India-Indonesia Relations – A Civilizational Partnership; Ed. Vinod Anand; Pentagon Press 2024, New Delhi, ISBN 978-881-980002-7-9

As India and Indonesia have embarked into commemorating and celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the joint publication of edited volume titled India-Indonesia Relations – A Civilizational Partnership by the Vivekananda International Foundation (India) and Habibie Centre (Indonesia) is not only timely and informative but also immensely valuable collection of analysis under one platform, which entail the unique relations that the two countries have been nurturing for the last two millennia. India and Indonesia have been natural partners since ancient times and the edited volume is a perfect reflection of the comprehensive, resilient, and robust relationships between the two countries. The book portrays panoramic blend of the ancient glory, modern era dynamics inclusive of colonial exploitation, and future prospects that in totality is destined to have profound ramifications in shaping the contours of geopolitics and geo-economics in the Indo-Pacific and greater Indian Ocean Region (IOR). While the publication is a repository of insightful and comprehensive articles, contributed by accomplished scholars, which showcase the strength, maturity and versatility of entire gamut of the relationships between two of the world’s largest democracies it also brings into limelight the millennia-old deep-rooted historical, civilizational, and cultural bonding between the peoples of the two countries.

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty in his powerful article lays emphasis on the need to rekindle the spirit of Bandung 1955 in its revamped 2.0 version by leveraging mutual strengths and interests to address common strategic challenges in the emerging world order. Ambassador Chakravorty delineates the huge potential of the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Indonesia in ensuring regional stability and shared prosperity in the highly volatile Indo-Pacific region. The mention of the Australia-India-Indonesia trilateral arrangement in contextualizing maritime security in the Indo-Pacific by joint naval exercises is critical in converging the strengths of the respective countries. Ambassador Chakravorty’s article also highlights the momentous efforts of the seamless diplomatic coordination between the two countries in reaching consensus in articulating the G-20 ‘Delhi Declaration’ (2023) and the G-20 ‘Bali Declaration’ (2022), which together exemplify the determination of India and Indonesia to address complex global challenges in an inclusive and forward-looking manner.

Ambassador Gurjit Singh in his article drives the readers through various ups and downs in bilateral relations between India and Indonesia while making painstaking efforts in finding interface along the deep historical linkages and shared heritage especially in the context of the popularity of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata in Indonesia and their subsequent adaption in their own cultures. Ambassador Singh also writes about post-independence diplomatic endeavors and cultural bonhomie in conjunction with the New Order geopolitical contingencies. Ambassador Singh’s thought-provoking analysis of the mix of challenges and opportunities on diplomatic and economic dimensions that India and Indonesia have had during most part of New Order era (1966-98), supplemented by the return of democracy in Indonesia, thereby culminating into forward-looking strategic approaches in the Modi-Jokowi period is truly insightful for policy-makers, diplomats, and academics. Concurrently, the recommendations from Ambassador Singh in ushering in an era of revamped relations especially in the context of his thrust for greater people-to-people connect are special highlights of his deliberations.

Mr. Rene L Pattiradjawane’s piece delineates the deepened relationship shared by India and Indonesia in multifaceted dimensions knitted with tenets of history, culture, religion, and commerce. Rene’s reference about millennia old maritime trade and connectivity in conjunction with unique people-to-people bonding based on mutual respect and understanding are cornerstones in bolstering emerging trade and economic relations along with future convergences on strategic issues. Rene explores the strategic significance of cultural and religious influence between the two countries culminating in the construction of the Borobudur and Prambanan temples that are monumental testaments of strong historical linkages. All these have formidable bearings in developing strategic partnerships between India and Indonesia in the emerging world order especially in geopolitical, strategic and economic ambit. Lastly, Rene’s article highlights India’s impressive rise as a global economic powerhouse that is inspirational for Indonesia and drives shared aspirations, connectivity, and geopolitical collaboration, which in turn has all capability to surpass the implications of “Chinese dream” and the “Washington Consensus”.

Pulind Samant’s piece depicts the millennium old cordial relations as he reiterates that Indonesia not a distant neighbour but a sibling of India as part of Indic family member. This brings in an emotional flavour of the two countries’ historical bonding followed by contemporary era heightened collaboration especially in the context of India’s “extended neighbourhood policy” wherein Indonesia constitutes special significance. Pulind narrates the powerful implications of democratic values and pluralism, thereby acting as catalytic force in scaling newer strategic heights in bilateral and multilateral cooperation especially in the context of changing dynamics in the emerging world order.

Saudiptendu Ray’s article takes the reader for a classic ride to millennia old deep-rooted historical and cultural connections allowing for migration of languages, scriptures, ideas, stories, religion, tradition, and architecture from the Indian sub-continent to the Indonesian archipelago. The multifaceted dimensions of ancient relations also encompassed navigation and ship building construction, which all contributed to the establishment of robust maritime trade linkages between the two nations. Such interconnections helped Indic religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism penetrate into socio-cultural fabric, traditional values, and belief systems in Indonesia and the Java peninsula. The architectural splendour covering religious beliefs ingrained in the ancient Hindu scriptures, sculptures and epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata in the Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple Reliefs, and Dieng Plateau demonstrates the depth and versatility of the cultural amalgamation between the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia, Java, and Sumatra. Such enormous ancient linkages are of monumental significance in shaping the trajectory of contemporary cooperation between the two countries.

Akhmad Jayad’s analysis on dynamic and robust trade relations between India and Indonesia in contemporary perspective reiterates consistency and maturity of India-Indonesia bilateral relations especially in the context of extensiveness and diversity of the basket of tradable.

Sanjay Chadha’s high-end research on economic potentials between two of the world’s largest markets covering a plethora of goods and services in conjunction with infrastructural collaboration delineates the milestones achieved so far. Sanjay’s analysis also provides suggestions to explore future potentials in multifaceted critical dimensions of mutual concerns such as energy cooperation, connectivity, innovation and technology, start-up ecosystem, EV infrastructure among others. His deliberations are likely to attract attention of policymakers, diplomats, and academicians to explore such recommended areas for fostering deepened collaboration between the two countries.

Marina Ika Sari makes a robust analysis of the scope and extensiveness of maritime cooperation between India and Indonesia. Marina’s assertion of the strategic geographical location of both India and Indonesia in the Indo-Pacific and the greater Indian Ocean Region (IOR) connecting the Pacific waters, encompassing some of the world’s major shipping lanes and strategic maritime chokepoints is critical for the two countries to take lead role in ensuring maritime security in the region. Marina’s emphasis on deepening defence diplomacy between India and Indonesia at strategic and operational levels is of paramount importance in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and consolidation of rules-based international system.

Rahul Mishra’s emphasis on making strategic interface between ASEAN and Indian Ocean Rim Association adds value to the discourse of expanding India-Indonesia maritime cooperation in upholding shared commitment of the principle of freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean region.
Mabda Haerunnisa Fajrilla Sidiq’s analysis on exploring and deepening convergences in India-Indonesia cybersecurity capacity building is of profound significance in ensuring maritime security and stable cybersecurity environment in the region. Mutual efforts on developing robust and resilient cybersecurity infrastructure and ecosystem are vital in augmenting risk mitigation and addressing potential cyber threats in a time-bound and effective manner. The recommendations enumerated in the article towards bolstering cybersecurity infrastructure will be of great importance for the policymakers of the two countries.

Cchavi Vasisht’s analysis on revamping India-Indonesia engagement within the broader ASEAN architecture provides big boost to India’s acknowledgement of extended neighbourhood and ASEAN centrality. Such a move will further give impetus to India-ASEAN relations that is vital for ensuring peace, stability, maritime security, and shared progress in the Indo-Pacific.

Vinod Anand and Faisal Ahmed’s article narrates the changing dynamics in Indo-Pacific geopolitics and emerging challenges of mutual concerns for India and Indonesia. The authors’ call for heightened strategic engagement between India and Indonesia, amidst Chinese aggressive posturing, is not only pertinent but also imperative in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Overall, the edited volume is a valuable piece of meticulous research, observations and policy recommendations that traverses through the terrain of India-Indonesia Relations in historical, contemporary, and potential futuristic perspectives. The edited volume makes an incredible effort in collating and converging complex analysis on almost every facet of India-Indonesia Relations that have evolved over a span of two millennia. Having said that, there are some windows for further improvement in order to make the publication even more contextual and policy relevant. One aspect in the book which could have been emphasised more upon is the paramount importance of India-led “Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative” which is widely acclaimed as New Delhi’s strategic instrument in cooperative multilateral partnership between like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific keeping in perspective ASEAN centrality. Here, Jakarta can play bigger strategic role in coordination with New Delhi in promoting regional geopolitical equilibrium and stability alongside addressing effectively emerging complex challenges while revitalising diplomatic efforts to enable infrastructure, connectivity, trade, and capacity enhancement, which in turn are destined to propel inclusivity, sustainability, and shared economic progress. Another area which could have been expanded in the book is more detailed exploration of immense untapped potential related to blue economy and common maritime heritage between India and Indonesia in making the region economically and culturally integrated. Last but not the least the book promotes a larger and more comprehensive dialogue on the huge potential of people-to-people contact in contemporary context as prominent enabling factor towards ushering in newer heights in the strategic partnership. This will be in perfect sync to connecting the dots with ancient historical, civilizational, and cultural linkages to current dimensions in conjunction mutual support extended by the two countries during era of colonial hardships.

Finally, it can be reiterated that the edited volume with title India-Indonesia Relations – A Civilizational Partnership and published under the stewardship of the Vivekananda International Foundation can truly be considered as a timely and pertinent masterpiece in fostering intellectual enrichment and policy orientation in the ambit of India-Indonesia Relations commemorating the 75th anniversary of very special partnership between the two countries. The book’s significance is further enhanced by the incorporation of thought-provoking Forward contributed by Dr. Arvind Gupta (Director, Vivekananda International Foundation) who specifically mentions the impact of Biju Patnaik’s heroic efforts in 1948 bolstering the ties between India and Indonesia. The respective Messages from Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty (Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Republic of Indonesia) and Ambassador Ina H. Krisnamurthi (Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of India) are significant contributions resonating profoundness of the two countries’ cordial ties. Lastly, the book gives out a well-balanced perspective and will be a useful addition to the libraries and is a must read for both scholars and students as well as other professionals.