India needs a regional security strategy, both economic and military, that creates a basis for stronger regional engagement, Director of Carnegie Centre, India, C. Raja Mohan has said.
Doing more with smaller neighbours as well as building a coalition to secure India’s interests by negotiating the right terms with the U.S. is imperative to balance China, he said delivering the second Abid Hussain Memorial lecture, organised by the Centre for Policy Studies, on “India and the Geopolitics of the Bay of Bengal” here on Friday.
During the last five years, the government was working on a regional framework, he said. Stating that the Chinese monetary, economic and technical influence in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal was dramatically rising, Mr. Raja Mohan cautioned that it was going to be India's biggest challenge.
Recalling the European rivalries in the 16th century and the Japanese occupation of the Andamans in WW II, he pointed out that China was building huge infrastructure in a province on the top of the Bay of Bengal and projecting itself into the Bay of Bengal. The Bay was also a link between Indian and Pacific oceans and between Asia and South Asia, he said.
Pointing out how China was economically helping smaller countries providing much more than India, he said India must provide security to them and the Indian Navy should turn a net security provider. Tracing India's outward and inward orientations during the rise of Buddhism and the British rule, Mr. Raja Mohan said after Independence, India shut itself. Only after liberalisation two-way trade grew multi-fold from $35 billion to $800 billion today.
Trading nations build navies with indigenous capabilities, he said adding China was not only building the world's biggest Navy but putting in maritime history and abilities to great use.
For security interests beyond borders, maritime dimension was huge, he asserted. Building infrastructure like ports and shipping was a gigantic task and maritime interest and awareness had to be generated, Mr. Raja Mohan said lauding the role by CPS in such a task.
Cities like Visakhapatnam in the heart of Eastern sea board with the Eastern Naval Command and ports should make best use of maritime capacities. Andhra University should promote research that would transform maritime strategy, he said.
He paid tributes to Abid Hussain’s extraordinary spirit, keen intellect and sense of pragmatism.
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of ENC Vice-Admiral H.C.S. Bisht said India’s “Act East” policy would depend on maritime activity in the Bay of Bengal. Indian Ocean has become one of the most sensitive areas of the world and Indian Ocean region was at the crossroads of geopolitics of the world with 66 per cent of world trade passing through it and 40 per cent of the world’s population living in the Ocean region.
Andhra University Vice-Chancellor G. Nageswara Rao said India was in the forefront of space, nuclear and defence research with outstanding work by its scientists and the US seeking its expertise.
Speaking on the topic for the lecture, CPS Director A. Prasanna Kumar recalled Admiral Arun Prakash’s observation that there was a re-awakening of the Eastern Seaboard and Vizag would be at the heart of it. Indian ocean was a hub for critical trade and energy transfer and ships belonging to seven nations and carrying nuclear arms pass through it.
