Stressing that India is modernising its armed forces to defend itself, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the country has no extraterritorial ambitions and does not want to “transplant” its ideology on others.
Without naming Pakistan, he also said India is fighting a proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir and reserves the right to acquire military capabilities to counter any security threats.
Making this point while addressing strategic affairs experts and Defence personnel in Male, capital of Maldives, during his ongoing visit there, he said the country will fulfill its regional and global security obligations as a responsible emerging power.
His remarks come in the backdrop of India playing a crucial role in the strategically important Indian Ocean region and ongoing efforts to further enhance ties with littoral states located on its rim. Rawat also said instability in energy-rich West Asia has the potential to significantly increase global tensions and trigger unrest and that the tension between the US and Iran was “worrisome.”
Without naming Pakistan, the Army Chief said Indian armed forces are countering a proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir on a daily basis and that India reserves the right to acquire military capabilities to counter any security threats emanating from its neighbourhood.
“Our strategic culture flows from two cardinals — we have no extraterritorial ambitions and no desire to transplant our ideology on others,” the Army Chief said.
At the same time, he said India continues to retain its commitment to strategic independence and autonomy in decision making as well as acquiring military capabilities to counter the security threats and challenges emanating in its neighbourhood.
Rawat identified “unending threat of terrorism” as the principal challenge facing the entire world while calling proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and increasing assertion of power over international norms as other key challenges.
“Instability in West Asia which affects energy security of majority of the nations in the world is another major factor. It has the potential to add significantly to global tensions and create unrest,” the Army Chief said. He observed that the global security environment is increasingly becoming complex and uncertain, and that many nations are increasingly resorting to nationalism. “I am certain that if we work with friends, we can mitigate the hazards to regional peace,” he said.
Talking about challenges in the maritime domain, he said any disruption of trade routes in the Indian Ocean Region will be a major security challenge for both India and Maldives. “The Indian Ocean Region is the lifeline to both our nations,” he said.
His visit to the island country comes in the backdrop of Defence and security ties between the two countries back on track after Ibrahim Mohamed Solih became president of Maldives in November last year, after defeating Abdulla Yameen in presidential elections. Yameen was perceived to be close to China which expanded its influence over Maldives during his presidency.
The relations between India and the Maldives deteriorated after Yameen imposed Emergency in the country on February 5 last year. India had criticised his decision and asked his government to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners. The emergency had lasted 45 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Maldives in November last year to attend Solih’s swearing-in ceremony. He paid a bilateral visit to Maldives in June, which was his first foreign visit after re-election as prime minister. The visit reflected the importance India attaches to the Maldives.
Meanwhile, the Army Chief held extensive talks with the country’s top Defence brass to expand bilateral military cooperation. He also called on President Solih.