Transitions In Strategy

India’s North East is regarded as the natural pivot for India’s engagement with South East Asia and East Asia through the continental route. The books reviewed here are excellent attempts at bringing out the historical, political, social and cultural underpinnings and impacts of India’s ‘Look East Policy’ and its transition to the ‘Act East Policy’. They are important contributions to the understanding of India’s foreign policy strategy towards its immediate neighbours when this transition is actually happening. This brings to the fore the dynamics of how the foreign policy of India is being used to bring about an economic development strategy in the frontier States of India’s North East. The security dilemma of New Delhi collides and competes with such economic plans. Haokip’s book brings an intensive insight to the dynamics of New Delhi’s ‘Look East’ deployment in North East India, outlining political and economic potential and impacts within the region.