Abstract

India and Myanmar (Burma till May 1989) have been close neighbours having centuries old historical, geographic, cultural, and strategic links with each other. Indian cultural and religious influence seeped into Burma much before AD 1000. Burma received Hinduism as well as Buddhism from India. Indians also migrated to Burma for trade and commerce. Relationships between India and Myanmar are founded on historical, ethnic, cultural, and religious affinities. There is also ethnic closeness between the various ethnic groups in Myanmar and inhabitants of north-cast India. The two peoples have interacted for a long time, mainly along the Assam-Myanmar border. Myanmar’s architecture and sculpture, temple inscriptions, music, dancing, and even painting, show considerable Indian influence. Pali, the sacred language of Buddhism, has been the source of many Burmese words. Burma’s early legal system also had a close affinity with that of India. This paper examines the geopolitics of the relations between India and Myanmar in light of the world power structures, economic cooperation, bilateral trade, oil and gas, infrastructure and interstate economic interactions and the implications and relevance of Act East Policy & Look East Policy and Kaladan multi modal transit transport project.