The Indic Perspective of the Pro-democracy Agitation (2020) in Thailand
Keywords:
Thailand, Agitation, Monarchy, Indic, CivilizationAbstract
The pro-democracy agitation in Thailand, which attacked the institution of Thai monarchy, the strongest pillar of the Thai society, can be interpreted in India as an attack on the Thai branch of the common Indic civilisational roots, exemplified by the royal title Rama. There is a long history of attack on the institution of monarchy in the Southeast Asian neighbourhood of Thailand, from Laos to Indonesia, where a pattern of downfall of royalty followed by gradual weakening of the state can be observed. Thailand can be considered, within the region, as being culturally closest to India, apart from being a key player in India’s extended, and geo-strategically important neighbourhood. India can therefore be justified in feeling concerned about the said agitation, its future course, as well as its geopolitical implications, at the backdrop of a perceivable dimension of an ongoing struggle between Indic and Sinic civilisations.
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