India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present, by Shivshankar Menon

August 1, 2024 / Book Summary / 2,354 Comments

Book summary by Ms. Koena Lahiri, Policy Research Associate, PIC

India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present, by Shivshankar Menon, explores India’s evolving role in Asian geopolitics from before its independence to the present day.
Menon, who served as India’s Foreign Secretary from 2006 to 2009 and as the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India from 2010 to 2014, is a visiting professor at Ashoka University and the author of Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy (2016).
In the book India and Asian Geopolitics, he challenges the common perception that India was merely a reactive state in the years immediately following Independence, arguing instead that India has consistently played an important role in moulding the geopolitical landscape of Asia. An example of this is India’s role in the Korean war of the 1950s, where it sent an “army medical unit as part of UN forces,” and later also contributed to post-war negotiations about prisoners. He explores the concept of geopolitics, tracing its origins back to Nazi Germany and presents four factors – geography, history, economics, and demography – which intersect with geopolitics and become drivers of a state’s quest for power.
The author emphasises the significance of geography in shaping a country’s domestic and foreign policy, worldview, and historical trajectory. He explains how the Indian subcontinent’s unique geographic position facilitated its connections with other parts of the world through sea and land routes, dating back to before the Indus Valley Civilisation. According to him, India’s engagement with the world has been a natural outcome of its geographical location, natural resources, demography, and historical experiences.
Menon examines the conditions faced post-Independence by Indian leaders in traversing the rapid geopolitical changes in Asia. He argues that the partition of India in 1947, which resulted in the creation of Pakistan, significantly impacted India’s ability to maintain direct land routes to Central Asia and West Asia, thereby altering its geopolitical relationships with those regions. The period right after India’s independence also saw India’s adept handling of regional dynamics as it sought to maintain stability and foster growth.
The author then turns to the Cold War period, analysing its profound effects on both Asian and Indian geopolitics. He discusses the ideological differences and strategic similarities between the United States and the Soviet Union, the two main superpowers of the time, and examines India’s role during key events such as the Korean War and subsequent negotiations. He observes that although India initially maintained a positive relationship with the United States, its defeat in the 1962 war with China and changes in US domestic politics led to a shift in this relationship. However, he highlights India’s ability to adapt to the evolving international order, notably as rifts within the two major ideological blocs emerged. An interesting point that he makes is how the two superpowers “colluded” with each other for their shared interests to maintain the Cold War international order as it benefited both the countries. He analyses the events that led to the creation of Bangladesh and adds that apart from the internal struggles between East and West Pakistan, other factors, such as India’s involvement and the international geopolitics, also had a role to play. He provides an analysis of the global economic downturn in 2008 and its implications for India. While the immediate impact on India was limited, the global slowdown affected India’s export-driven growth and undermined the optimism that had earlier prevailed about rapid economic and social transformation, he suggests that the broader global economic environment tempered the anticipated improvements in India’s economic conditions.
In the book’s second part, titled ‘Present’, the author examines the contradictions inherent in the era of globalisation and the neo-liberal market economy. He discusses the significant economic growth experienced by China, India, and other Asian countries during this period, while also highlighting the widening economic inequalities that accompanied this growth. He scrutinises China’s rise as a global power and its political ambitions, particularly in areas that have direct implications for India.
Concluding his analysis, he reflects on the ongoing changes in the international order. He says that the old international order might have collapsed but the new order has not yet completely formed. In this context, he notes that India must focus on building its domestic resources and avoid overextending itself internationally. The author asserts that India’s future lies in cultivating a progressive and inclusive society, as envisioned by its ancient scholars and modern political leaders. This, he argues, will be vital for India to navigate the uncertainties of the evolving global landscape.