Oceans India

The geopolitics of the fight against Somali pirates is becoming clearer

The situation global maritime trade finds itself in is desperate; yet it offers the Indian navy a challenge,to redefine its role in the Indian Ocean,and thereby aid the achievement of its necessary,blue-water,future. In this context,Indias quick response to the call from Seychelles,requesting the Indian navy to patrol the exclusive economic zone of that country,increasingly frequented by Somali pirates,is welcome. Although

details of patrolling and additional deployment are yet to be worked out,the INS Nirdeshak a well-equipped Sandhayak-class survey vessel is already operating in the area,which appears to have become the new focus of Somali pirates on the run from multinational naval forces in the Gulf of Aden.

The Seychelles Armed Forces statement praising the Indian navy testifies to the fact that Indian warships have been doing a good job of escorting merchant vessels and battling pirates. The argument for a greater,more pro-active role for the navy in the Indian Ocean,coupled with Indias preparedness to provide security,especially to smaller countries without sufficient resources themselves,is not an exercise in jingoism. Rather,it endorses a necessary shift in our maritime strategy that will not only retain our still-enduring advantages in the Indian Ocean but also help preclude the danger of the Indian navy finding itself on the defensive in the global naval game being played out in the region. Therefore,the controversy regarding the INS Tabar last November notwithstanding,the Indian navy must go forth. In this,it needs the unflinching support of a political class conversant with changed and changing strategic realities.

Patrolling the seas against Somali pirates in concert with foreign navies,as well as ensuring the security of small states in the Indian Ocean,provides India a window to project a new,integrated defence strategy.

Ignoring the competition and the opportunities will cost India dearly. Chinese thrusts to secure permanent footholds in the Indian Ocean have been blatant in the recent past; from the Gulf of Aden to Mauritius to Myanmar,China has a naval presence. Its entry into the Indian Ocean reflects its willingness to project and use military force far from its shores. Under the circumstances,the farther the Indian navy reaches out,the less the chances of its power being constricted,the less the possibility of its being taken for a lightweight. But it is the responsibility of the political establishment to rapidly modernise the navy,lift the constraints on it and procure weapon systems.