Look East To Act East Policy and Its Impact on Immigration in Assam

Abstract

The Look East Policy was enacted by India to increase her close association with the Southeast Asian Nations for better economic development and co-operation in solving certain common cross-border issues like- insurgency, drug trafficking, etc. The same Policy was however changed by the present Modi Government into Act East Policy in 2014 for further extension of the targets of the previous Look East Policy. However, one aspect that was common in both these two policies was the development of the North-Eastern Region including the State of Assam which has a very high potential for Natural Resources. But the State of Assam has always been facing the issue of illegal immigration creating fear in the minds of the local Assamese Community about losing their identities. Such issues have also made the situation in the region highly unstable. Therefore, a question arises that if such Act East Policy opens up the borders of the State, then will it be able to maintain the security of the identities of the local inhabitants of this region especially when the region has always been neglected by mainstream India and the Politics have also remained mostly ignorant about the issues of the local people. Thus, this paper will make a brief attempt to highlight the consequences of the Look East Policy in Assam to estimate the probable consequences of the new Act East Policy especially concerning the issue of illegal immigration into Assam.