India moves on Central Asia
By Kumar Amitav Chaliha
India has launched a number of new policy
initiatives in the Central Asian states and their
vicinity. The economic and strategic initiatives now
being implemented are shaped by several factors,
including Delhi's vision of playing a broader Asian role
commensurate with its rising economic and military
power. The strategies are also meant to extirpate
Islamic terrorism from South Asia, Afghanistan and
Central Asia; to checkmate Pakistan and restrain China's
growing power and influence; to prevent India from
falling into energy dependency on any one source; and to
have access to new trading opportunities.
India
has joined the "New Great Game" being played in the
Central Asian region, where competition for economic and
strategic positioning is intensifying. The ensuing
conflict of interest in the area between India's
longtime ally, Russia, its newfound strategic partner,
America, nuclear rival China, and Iran, is fueling
Delhi's "forward" Central Asian policy. Since India is
unable to insulate Central Asia from such power
politics, it has decided to become a part of it. Its
size, military and nuclear capability makes it a
significant part of the complex jigsaw.
Pakistan, as part of its ongoing challenge to
India in Kashmir and South Asia generally, has
consistently tried to establish strategic depth in
Central Asia. It tried to implement its agenda from the
1990s by supporting the Taliban, and through them the
myriad extremist and terrorist groups that have
destabilized Kashmir and Central Asia. The events of
September 11 and especially the attack on India's
parliament in December, 2001, has awoken India to the
urgent need of devising a comprehensive strategy to
stabilize Central Asia and prevent it from becoming a
haven for terrorism and a strategic platform from which
Pakistan could threaten Indian interests.
As a
strategic measure, India in May 2002 established its
first military facility outside its territory at Farkhor
in Tajikistan. A bilateral agreement was also signed in
April to train Tajik defense personnel, and service and
retrofit their Soviet and Russian military equipment
similar to that of the Indian armed forces. A similar
pact between India and Kazakhstan is expected to be
signed soon.
Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
and Kyrgyzstan, besides Russia, have supported India's
case for entry into the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization. The six-nation organization, which also
includes China, was set up six years ago to deal with
border issues, combat ethnic and religious tensions in
member countries and to safeguard against the spread of
Islamic terrorism. While Beijing has been silent on the
issue of India's entry and encouraging Pakistan's
membership, security officials feel that China would not
oppose India's case as part of its long-term policy of
"keeping its friends close, but its enemies closer".
Indian officials and entrepreneurs have been
looking to explore the immense possibilities that lie
with increased interaction with the five Central Asian
republics. Most of these countries have enormous oil and
natural gas deposits. India, which has so far been
over-dependent on oil from the Persian Gulf states, is
keen to tap into Central Asian energy reserves. There is
also a huge market in this region for Indian
pharmaceuticals, heavy machinery, tea and information
technology.
To achieve these objectives, India
has launched a regional "people-to-people" initiative by
inviting diplomats, parliamentarians and opinion makers
from Central Asia to visit its industrial and
technological centers and also to interact with
politicians, officials and businessmen.
Posted with permission from KWR
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Oct 17, 2003
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