The Indian subcontinent is said to be the continent of ethnicities. The region has considerable ethnic and cultural diversity, and South East Asia is a region in Asia that is located in the East of India, South of China, and North of Australia.
ASEAN is a grouping of eleven countries, which is an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and East Timor founded in 1967 during the Vietnam War. The 10 ASEAN countries include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (former Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. South East Asia is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific region and is a critical component of India’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently attended the annual summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations in Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR and witnessed a special performance prepared by Laotian theatre actors on Ramayana called Phra Lak Phra Ram. The spread of the Indian Culture and Ramayana is also testimony to how Indians travelled across the world — as prosperous traders, as preachers, and also as bonded laborers.
Ramayan continues to be celebrated in Laos and several other South East Asian countries, and the epic reflects the shared heritage and age-old civilisation connection between India and these countries. We are all connected through one common civilisational link and through our mutual admiration towards Bhagwan Ram. Several facets of Indian culture and tradition have been practised and preserved in several South East Asian countries for centuries. For example, The Ramakien, a version of the Ramayana, is Thailand’s national epic. The current king belongs to the Chakri dynasty, whose rulers are all named after Ram. In Cambodia, the Angkor Wat temple complex, built in the 12th century, features murals from the Ramayana, and was originally a Mandir dedicated to Vishnu.
Ramayana isn’t just popular in Asian countries; it is equally narrated and performed in Africa, the Caribbean, etc. Now, one may wonder what made them travel to a faraway land. So, the credit goes to the Girmitiya migration, which started outside India in the 19th century. After slavery was abolished, there was an urgent demand for labourers who could work on plantations earlier serviced through slave labour. Throngs of men and women were sent out from British India as indentured labourers to countries like Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, etc. The majority of these girmitiya labourers were from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. While they could not carry in materialistic terms for an entirely new life, they did carry their culture and religion along, and a large part of this culture was Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, written in Awadhi, the most popular religious text in India.
India’s relationship with South East Asia dates back to ancient times when Indian traders and scholars established cultural, religious and commercial links with the region. During the Colonial period, India and South East Asia came under European colonial rule in the 19th and early 20th centuries. India’s struggle for independence has inspired South East Asian nationalist movements, and India has also supported the anti-colonial struggles of countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Even During and After the Cold War era, India pursued a policy of non-alignment but maintained close relations with several Southeast Asian countries. India’s economic ties with South East Asia have grown significantly since the 1990s, with the adoption of economic liberalisation policies and the “Look East” policy. In contemporary times, India’s relations with South East Asia have evolved from Look East Policy to act east policy, regaining the influence that India had during historical times.
Although there have been efforts to improve connectivity through the development of road, rail, and sea routes, progress has been slow and inadequate. However, China’s growing influence in South East Asia is a major challenge for India. India has to compete with China in terms of economic and strategic influence in the region, and its trade relations with South East Asia have yet to achieve their complete potential. For Example, India still has a trade deficit with ASEAN (Imports to ASEAN amounts to $68 billion as compared to $42 billion in exports in 2021-22).
Due to China’s expansionist policy, South East Asia has been the hotspot of numerous conflicts and disputes, such as the one in the South China Sea. Therefore, Land and sea connectivity with South East Asia countries needs to be strengthened in order to ensure peace and stability.
India has attempted to provide an alternative and deepen its relationship. Also, India is closely working with these countries to illuminate our shared heritage and to reach the zenith of diplomatic and cultural ties with our extended neighbours.
