By colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
Recently the Indian Navy has commissioned a major naval base anIndian naval air station, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The new base would be used to increase surveillance on all Ships and submarines entering the Indian Ocean through the Malacca Straits.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are centrally located guarding the gateway between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean through the Malacca Straits. In recent years, with the rise of both India and China, built up of Naval forces in Asian countries and the successive launches of US Indo-Pacific strategies, the strategic importance of the islands has become increasingly prominent. No wonder they are called INS Andaman and INS Nicobar, two unsinkable Super Carriers.
With Narendra Modi taking office as Prime Minister, India has accelerated its infrastructure development on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These islands are being turned into a major tri service base capable of hosting aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and Sukhoi-30MKI fighters. India’s development pace – especially the progress in its northern border areas and the Indian Ocean region – points to its rising capabilities.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands being strategically located , it is only natural the country would want to establish a military base there. But a section of Indian media and analysts have made an issue of China again, claiming the new base is specially targeted at China and Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean. This kind of thinking is promoted mostly by Western views on the subject.
The India- China relationship has thawed since the informal meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi in Wuhan, Hubei Province last April. But it seems that this has not been liked by Western strategic circle which has failed to understand the spirit of the Wuhan meeting. In other words, their suspicion and hostility toward China have not changed. However this is not how India feels and has therefore ensured that Quad did not become an anti China platform.
In the context of global change, China-US relations are being recalibrated and competition has intensified. It will be in China’s interest to take the opportunity to drop all its unreasonable demands on various issues towards India. For instance, it must welcome India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group and as a permanent member of the UNSC. It should also come down heavily on Pakistan encouraging terrorism in Kashmir.
China and India are developing countries and ancient Eastern civilizations. The development of bilateral relations, if it follows the paradigm of just last 50 years, then it will inevitably lead to geopolitical competition, confrontation, and security dilemmas. The two countries should abandon both 1962 Onwards and the existing Western paradigm and apply Eastern wisdom to solve development concerns and other bilateral issues when they arise.
Both countries must stress the idea of shared development. The US and other Western countries want to prevent our progress by sowing confrontation between us. India and China jointly proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which still display their vitality. The key to maintaining peace and realizing common development and progress between the two countries lies in mutual adaptation, inclusiveness, and respect for each other’s core concerns.
India and China both are big countries in South Asia. Peace in Seas off China Southern Coast, Pacific and Indian Ocean are a concern for both of them. China and India should respect each others legitimate interests and work together while helping other regional countries improve infrastructure along with economic and social development, prosperity and progress. The Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and South China Sea are all international waters. The water routes are lifelines for import and export of energy and commodities for all countries. Against the backdrop that non-traditional security issues still exist while traditional security challenges continue to rise, China has begun sending its naval forces to the Indian Ocean to ward off pirates and safeguard maritime passageways, and India will be doing the same into South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. However India or China or any one else should not have a problem with accepting this.
Though to maintain the security of Indian Ocean, Indian Navy will always remain the biggest naval force. Soon Indian Navy will be in a position to handle all issues pertaining to security in this area. So neither any Super Power or any regional power should have any security problems within the Indian Ocean. Nearly all countries in the region except may be Pakistan have welcomed the rise of Indian Navy within the Indian Ocean. When Cholas, Pallavas and Mughals had ruled the Waves then there was peace around the Globe. The time is returning once again.
Right now, the US is pushing the exclusive Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, comprising of the US, Japan, Australia and India. India has already taken the lead and make joint efforts to promote an open, inclusive, democratic and equal regional security framework that neither excludes Russia or China. However China will have to reciprocate in all spheres of activity. It will be in China’s interest.
