Look/ Act East Policy and North East India: Issues, Concerns and Opportunities

Abstract

The post-Cold War strategic reorientation of India’s foreign policy towards the countries to its east has created opportunities for the North East Region (NER). The first-ever articulation of this shift in the form of Look East Policy (LEP), launched in the early 1990s, however, did not have any specific reference of or role for the region. The integration of NER in LEP was an afterthought that added a domestic dimension to this policy in its second phase, often referred to as Look East through Northeast. Although geographic proximity, historic relationships and ethno-cultural affinity are purported to be the underlying principles for embarking on such a regional integration, faster economic growth and reduction of regional disparities are the principal goals. More recently, LEP has been rechristened as the Act East Policy (AEP), focusing on certain key resources and initiatives like trans-boundary water sharing, cultural and trade exchanges and better infrastructure development for connectivity in the region. The Look/ Act East Policy includes aspects of internal as well as external significance for the development of North East India. On the internal front, infrastructure development, socio-political stability, ecological balance, and improvement in institutional quality are likely to satisfy the basic preconditions for economic growth and overall development. In addition, forging closer and deeper economic integration with the eastern neighbours, particularly with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, is expected to dismantle barriers and speed up the process of growth and development.