Indian Foreign Affairs Journal
Published in Association with Association of Indian Diplomats
Current Volume: 19 (2024 )
ISSN: 0973-3248
e-ISSN: 2229-5372
Periodicity: Quarterly
Month(s) of Publication: March, June, September & December
Subject: Political Science & International Affairs
DOI: 10.32381/IFAJ
India and Western Indian Ocean Regionalism
By : Samir Bhattacharya
Page No: 1-14
Abstract
With the world system moving from a bipolar to a multipolar structure, and the world agenda shifting from narrow high-politics to lowpolitics, there is a need to critically examine the impact of emerging countries on regionalism and the regional systems of the Global South. Uplifted by its economic growth, India is exerting to play a more active role beyond its immediate neighbourhood by developing critical partnerships with regional and extra-regional players. As a result of India’s expanding ties with the Vanilla Island countries, India has recently been accepted as an observer in the Indian Ocean Commission. While France has traditionally dominated this region due to its shared history, China has also been increasingly asserting its position here. Against the backdrop of Chinese presence continuing to shore up as well as the mounting tension between the USA and Iran over the Mozambique Channel, the competition between these powers could spill over into the region and impact the peace, stability, and ongoing constructive cooperation efforts. This essay takes India as a case study, and attempts to determine the impact of India’s assertive policies in the region. By examining the theoretical constructs of regionalism, the paper examines the impact of India’s increasing assertiveness in the region, and its impact on WIO regionalism at a theoretical as well as empirical level.
Author :
Samir Bhattacharya
He is specializes in geopolitics with particular reference to Africa in a changing global order. He is a Doctoral scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Senior Research Associate at Vivekananda International Foundation.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2022.17.1-2.1