homelands, and the Crisis of Displacement in Northeast India. Journal of Refugee Studies, 16 (1), 44-66.
Baruah, S. (2005). Durable Disorder: Understanding the Politics of Northeast India. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, India.
Basedau, M. (2011). Managing Ethnic Conflict: The Menu of Institutional Engineering, GIGA Working Papers, 171, online: .
Bhattacharya, R. (2022). In Myanmar, the fate of Major Indian Projects hangs in Balance https://www.firstpost.com/india/in-myanmar-the-fate-of-major-indian-projects-hangs-in-balance-10305501.html Accessed on 23 June 2023.
Bhusan, R. (2021). Myanmar coup: What does it mean for New Delhi, the Neighbourhood and other Questions Answered https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/cars/myanmar-coup-what-does-it-mean-for-new-delhi-the-neighbourhood-and-other-questions-answered-6464221.html Accessed on 23 June 2023.
Chakrabarti, A. (2022). No Public Consultation’, razed Forests: Manipur Landslide raises Questions on Rail Project. https://theprint.in/india/no-public-consultation-razed-forests-manipur-landslide-raises-questions-on-rail-project/1024521/ Accessed on 18 June 2023.
Chakravarty, P.R. (2018). India's Changing Global Priorities and the Role of the Act East Policy. Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, 13 (1), 51-61.
Das, S.K. (2010). India's Look East Policy: Imagining a New Geography of India's Northeast. India Quarterly, 66 (4), 343-358.
Das, K. (2022). Manipur Landslide Sparks Ecological Debate. https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/landslides-in-manipur-at-a-railway-line-construction-site-that-buried-over-60-people-alive-was-likely-triggered-by-excessive-rainfall-deforestation-and-unstabilised-hill-slopes/ Accessed on 18 October 2023.
De, P. (2020). India’s Act East policy is Slowly Becoming Act Indo-Pacific Policy under Modi Government. https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/india-act-east-policy-is-becoming-act-indo-pacific/389502/ Accessed on 17 June 2023.
Ganapathi, M. (2015). Look East - Act East' Dimension of India's Foreign Policy. Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, 109 (1), 63-73.
Hangsing, S., Suanmuanlian, T. (2022). Has Military Rule In Myanmar Affected India's 'Act East' Policy? https://thewire.in/south-asia/has-military-rule-in-myanmar-affected-indias-act-east-policy. Accessed on 17 June 2023.
Jacob, J., Kumar, U. (2018). Act East Policy talks: Sushma Swaraj calls Meeting of all Northeast CMs. Hindustan Times, https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/act-east-policy-talks-sushma-swaraj-calls-meeting-of-all-northeast-cms/story-4nOxMXxnPVWFJ12fDeRqKP.html Accessed on 3 June 2023.
Jaishankar, D. (2019). Acting East: India in the Indo-Pacific https://www.brookings.edu/research/acting-east-india-in-the-indo-pacific/ Accessed on 13 June 2023.
Kolås, Å. (2012). What’s up with the Territorial Council? The Seminar, New Delhi: A Monthly Symposium, no. 640 (December 2012), pp. 2–7.
Kolås, Å. (2017). Northeast Indian Enigmas. Alternatives, 42(3), 99-106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0304375418761072
Law, A. (2023, July 16). India eyes 5,000 km Eastern Regional Waterways Grid Connecting Bangladesh, Myanmar: Sarbananda Sonowal. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/india-eyes-5000-km-eastern-regional-waterways-grid-connecting-bangladesh-myanmar-sarbananda-sonowal/article67086464.ece Accessed on 18 October 2023.
Lok Sabha, Unstarred Question No-1456 India’s Act East Policy July 28, 2023, Answered on- 28/07/2023, The Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs: V.Muraleedharan https://www.mea.gov.in/lok-sabha.htm?dtl/36927/QUESTION+NO1456+INDIAS+ACTEAST+POLICY#:~:text=The%20objective%20of%20Act%20East,in%20its%20broadest%20sense%2C%20including Accessed on 18 October 2023.
MEA (Ministry of External Affairs, 2021-22). The Annual Report of the Ministry of External Affairs 2021-2022, Policy Planning and Research Division.
Minhas, A. (2023). Value of Indian trade with ASEAN countries FY 2022 https://www.statista.com/statistics/650795/trade-value-asean-countries-with-india/#:~:text=The%20value%20of%20trade%20between,higher%20value%20than%20its%20exports. Accessed on 23 June 2023.
Nair, S. (2021). Myanmar coup and India’s Act East Policy. https://www.claws.in/myanmar-coup-and-indias-act-east-policy/ Accessed on June 2023.
Outlook. (2022). Development In Northeast: String Of Road And Connectivity Projects Under NDA Govt. https://www.outlookindia.com/national/string-of-road-and-connectivity-projects-in-the-north-east-as-india-looks-east-news-222707 Accessed on 20 June 2023.
Outlook. (2023). Work On Two-Lane Road Till Myanmar Border In Nagaland Will Start Soon: Union Minster Murugan https://www.outlookindia.com/national/work-on-two-lane-road-till-myanmar-border-in-nagaland-will-start-soon-union-minster-murugan-news-280633 Accessed June 20 2023.
Palit, A. (2016). India’s act east policy and implications for southeast Asia. In D. Singh, M. Cook (Ed.), Southeast Asian Affairs 2016 (pp. 81-92). Singapore: ISEAS Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1355/9789814695671-009
PIB (Press Information Bureau). (2015). Act East Policy, Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs. https://pib.gov.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=133837 Accessed on 18 October 2023.
PIB (Press Information Bureau). (2022). Projects Under the ‘Act East Policy, https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1810971 Accessed on 18 October 2023.
Roy, N. (2022). Is India Retreating from its Act East to Act Indo-Pacific Policy? Indian Journal of Asian Affairs, 35 (1), 43-57.
Sahni, A. (2019). A Peaceful Northeast Is Imperative For India’s Act East Policy, World Affairs. The Journal of International Issues, 23 (3), 118-135.
Saran, S. (2020). Act East Policy at Stake. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/act-east-policy-at-stake-171881 Accessed on 11 June 2023.
Sarma, H., Ramen, S. (2021). Act-East Policy and Future of Northeast India https://www.sentinelassam.com/editorial/act-east-policy-and-future-of-northeast-india-521374 Accessed on 15 June 2023.
Singh, G.P. (2023). Integrating India’s North Eastern Region in the Backdrop of Act East Policy https://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/integrating-indias-north-eastern-region-gpsingh-010523 Accessed on 18 October 2023.
Sinha, A. (2007). Aiyar: Liberate N-E States from Geopolitical Trap
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/aiyar-liberate-n-e-states-from-geopolitical-trap/articleshow/2399753.cms Accessed on 16 June 2023
Strachan, A.L., Kang, K.L., Sinha, T. (2009). Southeast Asia Research Programme, IPCS Special Report India’s Look East Policy: A Critical Assessment, Interview with Amb. Rajiv Sikri.
The Hindu. (2023). Amit Shah Urges People to visit India's 'First Village' Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/amit-shah-urges-people-to-visit-indias-first-village-kibithoo-in-arunachal-pradesh/article66732553.ece Accessed on 20 June 2023
Wang, C. (2023). China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Investment Report 2022 https://greenfdc.org/china-belt and-road-initiative-bri-investment-report-2022/ Access on 18 October 2023
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Dera Natung Government College Research Journal retains the copyright of the article and its contents. The authors are expected to obtain permission from the journal if they choose to reuse the article under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Upon having received the journal’s permission, this open license would allow the authors for reuse or adaptation as long as their original article is properly and adequately cited.
