Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said India is protecting sovereignty and autonomy of countries in the Indian Ocean region and ensuring no one exercises “hegemony” there in apparent reference to China flexing its muscle. He also said due to the Navy’s readiness, India is fulfilling its responsibility very well and providing full help to allied countries in the Indian Ocean.
“Our Navy ensures that no country, with its overwhelming economic and military power, can suppress our friendly countries or crush their sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said after inaugurating a new administrative building of the Naval War College near Goa capital Panaji. “The readiness with which the Indian Navy stands with our allies provides substantive strength to India’s global values,” he added.
Rajnath also virtually unveiled an aircraft carrier pier and auxiliary vessel pier at the Sea Bird naval base at Karwar in neighbouring Karnataka.
Lauding the Navy, the defence minister said “Our Navy’s presence in the Indian Ocean prevents the rest of our allies there from coming under any pressure.” He also said rule-based maritime order has been strengthened in the Indian Ocean Region.
India’s rise is not only in the interest of 140 crore citizens, but it is also presenting the unique value of taking the whole world together through the mantra of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” - that if India progresses, then only areas around it will progress, Rajnath said.
Today, the Indian Navy is continuously becoming stronger. “Our naval industrial base is getting stronger. Our shipyards are expanding. Our aircraft carriers are increasing,” he said.
“This growing power of India is not to achieve dominance in the Indian Ocean but to create an environment of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.
The defence minister reiterated India’s commitment to work towards strengthening the economic and security co-operation with its maritime neighbours, in line with the Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He commended the Navy for fulfilling this commitment, adding that India’s stature at the global level will increase if the Navy becomes stronger.
Underscoring the transformative strategic thinking of ‘New India’, Rajnath asserted that “we were once known as a ‘landlocked country with sea shores’, but now we can be seen as an ‘island country with land borders’”. He stated that the resources and opportunities available in this region will be the factors of India’s prosperity, which makes the Indian Navy’s role even more important in the future.
The defence minister said most of the goods trade takes place through the sea route, with the Indo-Pacific region emerging as its hub. He highlighted that due to the increasing goods trade, many threats such as incidents of piracy and trafficking have come to the fore. He said these incidents have reduced due to the promptness of the Indian Navy, the threats cannot be ignored. Rajnath referred to the recent attacks on the undersea cables, terming such incidents as a direct attack on strategic interests. He urged the Navy to remain prepared to deal with such challenges.
Delivering the keynote address, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar drew the attention of the audience to the evolving security challenges, particularly in the maritime domain. He highlighted the indispensable role of higher military education in countering these challenges.
He expressed confidence that the new training facility will serve as an icon of the country’s resurgence as a maritime power by serving as a Gurukul for learning and sharing maritime perspectives, not only for the officers of Indian forces but also for maritime neighbours.