Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said India has ensured that no one has a hegemony in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the Indian Navy has proved that no country can threaten the sovereignty of its friendly nations in the Indo-Pacific region. Speaking at the inauguration of the new administrative and training building – named ‘Chola’ in a homage to the maritime empire of the Chola dynasty – at the Naval War College in Goa, Singh said, “We have ensured that a rule-based maritime order is strengthened in the Indian Ocean Region. Today, India is ensuring that all the neighbouring countries and stakeholders in the IOR…they are provided assistance in safeguarding their autonomy and sovereignty. We have ensured that no one has a hegemony in the Indian Ocean. Our Navy ensures that in the Indo-Pacific region no country, on the basis of its overwhelming economic and military power, can suppress our friendly countries or threaten their sovereignty.” The Minister’s remarks come amidst growing concerns about China expanding its footprint in the IOR in recent times. “The increasing naval power not only protects us from our adversaries, but also provides an environment of security to other stakeholders in the Indian Ocean,” he said. Singh said earlier the governments focused only on strengthening the land borders and did not give much importance to maritime threats. “In view of the increased movement of our adversaries in the IOR and the commercial importance of the region, it was necessary to reassess our threat perception and accordingly rebalance our military resources and strategic attention. Under the Prime Minister’s guidance, we not only reimagined India’s role in the IOR, but also strengthened it. Due to these efforts, India has today emerged as the first responder and preferred security partner in the IOR.” He said India was once known as a “landlocked country with sea shores”, but now it can be seen as an “island country with land borders”. “The total land area of India is more than 32 lakh square kilometres. But, India is surrounded by the sea on three sides. So, under maritime laws, if we also add the exclusive economic zone, then an area of more than 20 lakh square kilometres of the exclusive economic zone comes under the jurisdiction of India. If we focus only on land areas and their security, we will be ignoring the security of an area of more than 20 lakh square kilometres of exclusive economic zone. This entire region is full of resources and there are opportunities available in this region,” he said. Singh praised the Indian Navy’s role in strengthening the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region and generating goodwill for India on a global canvas through its anti-piracy and anti-trafficking operations.
