India’s foreign policy’s approach to integrate the North East region with our neighbours does pose various challenges on account of illegal migration, drug trafficking, illegal trade, trade in narcotics and arms trafficking and insurgency related problems impacting decisively the political and security scenario of the region in particular and socio-economic and cultural fabric of the people of the region in general and thus threatening India’s security and strategic interests.
North-East India that comprises of eight states today namely; Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura is relevant both strategically as well as economically from the perspective of Indian foreign policy. The region shares territorial contiguity and cultural, ethnic, linguistic commonalities with South Asian neighbours- Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal in particular. For example, the region shares 98% of its border with Bangladesh adjoining with Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. Bhutan borders with Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Nepal is adjoined to Sikkim.
The North-East region, thus, serves as a gateway for India’s foreign policy towards South Asia in particular and East and South East Asia in general. It is in this context that the North East India becomes relevant for India’s foreign policy towards SAARC, India’s Look East Policy, Bay of Bengal Initiative and Mekong Delta Initiative. The political, security, social and economic developments in the North East have wider and decisive repercussions for India’s relations with the countries of South, East and South East Asia.
The direction, dynamics and dimensions of India’s foreign policy towards South, East and South East Asia determine the parameters of political, security, social and economic developments in the region of North East India. Thus while North East India integrates India’s foreign policy with our neighboring countries and economic associations and groupings like SAARC and ASEAN, our foreign policy, on the other hand, provides immense economic, investment and commercial opportunities for the region and the people of North East India having a great bearing on people’s economic and social conditions with a far reaching impact on politico-security scenario of the region.
Thus security of the North-East India determines the security of India as the region is so strategically located. It is in this context that the study of India`s Foreign Policy towards South Asia occupies an important place from the prospective of the North-East India.
The success of India’s foreign policy towards South Asia would depend on the nature of security scenario in the North-East as the region would play an important role as a gateway for India’s foreign policy towards South Asia.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
P.Tepekrovi Kiso was the first batch of Master of Arts in Political Science (NET) in Nagaland University (NU) 2000: M.A. Human Rights, Indian Institute of Human Rights (UGC-JRF), New Delhi (2004): P.G. Journalism & Mass Communication (NET), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) 2005. Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from NU (2008): Certificate Course on Peace and Development in Gandhian Perspective (three months course) (2012): Diploma Creative Writing in English Diploma Creative Writing in English (2011): Again, earned the degree Doctor of Philosophy from Department of Political Science awarded from Nagaland University on 3 July, 2013 on the topic India’s Foreign Policy Toward South Asia: Relevance of North East India.
At present working as Junior Research Fellow, Women’s Studies Centre, Nagaland University, Kohima since 3 September, 2007 to till date. Prior qualify UGC- JRF in Human Rights and Duties he was a recipient of prestigious for doctoral fellowship of Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for ST, University Grants Commission amongst first in Nagaland University.
He was awardees of Human Rights Millennium Award and 2001 Human Rights Promotion Award as being as student of Human Rights and strong accorded in civil rights with duties for dignity with peace loving in the world. He also availed Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) Travel Grant in 2007 & 2010 for visiting libraries in the country and Delhi in particular. He also got a grant to visit Abroad for Data Collection sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi, 2010 for his doctoral thesis writing.
The ongoing Research Project are entitled Indo-China Diplomacy on Border Issues sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi and Gender Disaggregated Data for Nagaland University.
