India as Emerging Regional Power

Sumit Ganguly, a brilliant expert on India and international relations, writes this piece in The New Republic online about India’s role in the post-tsunami humanitarian aid missions. Like China, India is taking a major role in the efforts to deal with the crisis; both countries, though technically “developing nations,” are contributors to international efforts. India’s case is the more remarkable, both because it was a victim of the tsunami and because it has overcome occasionally strained relations with neighbor states also hit by the wave. Ganguly highlights the degree to which Washington and New Delhi have cooperated over the cleanup and rebuilding programmes, a marked change from previous disasters. India’s growing capability to exert its influence is a long-term trend that bears remembering.