Daily News Analysis :-
GS2: IR
Context: Recently, Houthis terror groups attacked Indian flagged MV Chem Pluto on it’s way back to Mangalore port from Jubel Ali port of Saudi Arabia. India responded both militarily and diplomatically.
Militarily
Indian navy deployed guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata.
Diplomatically
External affairs ministry persuaded Tehran, who are principal Houthi sponsorers to cease the attacks.
Challenges for India due to Hauthi terror attacks.
- Challenging India’s maritime strategy. India has shifted its strategy to maritime theater from continent due to hostility(India and Pakistan) and little access for trade over land route. Hauthis is an added challenge for India’s reliance on maritime routes for its trade.
- New two-front situation.
Continental: China is accelerating military buildup on LAC border. It heavily arming Pakistan.
Maritime: China is having bases across India-Pacific. From Gwador in Pakistan, to Djibouti in Africa, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Seychelles in South Indian ocean. China has more than 370 ships and submarines.
Neighboring countries: China is influencing India’s friendly neighbors like Bangladesh, Nepal and creating
Zero-sum game like conditions in neighborhood friendly countries.
What India should do?
- India should utilize global attention on Indo-Pacific.
- Indo-Pacific is important for rest of the world as it is for India. Eg: US’s allies like Australia, Japan, South Korea’s trade and transshipment happens through sea lines of communication (SLOC).
- China taking over Indo-Pacfic will challenge the othe global powers.
- Creating and enhancing partnerships with like-minded countries is important for India. Countries in European Union are interested in Indo-Pacific. Germany has released Indo-Pacific strategy.
- India should reconsider its noble intentions and move beyond it to form and join groups like QUAD, MALABAR.
India not joining for ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’ may be a right choice but in the long term, lack of collective efforts in the region will limit India’s ability to contain China.
