Partnership with NATO : BIG NO NO For India
By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Veteran, Special Forces
It has been reported that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) later this year is likely to debate the recommendations from a group of experts that advocates, among other things, extending a formal offer of a “ partnership” to India.
Such an idea has been discussed before by the Americans and the Europeans to lure India into their fold but is a hopeless opportunistic idea in view of Chinese rhetoric’s.
As India is totally averse and rightly so, to entanglement in rival geopolitical blocs. We have our own Indian Ocean Region and the Indo Pacific. Historically, India had ensured peace and prosperity in this entire region in the days of old and now is slowly but surely rising up again to do so.
Yes, strengthening ties with NATO could pay dividends to both the sides in keeping the world a peaceful place,provided it is based on equality and NATO is ready to work under the UN Charter and a UN approved mandate.
India will also maintain an equal partnership with Russia and its Allies. India already has as many friends as possible in the right places, so a few more will do no harm.
China’s meteoric rise has dramatically rattled the Americans and the Europeans. It has also raised concern in its traditional rivals, the South Koreans, Japan and some ASEAN members. India surely needs closer security cooperation with politically reliable, like-minded states.
Therefore it has gone ahead to build solid ties with Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan and South Korea. Australia is also inching ahead in this direction, still fearful of China.
As India’s aggressive actions on the LAC in the Galwan Valley and rest of Ladhak and the Indo Tibetan Border has demonstrated, that is increasingly willing to stand up to China.
Earlier the Doklam crisis was the turning point followed by the Maldives Presidential crisis. Seeing the Indian resolve, PLA had backed down in Dokalam and the PLAN flotilla turned back from Sunda strait itself instead of coming near Male.
So the hide-and-bide strategy of China went for a six when in over confidence PLA attacked the Indian Army causing 20 fatal casualties and in the bargain losing 40 dead and over 45 as wounded. Its direct challenge fizzled out miserably and soon it was tactically out maneuvered too along the rest of LAC in Ladhak.
China may be spending more on its military than all of its immediate neighbours combined, and nearly three times as much as India. However China cannot deploy everything in its Western Theatre itself and along the Indo Tibetan Border. Further Indian Army has demonstrated that it is much more experienced and battle hardened especially in High Altitude Warfare.
A motivated all volunteer Indian Army has a big edge over the forcibly conscripted PLAN. Also unlike 1962 the Chinese have to take into account that their forces have to do the fighting in a full fledged war through occupied Tibet and Occupied Ladhak.
There is a huge Special Force manned by the Tibetans and itching to take on the PLAN inside Tibet itself. They displayed some of their prowess during the Pangaong Tso stand off and the Indian media openly acknowledged their valour.
In these circumstances, India is not worrying unduly but becoming more and more ATMANIRBHAR, especially in matters military. Its longstanding practice of maintaining equal distance / cooperation with all should carry on.
India need not get paranoid with the so called juggernaut of Chinese power. To this end, India has already begun rapidly upgrading its border infrastructure along the Himalayas and even raised offensive Formations to take the battle deep into Tibet.
It has also begun reorganizing and strengthening its capabilities within the Indian Ocean Region to choke the Chinese jugular vein (the sea trade lanes) when required.
India has also begun to deepen bilateral defence ties with Russia, Japan and the United States of America. Defence exports of BRAHMOS Missiles and other weapons by India will also commence soon to regional players threatened by China.
We had earlier signaled to China that we are not awed by it by refusing to participate in its OBOR initiative when Europe and even USA was going ga ga over it. We outright rejected the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) for trespassing into Indian territory of Gilgit Baltistan presently under illegal occupation of Pakistan, which Indian Parliament has openly resolved to take back, one day.
Recently India refused to join the RCEP, which is going to be the largest economic trade block because of Chinese factors. Instead India has started deepening bilateral trade ties with each of the members of RCEP except China. India has clearly articulated that it will follow economic decoupling with China in a phased manner. They cannot get away unless the boundary issue is settled comprehensively and till then Business will not be as usual.
In the longer-term, India will become a major military and economic power of the World. Though India will keep striving to derive economic -military-strategic benefits from bilateral Cooperation with all friendly countries and all blocks/ alliances which are ready to be friendly with India. India has the capability to defend itself against China and now has started preparing to take on China and Pakistan combined.
So we need not join any block for collective defence against armed attack. Nevertheless India is ever ready and already having regular defence dialogues, military-to-military joint exercises that improve readiness, interoperability and predictability.
Even the USA is learning that India will not Partner with it to receive technological benefits. The American Congress has to learn that CAATSA is if no value and any threat given to India under it will backfire badly. India will keep buying Russian, French and Israeli weapons and equipment as it deems fit.
The seller can refuse to sell but cannot dictate buying terms. So using the provisions in the US 2020 National Defence Authorization Act, USA has the option to garner a very lucrative market in India by selling the the same technology-sharing and cost-sharing perks as to other non-NATO US allies.
On the other hand talks of CAATSA or attaching strings to arms sale would just dry up the market. As it is, India is surging ahead in most of the critical areas and meanwhile it will try and get it from others. The ball is therefore totally in the hand of the Congress.
India is a large maritime democracy which had once ensured total peace in the entire Indian Ocean Region and a large part of Indo Pacific for periods much much longer than Britain, France, Portugal and USA combined.
Becoming a NATO partner would mean India operating under the shadows of USA and Europe and accepting interference from them which is just not acceptable to Indians and the Government of India.
Russia and its Allies are close friends of India and NATO is primarily Anti Russia. So India Just cannot become anti Russia. Also unlike some of the NATO members India is too proud a country to become a TABAQUI to the SHERKHAN of the Jungle….Rudyard Kipling will not like it !
