The desire of Myanmar’s leaders to open the country to the outside world has led to considerable euphoria in India – which sees its policy of engagement with the once-isolated nation paying off. There is also speculation that lifting economic sanctions could create a stimulus that might facilitate India’s access to other ASEAN countries and be especially beneficial to India’s underdeveloped north-eastern states.
This burst of optimism, however, must be tempered by the fact that India’s ‘Look East’ policy with Asian nations has been more wishful thinking rather than economic development. The long-awaited road and rail connections between India and countries to its east, remain a vision.
India has been handicapped by the fact that while its relations with certain countries have been more assiduously cultivated – such as Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia – there has been less attention paid to Cambodia, Laos, Brunei and the Philippines. Even Vietnam which enjoys a ‘strategic partnership’ with India has only merited attention in a desultory fashion. This is a loss given the long cultural, historical, and political ties India has with many of these countries. It is also not to be forgotten that a generation or two of Indian leaders and diplomats grew up honing their foreign policy skills in the political minefields of Indochina!