Soft Power Diplomacy in India's Act East and North East

by C Joshua Thomas

ISBN: 9789371700252
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Imprint : Regency Publications
Year : 2026
Price : Rs. 4990.00
Biblio : xi+103p., figs., tabls., ind., 25cm

Author Profile

Dr. Joshua Thomas is the former Deputy Director at the ICSSR North Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong & also Coordinator, ASEAN Studies Centre, Shillong. Presently a Distinguished Fellow in international relations at the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) Kochi, Kerala; Adjunct Professor in Political Science, University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya & Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong. He is known for his pioneering research in diverse fields of social sciences in North-East India. His areas of interest include: issues related to peace process, border trade, ASEAN and India's relations with neighbouring countries particularly with Bangladesh, China and Myanmar. He is author, co-author, editor & joint-editor of several books and some of them include: Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Sub- regional Cooperation: Geo-economics & Geo-politics, (with Gurudas Das, 2018: Routledge, New Delhi); Act East and India's North-East (with K. Sarda, 2017: Pentagon Press, New Delhi); Look East to Act East Policy - Implications for India's Northeast (with Gurudas Das, 2016: Rutledge, New Delhi).

About The Book

Soft Power has the ability to affect others to obtain the outcomes one wants through attraction rather than coercion. India's soft power assets are derived from its rich historical and cultural past. The people and the States in the North-eastern region of India has tremendous potential and historical past to showcase the soft power through its cultural diversity to their civilizational neighbours. This volume contain a collection of essays, written at different point of time, is bound by the conviction how soft power could be an effective tool in India's foreign policy particularly in its Act East Policy towards the countries in South East Asia and East Asia. This book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of politics and international relations, besides those dealing with foreign policy. It will especially benefit policy makers, development agencies and strategic think tanks.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement v Foreword by Professor Gurudas Das vii Preface ix 1. Introduction 1 2. Soft Power Diplomacy, Act East and North-East 13 3. Analysis, Assessment and Recommendation 23 4. Synergising North-East with Act East Policy 37 5. Revitalizing BIMSTEC from North-East India 45 6. Indo-Pacific Ocean: Pathways to Prosperity 53 7. Revisiting India-ASEAN Socio-Cultural Engagement: North-East India in Context 63 8. Cultural and Religious Connectivity - Tawang Monastery 71 10. Conclusion 87 Appendix 91 Bibliography 95 Index 101