The Indian Ocean area contains the energy routes to Japan, Australia, US and India. Some of the epicentres of terrorism adjoin this area. Both the western and eastern areas of the Indian Ocean are notorious for piracy. The Indian Navy had to rescue a pirated Japanese ship in the Arabian Sea. There is also considerable discussion about likely maritime terrorism in the future.

The US Navy happens to be the most powerful and largest navy in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Navy comes second. What is more natural than the two navies holding their usual exercise and inviting Japan, Australia and Singapore to participate in it? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, addressing the Combined Commanders Conference on October 20 2005 said, “We must shed our Cold War shibboleths, rework our relationships with all major powers and emerging economies and improve our relations with all our economic partners and neighbours”. He added, “We must evolve a new paradigm of security cooperation relevant to an emerging multipolar world in which global threats will require global response.” The proposed exercise is in this spirit.

The ‘Malabar’ exercises between the Indian and US navies used to be held in the Arabian Sea. Presumably because of the sensitivity of the Iraq and Iran factor, the venue may have been shifted to the Bay of Bengal. It is also closer to Japan, Singapore and Australia.

Chinese fears about the naval exercise are as irrational as western fears about the expansion of the Chinese navy. The Chinese want the world to believe that China will “rise peacefully” but they are worried about India improving its relations with other major powers. China has had a tradition of aligning itself with one power (Soviet Union) and switching over and aligning itself with its adversary (the US) and again switching back. India has maintained a steadfast non-aligned position and is likely to do so.

... contd.