India asean relations: an overview of India's look east policy

The most talked about relationship in Asia is the one between India and Southeast Asia. The cultural relations between India and Southeast Asia date back to the pre- historic period. Hinduism was brought to Southeast Asia in the first century AD across the sea route by Indian merchants. Expansion of Hinduism was followed by the spread of Buddhism. The Indian cultural evidence is visible even today in Southeast Asian religion, languages, architecture, foods etc. the space trade from West Asia and Persian Gulf to Indonesia and even beyond proved to be the significant mode of disseminating culture from India to Southeast Asia and this commercial link also facilitated the spread of Islam in the region.

The cultural and commercial links between India and Southeast Asia were disrupted during the colonial period. The British realising the strategic importance of India in Asia, to protect their colonial presence in East made India as the buttress of their power and influence in Asia giving preference to strategic and commercial interests at the cost of hereby cultural and civilisational links. But the relations began to develop after India achieved independence when India supported the Indonesian struggle for independence and signed the friendship treaties with Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines and consolidated its bilateral and diplomatic relations with them and the establishment of the regional organisation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in 1967 boosted the relations between the two. The relations further expanded when India launched its Look East Policy in early 1990’s.

The paper discusses firstly the background of India ASEAN relations in brief, secondly the objective of launching Look East Policy, its various phases highlighting the development of political, cultural, economic and strategic relations between India and ASEAN in a phased manner, and finally gives a brief overview of prospects of enhanced relations between the two for evolution of a dynamic India-ASEAN Partnership for ‘Asian Century’, the outcome that would be beneficial not only for India and ASEAN but to the larger Asia Pacific Region as well.