Summary
This book provides a fresh insight into the role of identity in international and national relations and policy. It analyses identity conceptions and state behaviour, arguing that identities (seen in terms of self/other relations) constitute a crucial element of state interest, both in terms of end goals and strategies. It discusses the effects of secular and religious-cultural understanding of identity on domestic and foreign affairs.
 
The book presents a discourse on national identity in India, the events from 1990-2003, and how these have influenced the engagement of India with others, especially with Pakistan and China. In this process, it reveals several surprising insights, along with the challenges that confront the country.