An Entangled Web: Some Aspects of India’s Relations with Myanmar

Pankaj Saran - Convenor, NatStrat

ABSTRACT

In the public eye, India’s relations with Myanmar have not attracted the level of interest that relationships with our other neighbors have received. Myanmar attracts attention only in times of crisis. Notwithstanding its relatively low profile, the relationship is multi-layered and complex, impacting almost every aspect of India’s national welfare, interest and security. In the modern era, both India and Myanmar were under colonial rule and, therefore, hostage to the domestic and foreign policy priorities of others. This chapter will highlight the key factors that have shaped and influenced India’s relations with Myanmar since its independence and how they remain relevant today. Despite challenges and limitations, India and Myanmar have made persistent efforts to understand each other and reach a strategic compact that addresses their mutual needs. This chapter examines the main issues involved to understand how and why this relationship is unique and asserts that it contains important lessons for India’s overall neighborhood policy.

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