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David Malone, Does The Elephant Dance? Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2011), Pages: xxii + 425, Price: Rs. 695.
This book is a perceptive analysis of India's shiftfrom being inward looking to now on the outward-oriented player, covering in its canvas history, geography, economics and strategy. It is rich in details and offers a comprehensive analysis of the ideas, motives and imperatives that determine India's external policy. The author, who has previously served as Canada's High Commissioner to India, writes about India's history and geography and how these impinge on its external outlook. He expresses optimism about India's buoyant economy, softpower diplomacy and the country's desire to play a greater role in the realm of international affairs, at the same time pointing out India's pressing domestic problems that may delay, if not derail its inevitable rise to global stature.
The author particularly focuses on three issues: Sino-Indian relations, India's relations...