Five years after Myanmar’s military seized power and plunged the country into a prolonged civil conflict, a new reality is emerging across Asia. Whatever reservations governments may harbour about the legitimacy of Myanmar’s political order, few can afford to ignore the country any longer. The significance of Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing’s trip to India lies not merely in the diplomatic optics of a state visit.

It reflects a broader recalibration in regional geopolitics. Nations that once hoped international pressure would compel a democratic transition in Myanmar are increasingly confronting a more uncomfortable fact: geography often outlasts ideology. For India, Myanmar is not a distant foreign policy concern but an immediate strategic neighbour. The two countries share a long and porous border. Instability in Myanmar has direct consequences for India’s northeastern states, affecting migration, security, insurgency management and cross-border commerce. No government in New Delhi can formulate a serious regional strategy while treating Myanmar as a diplomatic outcast.

This is not the first time India has balanced democratic ideals with strategic necessity. During the Cold War and afterwards, successive governments engaged regimes of........

© The Statesman