‘India lacks strategic vision in Myanmar’

IMPHAL, April 27: India lacks a strategic vision of a future Asia-Pacific especially in the case of Myanmar that can inform its policies and actions, according to Prof Baladas Ghosal, Visiting Professor at Centre for Ploicy Research at New Delhi.


This was stated by Prof Baladas while delivering the keynote address at the National Seminar on “India-Myanmar-China Relations” organized by the Centre for Myanmar Studies, MU.

The workshop was inaugurated today at the Court Room of Manipur University by Vice Chancellor of Manipur Univefsity Prof HNK Sharma.

India’s change in the attitude particularly either perform 91 or even the support of the democracy movement was not influence by any ideological orientation because basically it a kind ofnew approach. This Approach is not a positive approach.      

Prof Ghosal sai, ‘Manipur or Imphal should have been the center to establish a Myanmar studies program not today but in the 50s, it should been the eyes and ears for India but what we see instead is an intelligence approach, even our common policy today are influence by Intelligence agencies rather than academic interaction.  

India's policy was fashioned more as a response to China's growing strategic depth in Myanmar. The geopolitical reality of Myanmar as the only land-bridge to South East Asia and its strategic influence, said Prof Baladas Ghoshal.  

Instead of defining its role in an emerging economic and security architecture, India is almost depending on others to accord it a role. Our foreign policy and security establishments speak more about what the US, Britain or France says about India's rising power and potential. A major power communicates status by articulating its own vision and role in the world.

It shapes the strategic environment in a way that moves others to adjust themselves to its proclaimed world view.

But our policymakers are more prone to adhoc policy decisions. India's South East Asia policy has been reactive, particularly to what China is doing, not proactive in terms of trying to influence regional developments in its favour.

Manipur or Imphal should have been the center to establish a Myanmar studies program not today but in the 50s, it should been the eyes and ears for India but what we see instead is an intelligence approach, even our common policy today are influence by Intelligence agencies rather than academic interaction.  

India's policy was fashioned more as a response to China's growing strategic depth in Myanmar. The geopolitical reality of Myanmar as the only land-bridge to South East Asia and its strategic influence, said Prof Baladas Ghoshal
After the inaugural function, Manipur’s Chief Electoral Officer and International observer to Myanmar PC Lawmkunga gave a special talk on ‘Myanmar Elections: A firsthand account.’

He said, “There was no sign of either police or army in and around the polling stations. Yet there were no disturbances. Myanmar government did not assign the places for us to visit. We selected the places we wanted to visit. Although the observers were not allowed inside the polling stations, they were able to observe the proceedings very clearly as polling were conducted in the open with a shamiana on top. No inedible ink was used to mark voters.

The ballot boxes used in the voting were of the plastic shopping basket type which was covered with a pigeon-hole for casting of the ballot paper”, said Chief Electoral Officer Manipur PC Lawmkunga speaking on a special talk session on the topic Myanmar Election 2012.

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