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Analysis
Indo Maldives
Global Trade Security Network
by
Col. Rahul K. Bhonsle
Maldives is a
large but sparsely populated atoll nation in the Indian Ocean. Its
idyllic beaches are paradise in the winters but the global financial
crisis has greatly affected tourism, the principal earner of foreign
exchange for it’s over 300,000 people. Maldives is also an important
outpost in the Indian Ocean for global trade security. Thus it is
strategically vital for the global community to ensure security of the
Atoll nation on priority. The Indian Ocean littoral is emerging as a
major area of strategic significance given the large quantum of trade
passing through the same. Maldives is strategically located astride the
major sea lanes and the North South configuration of the atolls which
occupy a vast space render it all the more important for securing trade
passing through the area. However the country lacks the resources to
ensure safety of this vast maritime commons.
Maldives is highly vulnerable given its large number of atolls and many
of them unpopulated. These are ideal for rogue regimes, piracy groups
and other malcontents to occupy. Enlarged this may even see a rogue
regime attempting to take over in Male as it happened in the 1980’s. A
strong stable presence is essential to shore up defences of Maldives
particularly its peace loving people who only now taste the fruits of
democracy.
Thus India as the only major littoral state has a responsibility to the
global community to ensure that this flow is not interrupted. With
growing danger of piracy and the large number of unpopulated atolls in
the Maldives, it is particularly important that this area is fully
secured for which India is best placed. Thus it is in overall global
interests given the large quantum of trade passing through this region
which is likely to grow exponentially once the present financial crisis
recedes that these sea lanes are secured by a cooperative grid
established by India and the Maldives.
This month India and Maldives agreed to establish just such a security
grid which will ultimately ensure that the global trade passing through
the Indian Ocean is free from piracy attacks as seen off the Somalian
coast. This global trade safety net through the Indian Ocean will be led
by India in partnership with Maldives given their strategic location and
large naval presence.
Skeptics also see this as a part of the maneuver-counter maneuver on
going between India and China in South Asia. If China is building a port
in Hambantota, India outflanks the same by a strong presence in Male and
so on, what could even be termed as a great game in the Indian Ocean
which will be seen in the years ahead.
But this assumption is flawed for it is physically impossible for China
to have a major presence in the Indian Ocean in the near future given
that its area of influence is in the Pacific and the South China Sea.
Operating on exterior lines of communications without viable bases, the
Chinese fleet would be heavily hampered logistically.
More over in the era of global commons, all nations have to come
together to fight the challenge from extremism and its manifestation,
terrorism. Under these circumstances, it is important for us not to see
a country’s presence as an attempt to influence the region. Ideally
India being the biggest littoral country in the Indian Ocean has the
responsibility to ensure that the global commons is safe and secure. If
nations further away from the region show their presence it would only
add to their logistics and operational challenges operating far away
from home bases. Better strategies for such countries would be to seek
assistance of countries in the region.
Thus India and Maldives having a very fruitful partnership in all
spheres and not just security can undertake the same task with greater
ease and secure the vast amount of global trade that passes through the
Indian Ocean given the Indian Ocean.
Viewed from the perspective of a power game as is being envisaged by
some in the Indian Ocean today this will lead to more insecurity rather
than security and hence needs to be obviated. For the only beneficiaries
would be the pirates and maritime criminals who will ensure that the
vulnerability of the Maldives is exploited to advantage.
Now with a safety grid in the offing, such a possibility can be avoided.
For the countries in East and South East Asia, this would be a major
boon as a large quantum of their energy and trade passes through these
vital sea lanes. The global commons approach adopted by the Indian Navy
and the Maldives Defence forces would therefore provide substantial
gains for all countries in the region
August 30, 2009
Image under license with Gettyimages.com
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