The Aung San Suu Kyi-led NLD party’s decisive victory in the recent Myanmar elections holds the promise of far-reaching changes in India’s important, if relatively neglected, eastern neighbour. It also has the potential of opening up a new and positive chapter in India-Myanmar relations. Rajiv Bhatia’s book, India-Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours is timely; it offers significant insights into the transformative processes underway in Myanmar and the direction in which India-Myanmar ties may evolve. On the former, he correctly notes, “The change arose from within, from the political elite’s careful assessment that the SPDC approach had run the ship of the economy aground…” (pg 39) and consequently, the military realised that a compromise with Suu Kyi was required. On her part, Suu Kyi too retreated from an insistence on adhering to full democratic functioning.
Bhatia has excellent credentials to survey India’s long and historic relations with Myanmar. A professional diplomat with a scholarly bent of mind, he served as India’s ambassador to the country and also spent many years in dealing with Myanmar in the ministry of external affairs. More importantly, Bhatia developed an enduring interest in the country and its people. He brings all the experience he gained over his over two decade-long association with the country and its people to his writing.
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