The world today stands at a juncture that is a defining period for foreign policy. A large part of India’s foreign policy has been developed around preserving territorial integrity, and with the current border crisis unfolding, this has taken centre-stage. While we hope the situation is contained, it likely to reshape Indian geopolitics and economic development.
Amidst this fast-changing geopolitical landscape, it is incumbent on citizens to understand the position of their country, strengths and weaknesses. Keeping this in mind, we have put together a remarkable list that delves into our history and contemplates our future. Browse these 7 books that will walk you through the evolution of India’s international relations and help you contextualize its place in the world:
The India Way by S. Jaishankar
In The India Way, S. Jaishankar, the country’s Minister of External Affairs, analyses the challenges of putting India on the path to becoming a leading power and spells out possible policy responses. He places this thinking in the context of history and tradition, appropriate for a civilizational power that seeks to reclaim its place on the world stage.
Get your copy here!
The McMahon Line by J J Singh
General J.J. Singh examines the evolution of the boundary and the nuances of British India’s Tibet policy from the eighteenth century through to India’s Independence. The McMahon Line analyses the repercussions for contemporary times and puts forth recommendations for the way ahead.
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India’s China Challenge by Ananth Krishnan
India’s China Challenge tells the story of a complex political relationship, and how China – and its leading opinion-makers – view India. It looks at the economic dimensions and cultural connect, and the internal political and social transformations in China that continue to shape both the country’s future and its relations with India.
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The Ultimate Goal by Vikram Sood
In The Ultimate Goal, Vikram Sood, former chief of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), explains ‘the narrative’ and how a country’s ability to construct, sustain and control narratives, at home and abroad, enhances its strength and position.
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Making India Great by Aparna Pande
In Making India Great, Aparna Pande examines the challenges we face in the areas of social, economic, military and foreign policy and strategy, and points to the dichotomy that lies at the heart of the nation – our belief in becoming a global power and the reluctance to implement policies and take actions that would help us achieve that goal.
Get your copy here!
Full Spectrum by Arjun Subramaniam
Full Spectrum: India’s Wars, 1972-2020 is a sweeping account of war and conflict in contemporary India over the past five decades. Covering every major operation that the armed forces have participated in, it fuses the strategic, operational, tactical and human dimensions of war and conflict into a racy narrative that reflects their changing character in modern times.
Get your copy here!
Perilous Interventions by Hardeep Puri
Perilous Interventions shows how some recent instances of the use of force – not just in Libya but also in Syria, Yemen and Crimea, as well as India’s misadventure in Sri Lanka in the 1980s – have gone disastrously wrong.
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From Chanakya to Modi by Aparna Pande
Aparna Pande’s From Chanakya to Modi explores the deeper civilizational roots of Indian foreign policy in a manner reminiscent of Walter Russel Mead’s seminal Special Providence (2001). It identifies the neural roots of India’s engagement with the world outside.
Get your copy here!
Featured in our October edition newsletter.
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