The Indo - Pacific Journey

The Indian Express 7th November 2020 Save

Context: More countries are sharing India’s vision for the strategically significant Indo-pacific region.

India’s vision of the Indo-Pacific:

Aligning efforts with others: Indo-Pacific is the vast maritime space stretching from the western coast of North America to the eastern shores of Africa.

It has figured in our meetings with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and also helped advance our cause under Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD).

Strengthening economic interconnectedness (threatened by the rise of China): Indo-Pacific ocean system carries an estimated 65% of world trade & contributes 60% of global Gross Domestic Product.

In sync with the “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (SAGAR) doctrine.

The 7 pillars of SAGAR: Maritime security, Maritime ecology, Maritime resources, Capacity building and resource sharing, Disaster risk reduction, Technology cooperation and Trade connectivity. Examples of India’s effort include -

Peacekeeping efforts: or anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
Provided Coastal surveillance radar systems: to Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Maritime domain awareness: provided by the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre.

Indo-Pacific complements it with : freedom of navigation, open connectivity and ensuring territorial integrity and sovereignty of all.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts:

Founding Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a corollary to such efforts.
Notable missions: Operation Rahat in Yemen in 2015, Relief efforts during oil spill on Mauritius 2020, the earthquake in Indonesia in 2019, Cyclone Idai in Mozambique.
Supporting friendly countries during COVID -19 Pandemic. E.g. India had sent Rapid-response medical teams to countries like Kuwait and Maldives.
Tackling the remanent of colonialism: Many countries in the region still suffers from elements of colonialism (dependencies and skewed arrangements).

Indo-Pacific complements it by focusing on supply chain resilience and diversification in post-COVID period.

Incorporated neighbours under concentric semi-circles:

Arc of the outer neighbourhood: covers Gulf, Southeast Asian and ASEAN countries
Inner most semi-circle: includes South Asian countries that share Indian ocean, civilisation and cultural heritage with India.

For e.g. Religious linkages through the spread of Buddhism, the building of Hindu temples in Vietnam (Cham Kingdom), Maritime linkages created by Cholas and Pallavas.

Outermost semi-circle: includes the countries, whose interests intersect with ours. E.g. QUAD countries, France, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands.

Resonates the centrality of ASEAN: By virtue of its location, its longevity and its social and economic attainments.
A 21st Century locus: of political and security concern and competition, growth and development, and of technology incubation and innovation.

This is evident from the fact that Germany, France and Netherlands, despite being physically distant, are a crucial stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific.

Conclusion: As the prospect of the region is on the rise, it is expected that more countries will release its Indo- pacific strategies on the lines of India’s Indo-Pacific vision.