India in South Asia: Domestic Identity Politics and Foreign Policy from Nehru to the BJP [Paperback]

South Asia is one of the most volatile regions of the world, and Indias complex democratic political system impinges on its relations with its South Asian neighbours. Focusing on this relationship, this book explores the extent to which domestic politics affect a countrys foreign policy.

The book argues that particular continuities and disjunctures in Indian foreign policy are linked to the way in which Indian elites articulated Indian identity in response to the needs of domestic politics. The manner in which these state elites conceive Indias region and regional role depends on their need to stay in tune with domestic identity politics. Such exigencies have important implications for Indian foreign policy in South Asia.

Analysing Indias foreign policy through the lens of competing domestic visions at three different historical eras in Indias independent history, the book provides a framework for studying Indias developing nationhood on the basis of these idea(s) of India. This approach allows for a deeper and a more nuanced interpretation of the motives for Indias foreign policy choices than the traditional realist or neo-liberal framework, and provides a useful contribution to South Asian Studies, Politics and International Studies.

Introduction 1. Nehru and the Invention of India 2. Nehru and the Birth of Indias Regional Policy: the case of Pakistan and Nepal 3. The Empress of India: Indira Gandhi and the Idea of India 4. A New Phase in Indian Foreign Policy: The Case of Pakistan and Sri Lanka 5. The BJP Era and the Construction of Indian Identity 6. A Hindu Foreign Policy: Dealing with Pakistan and Bangladesh 7. Conclusion

South Asia is one of the most volatile regions of the world, and Indias complex democratic political system impinges on its relations with its South Asian neighbours. Focusing on this relationship, this book explores the extent to which domestic politics affect a cl³9