Description
This book examines Indian foreign policy and security relations in its eastern regional neighbourhood.
Indian Foreign and Security Policy in South Asia conducts an in-depth analysis into India窶冱 foreign policy towards the three main countries in India窶冱 Eastern neighbourhood 窶� Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In particular, it deals with India窶冱 role in the final years of the civil war in Sri Lanka, its approach to the peace and democratisation process in Nepal, and Indian foreign policy towards Bangladesh on a range of issues including Islamist militancy, migration, border security, and insurgency.
Set within an analytical framework centred on the notions of 窶脇mpire窶�, 窶鷲egemony窶�, and 窶詫eadership窶�, the study reveals that India pursued predominantly hegemonic strategies and was not able to generate genuine followership among its smaller neighbours. The South Asian case therefore shows the discrepancy that may exist between the possession of power capabilities and the ability to exercise actual influence: a conclusion which lifts the study from geographical specifics, and extends its relevance to other cases and cross-regional comparisons.
This text will be of much interest to students of Indian foreign policy, Asian security, foreign policy analysis, strategic studies and IR in general.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: India in its Troubled Neighbourhood 2. Empire, Hegemony, and Leadership: Assessing the Strategies of Regional Powers 3. India: The Regional Power in South Asia 4. The Civil War in Sri Lanka and India窶冱 Unsuccessful Hegemonic Strategy 5. Nepal窶冱 Peace Process and India窶冱 Partially Successful Hegemonic Strategy 6. Security Threats from Bangladesh and India窶冱 Failed Hegemonic Strategy 7. South Asia: Lessons Learned
