Indian Prime Minister Chanakya, in his treatise Arthasastra back in 350 BC, stated that “Economics is the basis of a strong defense” and that the “geography of a nation will determine its history.” Both seem relevant when considering the diplomatic challenges that India faces today.
While India’s more immediate neighborhood is wracked by coups or near coups (the Maldives, Bangladesh and Pakistan), New Delhi is also under pressure over Iran’s row with the Western world. Throw into the witches’ brew the civil war unfolding in Syria and the attack on Israeli diplomats in New Delhi, Georgia and Bangkok, and it’s clear that India has plenty on its plate to contend with.
India has been importing oil from Iran for decades, with imports constituting around 12 percent of total volume. Until recently, India had chosen to pay for these imports in dollars, but with Iran faced with sanctions from the West, new arrangements have been concluded, including payments in rupees as well as counter trade arrangements.
India has taken a principled stand that the common man shouldn’t suffer the consequences of this standoff between the West and the Iranian government, and these arrangements will allow Iran to buy food, medicines and other necessities from India. India has, after all, previously noted the debilitating consequences of sanctions on Iraq. At the same time, India has clearly stated that another nuclear weapons power isn’t required in its neighborhood.
But this isn’t the only issue on which India has ruffled some feathers. Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne this month stated firmly during a visit to Singapore that the Indian Air Force was delighted with the Rafale fighter aircraft having been selected for the MMRCA contract, a move that frustrated the United States, which also had firms vying for a deal. Browne added that arrangements were being made to train its fighter pilots on this “omni-role” aircraft and that the armed forces were keen on all variants of the plane, which is expected to be in service for around 40 years. The process of finalizing the contract has begun between India’s Defense Ministry and Dassault, a contract that includes significant transfers of technology in the aviation sector.
Meanwhile, smaller nations around India and in the Indian Ocean Region have become a matter of concern for the government. Armed pirates and terrorists are seeking to take advantage of economic uncertainty to establish bases in small countries in India’s backyard. The Indian government has therefore commenced a forward looking, proactive policy of calling on the leaders of these nations for detailed discussions. As a result, in quick time, fruitful negotiations have been undertaken with the Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia.
A common request from all these nations has been for more interaction with the Indian Navy. The government is speeding up the building of naval ships and fighter aircraft, and India is, according to military people I have spoken with, eyeing a 200-ship navy and a naval inventory of about 500 aircraft. Although much remains to be done, India’s naval diplomacy is coming of age, a point highlighted by the praise from ASEAN countries, the Australian and New Zealand navies and Japan following the recent MILAN naval exercises.
In addition, INS Arihant – an Indian built ship submersible ballistic, nuclear (SSBN) submarine – is undergoing extensive sea trials. A second submarine in this class, INS Aridhman, is also being constructed. Indian naval warships are also being deployed for the imminent test of India’s AGNI V strategic missile, which has a reported range of 5,000 kilometers plus. The K-4 SLBM, with a reported range of 3,500 kilometers, is also slated for testing this year.
So what does all this mean? What it demonstrates is that with a series of steady steps, India’s military and diplomatic establishment is coming of age on the global stage. The question now is whether it can cement its position in the comity of nations as a beacon of democracy in Asia.
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harry
“india nations as a beacon of democracy in Asia” <—- LOL nice joke
Neil
Or maybe “US Nations as a beacon to World Democracy” or “China Nations as a beacon to World Democracy” would have sounded sweeter to your ears right.. Go buy a mirror it only costs a few dollars.
harry
According to the New York Times, is estimated that about 42.5% of the children in India suffer from malnutrition. The World Bank, citing estimates made by the World Health Organization, states that “About 49 percent of the world’s underweight children, 34 percent of the world’s stunted children and 46 percent of the world’s wasted children, live in India
Lets not talk about filling their innocent bellies because indians have their own standards of starvation.
800 million indians dont have access to toilets, oh wait i shouldnt criticize it either because according to the head of the 2010 Delhi commonwealth games indians have their own standards of hygiene which includes defecating and urinating anywhere they please.
well rest assured indians have the freedom, unless you are one of the 200 million low caste dalit or one of the 54% indians living in poverty of course. Still i feel difficult to criticize the beacon of democracy in asia the great british invention of india, because indians have their own standards on democracy, this beacon of hope for asia has a unique system of western democracy on paper and feudal hindu caste society in practice.
and this is why all the country around India is a failed state because the bright beacon of democracy in india is lighting their way. unfortunately China with the Himalayas in the way they cant bathe in the glory of the great beacon of indian greatness.
I would buy a mirrior but its probably made in China which means i will offend the shining beacon of asia because they are too great and too advanced to compete with China, and thats why their export to China includes 70% raw material and the stoneage CHinese export to india is 90% manufactured goods.
Vayuad
harry
That is why India is a beacon, check any country in the world with half the challenges India faces and such kind of neighboring nations as (eg: Pakistan)and still managed to be a democracy for so long. The answer is non. I am not saying India is doing better than China or US but still I have freedom in India. And that is because it is a democratic country.
harry
india is surrounded by countries who hates india is because india export poverty and military confrontation.
while in the Sino-sphere eventhough countries like south korea or japan might no like China but they will never seek to go to war with China because China exports prosperity and a huge stable market.
6 out of the 15 largest trading partner of China is its neighbors most of them have a comfortable trade surplus with China. and out of the 6 countries(including india) 4 have border disputes with China plus the break away province of taiwan.
on the other hand india’s top 15 trading partner China is the only neighboring country on the list, which really shows the failed economic development of india and its diplomacy to bring prosperity to the region.
in india you truly have freedom only when you are government official or relatively rich. freedom of speech means shit if your country dont have the institutions to deal with and fix the problems raised by the citizens. the corrupt indian bureaucracy certainly dont have this kind of institution.
just like whats happening in USA the occupy wall street movments, they are free to speak what ever they like they can raise all the attention they like but there will be absolutly no changes to the status quo of Wall street.
indians(mostly privileged middle class which makes up a tiny percentage of the population) always boast their democratic values while their rights are provided by standing on the backs of hundreds of millions of poorer indians.
Mazo
You have listed a lot of statistics but show me one statistic where is shows that India is not a “beacon of democracy” in Asia ? Indians are some of the greatest participants in the democratic process. Indians also run free and fair elections regularly in a nation of unimaginable size and diversity.
The statistic that 800 million people don’t have access to toilets or 42% of Indian children are malnourished is meaningless to your comment because these are economic metrics. If the claim was that India is a “beacon of prosperity” it would be laughable but that was not the statement made.
As to India’s imports from China or exports to China, there is nothing that is made in China that any Indians have a good impression or would rather purchase than something made in India or elsewhere. India exports raw material because that is the best price to do so. Even China was exporting Iron ore in 2005, it is a bit early to boast about “manufactured goods” when most of the Chinese goods produced are plastic knockoffs and cheap imitations of products nobody wants to make.
Mazo
Your comparison is ridiculously flawed both logically and factually. For one, China has a trade surplus over ALL its neighbors except those it imports energy from like Russia or Kazakistan or some other energy source. Second, most of China’s neighbors were developed far ahead of China technologically and economically and it is China that has benefitted from trading with them than vice versa as your propaganda would state. Thirdly, China has seen relatively uninterrupted development without military confrontation or the threat of terrorism like India has which enabled it to tap the rich economies of East Asia, to enrich itself. Today, those nations dwindle as the Chinese steal their technology and undercut them on price.
Now, in terms of bringing “prosperity” to the region, let’s take a look at China’s record – China invaded North Korea and with China’s help today one of the world’s most repressive regimes still thrives! China despite having one of the largest industrial bases in the world still hasn’t helped Mongolia after the Soviets helped free it from Chinese rule and most Mongolians still live in poverty. China is the biggest supported and economic benefactor of Myanmar – another feather in China’s cap and coincidentally another brutally repressive regime that now is thankfully walking away from China and is liberalizing. To the south of China a whole host of nations like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc which have not seen even a glimmer of the great benevolence of the Chinese economy. In return for Japanese technology and investment, China has rewarded Japan by helping North Korea’s missile program, helping their nuclear program and staging violent confrontations at sea with the Japanese coast guard!
Yes, we know of “china” and how it has helped “export” prosperity. Exporting prosperity to dictators and shielding criminals regiems is a well known “Chinese export” that to this day continues. While India on the other has created nations and helped countries maintain their culture and their sovereignty while encouraging democracy. Tell me, how many countries have voluntarily acceded to China ? ZERO!
Subho
@harry
india dont export poverty and military confrontation.do you have any proof to support your claim?india’s most neighbours are tiny little countries which have huge population density and most are very poor countries and most are facing various political turmoil which is result of their internal politics.India have nothing to do about it.
harry
what more proof do you need?? india is the big dog in its region and is string up confrontation with all of its neighbors while not implementing positive trade policies with countries in its region.
China too have small heavily populated neighbors but without the stable grow of the huge Chinese market japan will collaps in the 1990s and south korea will never have risen in the first place in the 1980s. also countries like philipines and vietnma who has border disputes with China but both are massive benefactors from Chinese market and invesments.
Pinoy Joe
Why does New Delhi over-rates itself most of the time? The fact that many great powers and emerging powers don’t regard India in that vein, raises a lot of question about the delusional aspect of right wing Indians.
Pinoy Joe
Why is India focusing at East Asia? It is not its area of concern. It’s natural area of tribal connections is with the Arab and Assyrian countries of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Pakistan. It does not belong to the East. The people of the Arabian peninsular are of Indian stock people like themselves. What’s wrong with New Delhi? If it continues what it is doing, it is heading for another clash with China. Anyone 20/20 eye-sight can see the danger of where it is going. Why can’t they see it?
Subho
well,india already clashed few times in Indian Ocean with china.Once over two chinese warships that were in Indian ocean,and another over a spying vessel near Andaman and Nicobar.India is trying to put pressure on china over its recent activities in Indian Ocean and bolstering up its capability to project force.also,it is wrong to say that it focuses on East Asia.Indian Warships barely visited few port calls to Vietnam,nothing more than that.Its main Concern is Indian ocean and Arabian sea,where china is trying to put his presence.India dont trying to pivot East Asia,its USA who are trying to.
Vayuad
Pinoy Joe
India is more is more closely associated to east Asia than west Asia. It has been a cultural extension of India for centuries. An Indian would be more comfortable with an Indonesian, Thai, Malay and Cambodians than Arabs.
Get your history lessons checked.
Mazo
Your comment reflects a primitive outlook. Are yous seriously going to peddle some “racial history” rubbish ?? So what if there is clash with China ? Clashes are inevitable, one cannot prosper by worrying about clashes!
India has relations with everybody – East, West, North and South. Unlike Asians, who see themselves as separate block, India is a block by itself. The Arabs might looks like Indians but there are nothing like Indians.
China does not own Asia and most Asians who are not Chinese don’t really want Asia to be Chinese because they believe they do see China as culturally superior.
SUNBURN
Pinoy– Ever heard of the term or region called Indo -China. Do you even know which part of the world is referred to as Indo-China. India looks towards South East Asia because this region has shared Cultural, Religious Ideologies and Trade Links with India for Thousands of years.
And the relationship has always been peaceful. So indian Strategic and immediate neighborhood would always extend from Central Asia right till South East Asia… And if the Chines Communist Party members think this is going to be a Problem then its game on…
arun sahgal
One or few swallows do not make a summer. India has a long way to go in acquiring credible capability. India is essentially a benign power that does not use military power to alter regional equations. Indian efforts at military diplomacy and developing military capabilities can be labelled as ‘dissuasive deterrence’ that aims at imposing costs on any belligerent. India does not want to provoke or initiate conflict.
John Chan
Though I frown on those bash China viciously and baselessly, but I still appreciate the positive effect they produce on China, by putting pressure on China to do better on liberty, equality and fairness. As CCP is not a genuinely direct elected ruling entity, that criticism becomes consistent reminder for it to change for the better despite the approach and the pace CCP took are not agreed by a lot of people. Anyhow CCP’s intention for the good of the people is admirable.
On the other hand, it is dumbfounding to watch Indian bloggers boasting endlessly that India is “a beacon of democracy in Asia and Africa,” by ignoring all its internal insurgency and atrocity due to lack of liberty, equality and fairness in the society. By claiming the self –flattering “a beacon of democracy in Asia and Africa,” India basically declares it has no intention to make any change to the better for its people.
Turning a blind eye to the misery of its poor because India a democracy is a claim already defying the common sense of decency, but boasting its deformed society as a beacon for other nations with better social structure to follow, it is really mind boggling regarding India’s distorted logic.
Mazo
Compared to China, where peace has been purchased through the barrel of a gun, India’s “peace” is won through diplomacy and politics. Even the poorest Indian farmer has more liberties than even the richest Chinese businessman.
India’s is a beacon of democracy but democracy doesn’t imply that a society has no problems, it implies that a society has found the most enlightened way to solve those problems.
Just because China is more prosperous today, doesn’t imply that you have a better social structure. That is a fallacy and that is why China can never achieve greatness – its is socially in the same category as North Korea while financially it has developed tremendously.