Bridging Cultures

Lt General Shokin Chauhan commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1979 and served nearly four decades in the Indian Army. He commanded 1 Corps, 8 Mountain Division and 70 Infantry Brigade, and also served as Director General of Assam Rifles and as Chairman of the Cease Fire Monitoring Group for Nagaland and Northeast India. His PhD, from Panjab University, is on India–Nepal strategic relations.

Bridging Cultures turns that experience to a question of foreign policy: what part can Northeast India play in furthering India’s Act East Policy? The cover, which pairs the flags of India and Myanmar above a footbridge across a river, points to the book’s theme of connection across borders and cultures.

The book was released at the United Service Institution of India, New Delhi, on 30 September 2026 by General Anil Chauhan, former Chief of Defence Staff. It is written by an officer with long operational experience in counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and border management in the region, and will interest readers of strategy, regional diplomacy and Northeast India.