Salman Khurshid Launches Book on India’s Act East Policy

Salman Khurshid Launches a New Book on India’s Act East Policy 

New Delhi: India’s ‘Act East’ policy is an extension of some serious efforts made by the Congress government through its ‘Look East’ policy, said former External Affairs rs Minister, Salman Khurshid,  at a book launch function held at Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi on Dec 10, 2019. 

While summarizing the book; ‘India’s Eastward Thrust – Predicaments and Prospects’ written by Dr Syed Ali Mujtaba, the Minister was candid in saying that commerce and other interests’ has taken over the human relationship that binds India with Southeast Asia in the new ‘label’ Act East policy.  

Professor Emeritus SD Muni of Jawaharlal Nehru University talked about ancient links between India and Southeast Asia and said that the Act East policy has only speedup the process of connecting India with Southeast Asia.     

Veteran journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik, former Editor Navbharat Times who courted controversy meeting Hafiz Sayeed in Pakistan, gave a lucid account from his personal experience of his visits to many Southeast Asian countries. Speaking on India’s imprints in South East Asian countries, he talked about Angkor Wat, Hindu temple complex in Cambodia, larger than life size statues of Buddha in Thailand and about Bali Island where largest number of Hindu population live in Indonesia.

Pravin Sawhney, Editor of ‘Force’, a magazine on national security, talked about China factor in India’s eastward thrust. He said there is no competition between India and China and the only option for India is to seek cooperation with China. "With Chinese shadow looming large on ASEAN, New Delhi must manage China through cooperation,” the defense journalist said. Sawhney, earlier worked as the South Asia correspondent of Jane’s International Defence Review in New Delhi.  

All the speakers were equivocal in praising the author Dr Syed Ali Mujtaba, a senior journalist and the Head of the Department, Visual Communication, Guru Nanak College, Chennai, in bringing out such a timely book.

According to the author,there are three ‘Cs’ in India’s Eastward Thrust – Connectivity, Commerce and Culture. As far as connectivity, there are several projects underway linking India with ASEAN through land, rail, optic fiber, Air and Sea routes and all of them are ambitiously progressing. 

With regard to commerce, India and ASEAN trade partnership is inching towards a five trillion economy. On cultural side, the people to people contact is bridging the social and cultural gap between the two regions,’ he added. 'There are enough predicaments in India’s Act East policy, but there are abundant prospects as well.' said the author. 

The book India’s Eastward Thrust – Predicaments and Prospects’ primarily attempts to analyze India’s Act East policy threadbare. It also updates India’s relationship with Southeast Asian countries. The book India’s Eastward Thrust: Predicaments and Prospects is published by Mittal Publications, New Delhi. It is 2020 publication with ISBN-9788183249522. It is priced at Rs. 550. The book is available at https://www.amazon.in/dp/8183249523?ref=myi_title_dp. Any inquiry about the book can be sought at Email: info@mittalbooks.com.

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