India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

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RajeshA
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India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

Where once Indus Valley Civilization was considered the birthplace of the Indian Civilization, the 21st century would bring about the transformation of India into an Indian Ocean Civilization. Next to the Pacific, the IOR would be the most sought after region of influence and power. It would see a dramatic rise in the importance of all those countries who border the Indian Ocean, especially those islands who lie within it - Sri Lanka, Andaman & Nicobars, Lakshadweep, Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Diego Garcia, Socrota, etc.

So many regions are of highest importance to world economic stability, for trade, for shipping of Oil & Natural Gas, etc. Persian Gulf, Malacca Straits are perhaps the two most security-vulnerable regions. There are foreign powers intruding into it, and then there are the pirates thriving in it.

Instead of being India's backwaters, Indian Ocean would become our front garden. We have to exert our rights to it like it is our core, and our life-bringer. China would be putting up Navy Bases, Commercial Ports, and Listening Posts all over the place, and their Navy ships will be criss-crossing it. USA still sits in Diego Garcia. Indian Military is on the upswing.

There is much happening on the islands as well which has political significance for India - on Sri Lanka, on Maldives. We need to keep an eye on that too.

Please post all related articles here. Thank you!
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

To underpin our rights and capabilities in the Indian Ocean, an article on the Indian Navy.

Published on September 20th, 2010
By Cmde (retd) Ranjit B. Rai
India’s Navy is transforming to become a C4ISR nuclear force in the Indian Ocean: Frontier India

A very detailed article.
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Maldives

Post by RajeshA »

Maldives

Published on Sept. 22, 2010
By Vishal Arora
Maldives Rehabs Extremists With 'True Spirit Of Islam': Huffington Post
MALE, Maldives (RNS) Despite its small population (about 400,000 residents) and small size (about twice as large as Washington, D.C.), this overwhelmingly Muslim nation is claiming success in rehabilitating hard-core Islamic terrorists.

The string of more than 1,100 islands off India's southern tip is now offering to export its success to nations seeking to combat extremism.

Skeptics, meanwhile, say the program is built on Saudi Arabia's strict Wahhabi version of Islam, which some critics say actually foments extremism; 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 attackers were Saudi citizens.

The rehabilitation effort is sponsored by the country's Ministry of Islamic Affairs. Minister Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari says there's hope in the Quran for Muslims who have "gone astray."
The opposition, however, doesn't buy the rosy success story. Abdulla Yameen, the former president's half-brother and leader of the People's Alliance opposition party, alleges that Wahhabism is growing under the current government and the government has little control over what forms of Islam are preached in the country.

Bari is a leader of the Adhaalath (Justice) Party, an ally of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party, which supports the rehab efforts.

"We do not believe fundamentalism is dealt with by the heavy-handedness shown by the previous regime," said MDP chairperson Mariya Ahmed Didi.
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Deep Sea Gas Pipeline

Post by RajeshA »

X-Posted from Oil & Natural Gas: News & Discussion Thread

Published on Sep. 20, 2010
India, Oman mull sub-sea pipeline to pump Turkmen and Iranian gas: RiA Novosti
DUBAI: India is actively considering building a 2,000-km-long deepwater transnational gas pipeline from Oman for transporting natural gas sourced from Turkmenistan, Iran and Qatar, a leading industry official has said.

The proposed sub-sea pipeline will meet the additional gas requirement of the UAE, Oman and India, besides easing gas transportation issues of producing countries like Turkmenistan, Iran and Qatar, Subodh Kumar Jain, Director of South Asia Gas Enterprise (SAGE), told Times of Oman.

SAGE, a joint venture between the Siddhomal group, UK-based Deep Water Technology and an Indian firm, is a special project vehicle for building the 2000-km long-sub-sea pipeline.

"We are trying to create an energy corridor. It is a grand scheme of several pipelines. It will connect energy producing countries like Iran, Turkmenistan, Qatar, and will pass through the UAE and Oman, all the way to India," Jain told the newspaper.

As per the plan, the pipeline will originate from Oman and will end either in Gujarat or Maharashtra.

For the gas to be routed to Oman from Qatar, Iran and Turkmenistan, additional pipelines will be needed.

Gas sourced through this will carry an additional transportation tariff, which will accrue to SAGE.

India imports around 26mscmd of LNG. The country is short on natural gas. It needs around 180mscmd, while the supply is 106mscmd.

Jain said the main sub-sea pipeline between Oman and India will cost between $3 to 4 billion.

"We are now discussing with Iran, Turkmenistan and Qatar for sourcing gas for the proposed pipeline. That is the biggest challenge. Besides, there are a lot of geopolitical and security issues involved," Jain said.

After ensuring gas, it will take five years to completed the project. The pipeline will be designed and built by an international consortium.

Demand for gas in India will continue to exceed supply from domestic sources and imported gas will play an important role in bridging the demand-supply gap in the Indian market.
If India can bypass Pakistan and get Middle Eastern and Central Asian Gas, and all of it, India would be on her way to becoming a truly world power.

Pakistan on the other hand, which hopes to use its strategic location would have its best card neutralized. If it cannot be a conduit for Oil & Gas, its existence is worthless and useless. Whether they exist or not, nobody would care.

So in 2015 when the SAGE Pipeline comes online, India would have freed itself from the Pakistani Lock on India's Subcontinental prison. Add to that the Chahbahar Port with transit facility to Afghanistan and Central Asia, and Pakistan really becomes useless for India.

Without any hope of getting an alternative money spinning enterprise, Pakistan will simply collapse.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

X-Posted from Oil & Natural Gas: News & Discussion Thread

Published Sept 21, 2010
By Judah Grunstein
India-Oman Pipeline: Redrawing the Connective Map: World Politics Review
This proposed India-Oman deepwater natural gas pipeline represents a potential major shift in the connectivity networks linking Central Asia to South Asia. Once laid, pipelines help determine geopolitical realities for decades, as a glance at the legacy impact of Soviet-Russian pipelines on Central Asian politics reveals. If the Gulf serves as an effective workaround to bypass the Afghanistan-Pakistan transit route, it would dramatically reduce the strategic logic of stabilizing the Af-Pak region. The fact that Iran is involved in this deal as a source country is also a major plus, as it applies additional commercial constraints on Tehran to keep the Gulf open and stable.

Ironically, Iran's participation in the IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India) pipeline route would have further reinforced widely shared interests in a stabilized Afghanistan. But the Pakistan-India rivalry proved even stronger than the U.S.-Iran enmity toward scotching that deal. This strikes me as an even better alternative, because it doesn't come attached with the need to maintain a dodgy and unreliable strategic partnership with Pakistan. And though the U.S.-Iran relationship moving forward is far from a cakewalk (see this Marc Lynch post that deserves all the attention it's gotten), I think Washington and Tehran have a better chance of reaching a modus vivendi than New Delhi and Islamabad do.
So there you have it - if India does go ahead with this deep sea Gas Pipeline, even the USA would lose interest in Pakistan and would stop stuffing it with aid dollars. No more money for the beggars.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

X-Posted from Managing Pakistan's failure
Hari Seldon wrote:^^^If and when the India-Oman undersea pipeline thing actually comes to pass bypassing Papistan, expect Taliban-Al qaeda combine to scrumptiously and mysteriously develop naval and submarine capabilities all of a sudden.

Oh, there'll be multiple confirmations of identity - with Al zawahiri's recorded taps broadsided via Al jazeera and khanate op-eds screeching a "blame al keeda only" tune.

Then of course, TSPA will ask for naval and submarine technology to take on the new al qeeda navy threat only. The cycle will continue.
This would give Indian Navy a bigger impetus to develop and deploy deep sea underwater mobility and defense technology and to create a SIGINT intelligence gathering network all over the Arabian Sea.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

X-Posted from Managing Pakistan's failure Thread
RamaY wrote:^
:rotfl:

RajeshA-ji, you are getting carried on... When did India punished a terrorist ( :oops: non-state actor) outside its borders?
What we need is Paki-sniffing technology deployable everywhere - on land, in air, under sea and in space! :D

No those suggestions were actually to ward off threats from the Pakistani Navy, and other sympathetic groups to it, as well as from the Chinese Navy. We need 100s of small submarines manned by 5-6 naval officers each, criss-crossing the whole of the Indian Ocean. We need specialized deep sea craft with cranes, drilling equipment, mechanical arms, able to carry out repair work on those pipelines at any time. We need several very high speed boats able to tackle any non-state adventurers who come too close to the pipeline. We need anti-mine ships and other anti-mine defenses to be at hand deployable at short notice.

India has got an ocean to protect. We should be the most technologically advanced marine power in the world. In 20 years we should be able to make colonies on the ocean floor. Somehow I can't stop thinking of SeaQuest DSV. :wink:

We need an ISRO for our Ocean!
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by A_Gupta »

Atri
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Atri »

RajeshA ji..

You are on fire, buddy.. :) Great job and good thread..
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by chaanakya »

A timely thread.


What come immediatly to my mind is the following

we need true blue water navy. India has neglected its Navy far too long.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Pulikeshi »

RajeshA wrote:To underpin our rights and capabilities in the Indian Ocean, an article on the Indian Navy.

Published on September 20th, 2010
By Cmde (retd) Ranjit B. Rai
India’s Navy is transforming to become a C4ISR nuclear force in the Indian Ocean: Frontier India

A very detailed article.
Cool article, thanks for posting... good details. Not the expert here, but...

1. Not sure what if any inter linkages between Navy and Air force is in the works using
satellites. Perhaps would improve MDA.

2. What is the need to collect DTM/DEM data every 5 days? Would it not make sense to have a bogey in geo-sync and collect data on demand?

3. How does Chandrayaan mission validate theoretical anti-satellite capability?
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by ramana »

A hisotrical prespective
From Aramaco Journal

The Leek Green Sea

Enjoy.

Folks always remember what India brought to the world is trade. Trade makes the worlds wealth grow without wars or colonies. From antiquity to the 18th Century the world went around with Indian trading networks. It was the takeover of the Indian networks by the British that ended our economic well being. WWI and WWII exhausted the Brits and they yielded to Americans who managed to takeover only in mid -sixties.

Trading networks require long term relationships in order to build trust. Unfortunately Americans are on short term focus and expect the world to yielded/forced to trade with their powerful fleets and armed forces. Just as the Brits did. However the Brits did that after taking over the networks. Whereas the American takeover is because they have the arms.

Later I will expand how the current fisical mess is due tothe failure of trading networks due to American short term focus and penchant for forcing religion under guise of freedom.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Bade »

3. How does Chandrayaan mission validate theoretical anti-satellite capability?
The Deep Space Antenna gives the ability to track objects in space. Another such system at a few different locations perhaps will make for a fully redundant tracking system. Demonstration of injection of payloads (peacetime) to precise orbits has been demonstrated even before Chandrayaan mission. Here the only question that remains is launch preparation lead time. Assuming in future variants of Agni will do that too.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Manishw »

Diego Garcia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source ... 5WXTXjqbOQ

The islands were part of the group called in ancient times the Lakshadweepa (One Hundred Thousand Islands in Sanskrit) in Ancient India and were considered a part of the South Indian kingdoms.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

X-Posted from Pak Occupied Kashmir News and Discussion Thread

Published on Sept. 22, 2010
By Xiaoxinong Yi
Pakistan is a part of China's westward challenge to the U.S.: ZanesvilleTimesRecorder.com
The control of Pakistani-administered Kashmir will give China a strategic land access to the Gulf through Pakistan. As Harrison points out, "It takes 16 to 25 days for Chinese tankers to reach the Gulf. When high-speed rail and road links through Gilgit-Baltistan are completed, China will be able to transport cargo from Eastern China to the new Chinese-built Pakistani naval bases at Gwadar, Pasni and Ormara, just east of the Gulf, within 48 hours."

Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers also are constructing 22 tunnels in secret locations in Pakistan. One obvious use of these tunnels is for the projected gas pipeline from Iran to China, but they also can be used for missile storage sites in Pakistan.
This will also increase the speed with which Gwadar as a Chinese Naval Base would come online.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Arihant »

Can we creat our String of Pearls - running through Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan all the way to Fiji. Fiji, in particular, seems to be off our strategic radar, but a golden opportunity. It has a very large population of ethnic Indians (near 50% at one time, now down to about 38%). Hindi is widely spoken. The current ruler, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, while being criticized by the west for trampling on democracy, is supposedly very pro-Indian in outlook...
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by shiv »

Arihant wrote:Can we creat our String of Pearls - running through Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan all the way to Fiji. Fiji, in particular, seems to be off our strategic radar, but a golden opportunity. It has a very large population of ethnic Indians (near 50% at one time, now down to about 38%). Hindi is widely spoken. The current ruler, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, while being criticized by the west for trampling on democracy, is supposedly very pro-Indian in outlook...

We need to have a strong economic or power projection reason to do that - or the political will cannot be created. Secondly - the Indian navy and Air Force are both gearing up for power projection in the Indian Ocean area.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by brihaspati »

There are three major entry-points by water into IOR : the SEAsian straits, the Cape around SA, and the Red Sea. The crucial pivots are basically two given the current period, which are the SEAsian and Red Sea conduits.

India needs to secure the Red Sea Yemen Somalia sector to effectively control the NW sector of IOR. This will in turn need effective control over the Gulf as any land based power in the Gulf can interrupt this NW control. Same goes for the SE Asian sector. Here Indonesia and Malaysia is key towards the "west" and Vietnam and Oz to the "east".

Both sectors are problematic because several different countries [who are in turn client states of multiple distant powers] stake a claim due to their geographical proximity. If we note carefully - the dominant spoilers of these gates are Islamic nations with some explicitly Islamist in recent stance. Somalia is a non-man land where Islamic warlords hold sway. Yemen is a semi-non-mans land. Malaysia has been Islamizing in a copy of Sunnification of culture under the radar - with the religious affairs part of the state increasingly intervening to segregate and control non-Islamic life. Indonesia is struggling between attempts at Islamic radicalization and a formal semblance of neutrality.

Australia will never have a reliable profile when Indian interests are concerned and will act as spoilers on behalf of European, Brit and US interests. The only country with which India can only partially explore possibilities are Vietnam and Taiwan, and perhaps to a certain extent empowering Kampuchea. But all three have been seriously pursued by PRC.

India needs to acquire the IOR islands - buy, cajole to sell or give up, or at the minimum share in control and possession of those now used as "bases".

It could be perhaps wonderful if Somalis do something massive and spectacular on Indian shipping. That would create an wealth of opportunity.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

Published Sep 28, 2010
China dominates Maldives tourism market: Haveeru Online
MALE, September 28 (HNS) – China has become the highest contributor to the tourist arrivals to the Maldives for the first time with 15.3 percent of the total arrivals.

According to Tourism Ministry statistics, China beats UK and Italy with 77,644 tourists visiting the Maldives from January to August – a 137 percent increase to the 32,709 in the first eight months of last year.

While Chinese tourists visiting the Maldives increased by 142 percent to 14,998 in August, China topped the list in July 2010, with 12,449 tourists.

UK is now on the second with 14.9 percent as 75,250 tourists came from the country over the past eight months. Tourist arrivals from Italy stayed at 12.6 percent with 63,950.

The statistics reveal a 22 percent increase compared to last year’s, as 506,179 tourists visited in the past 8 months. A 27 percent increase was observed last month with 66,315 tourists.

While tourists used 68.9 percent of the registered 23,401 beds in resorts, hotels, and safari, the occupancy rate increased from 71.9 percent to 75.5. Tourists stayed 7.7 days on average compared to last year’s 8.1.

The government promoted Maldives tourism in China. Senior officials of the industry, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the decrease of tourist arrivals from Europe
Expect more Chinese to be settling down in Maldives to cater to the boom in tourism from China, and a China Town coming up near Marao, Maldives, China's new Navy Base.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

Published on Sep 26, 2010
By Wang Zhaokun
Maldives woos Chinese investors: Global Times
The Maldives' ambassador to China, Ahmed Latheef, said he welcomes investment from China on resorts to boost development of local tourism and is calling for more attention to be directed toward the country's battle against climate change.

"The Maldives and China have enjoyed excellent bilateral relations, and there are many areas that can be developed through Chinese involvement and engagement in the Maldives," Latheef said in an interview with the Global Times. "We would welcome initiatives from Chinese investors in the development of tourist resorts."

China's National Day holiday is drawing near, and it is expected that many Chinese will go to the Maldives. Statistics show that 41,511 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives in 2008, an increase of 15.4 percent over 2007.

Chinese tourist arrivals in the Maldives have surpassed all expectations of the industry in recent years, according to Latheef. "At present, China is the second from the top after the UK," he said. "It is very likely that before the end of the year, China will top the list."

"The difficulty we have at the moment is that we do not have enough hotels or beds to cater to the growing market in China. Therefore, efforts are being made to develop new hotels and tourist resorts," Latheef added.

Latheef said that since the Maldives started developing its tourism industry in the early 1970s, it has been aware of the need to find a balance between development and environmental protection.

"To develop sustainable tourism, environment protection is a key element," he said. "We have very strict rules, regulations and obligations that are seriously followed by all stakeholders. Stringent policies on environmental protection are in place, and they are closely followed and monitored."

However, Latheef said climate change and global warming are threatening the country's marine environment and bio diversification that attract millions of visitors every year.

"In the Maldives we are already seeing the effects of climate change and global warming," he said, noting that "the unprecedented changes in weather patterns" have led to serious beach erosion and the death of sea coral.

The average height of the Maldives islands is less than two meters above sea level, and some islands are barely one meter above sea level. "The rise of sea level will be catastrophic and could lead to the displacement of the entire population and submerge the whole country," Latheef warned.

The Maldives has embarked on an ambitious plan to become carbon neutral by the year 2020. But Latheef said that as a small developing country, the Maldives needs more help to address this global challenge.

"We have wind throughout the year, but we do not have the turbines that turn the wind into energy," Latheef commented. "We have waves all around our tiny islands, but we do not have the motors to turn them into energy either."

Latheef said although the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference did not live up to the expectations of the international community, he is looking forward to the Cancun Summit on climate change that is going to be held in Mexico in November.
You are now entering Maldivian Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China!
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

X-Posted from Managing Chinese Threat Thread

Published on Sep 30, 2010
By Ashok K Mehta
India loses the plot: Daily Pioneer
India should fear that the Hambantota port constructed by a Chinese consortium could become the southern anchor of its ‘String of Pearls’ around India. The refurbishment of Colombo harbour has also been bagged by China. Sri Lanka has drawn capital from India’s strategic silence over its pivotal military assistance in defeating the Tigers. This has helped Colombo to “look beyond Delhi” and openly acknowledge China’s key role in winning the war. Like Mr Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Nepal, Mr Rajapaksa has a grand vision of reducing dependence on India,courtesy China. Clearly New Delhi has lost the strategic plot in Sri Lanka. The outright defeat of the LTTE has diminished its influence in Colombo.

Former National Security Adviser MK Narayanan had warned Colombo in 2008 that it should not seek weapons from Pakistan and China when India was the pre-eminent power. It turns out that last week Sri Lanka’s most powerful Defence Secretary and brother of the President, Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was in China, underwriting the Defence Cooperation Agreement with PLA Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde.

It should have been payback time for Sri Lanka. Instead Colombo has subtly introduced the China card, complimenting the traditional Pakistan linkage to balance India. With China burrowing deep into Nepal in the north, it is repeating the exercise in the south. India’s optimistic claims of “decisive influence without direct involvement in Sri Lanka” are no longer valid. Mrs Indira Gandhi’s ‘Monroe Doctrine’ has been superceded by ‘Mahinda Chinthan’.
Why use hollow words, when there is nothing to back them up?! :evil:
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Arihant »

RajeshA wrote:Published on Sep 26, 2010
By Wang Zhaokun
Maldives woos Chinese investors: Global Times
The Maldives' ambassador to China, Ahmed Latheef, said he welcomes investment from China on resorts to boost development of local tourism and is calling for more attention to be directed toward the country's battle against climate change.

"The Maldives and China have enjoyed excellent bilateral relations, and there are many areas that can be developed through Chinese involvement and engagement in the Maldives," Latheef said in an interview with the Global Times. "We would welcome initiatives from Chinese investors in the development of tourist resorts."

China's National Day holiday is drawing near, and it is expected that many Chinese will go to the Maldives. Statistics show that 41,511 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives in 2008, an increase of 15.4 percent over 2007.

Chinese tourist arrivals in the Maldives have surpassed all expectations of the industry in recent years, according to Latheef. "At present, China is the second from the top after the UK," he said. "It is very likely that before the end of the year, China will top the list."

"The difficulty we have at the moment is that we do not have enough hotels or beds to cater to the growing market in China. Therefore, efforts are being made to develop new hotels and tourist resorts," Latheef added.

Latheef said that since the Maldives started developing its tourism industry in the early 1970s, it has been aware of the need to find a balance between development and environmental protection.

"To develop sustainable tourism, environment protection is a key element," he said. "We have very strict rules, regulations and obligations that are seriously followed by all stakeholders. Stringent policies on environmental protection are in place, and they are closely followed and monitored."

However, Latheef said climate change and global warming are threatening the country's marine environment and bio diversification that attract millions of visitors every year.

"In the Maldives we are already seeing the effects of climate change and global warming," he said, noting that "the unprecedented changes in weather patterns" have led to serious beach erosion and the death of sea coral.

The average height of the Maldives islands is less than two meters above sea level, and some islands are barely one meter above sea level. "The rise of sea level will be catastrophic and could lead to the displacement of the entire population and submerge the whole country," Latheef warned.

The Maldives has embarked on an ambitious plan to become carbon neutral by the year 2020. But Latheef said that as a small developing country, the Maldives needs more help to address this global challenge.

"We have wind throughout the year, but we do not have the turbines that turn the wind into energy," Latheef commented. "We have waves all around our tiny islands, but we do not have the motors to turn them into energy either."

Latheef said although the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference did not live up to the expectations of the international community, he is looking forward to the Cancun Summit on climate change that is going to be held in Mexico in November.
You are now entering Maldivian Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China!
We also ignore Fiji at our peril - an opportunity lost, given the general goodwill that India enjoys in those parts...
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by shiv »

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4245842
NEW DELHI - India will help the Republic of Maldives build a maritime surveillance system, among other defense-cooperative measures agreed to during the Aug. 20-22 visit of India Defence Minister A.K. Antony to the Indian Ocean island nation.

The system's radars will be linked to the Indian Navy and Coastal Guard headquarters, a senior Indian Navy official said.

India is also likely to give Maldives two Coast Guard helicopters in coming months, the Navy official said.
<snip>
Maldives has an India-First policy, says Vijay Sakhuja, a director at the Indian Council of World Affairs here.

"Maldives has emphatically denied that there are Chinese naval facilities on any of its island territories and assured [us] that it has no plans [to allow any] in the future. Instead, it seeks an exclusive security arrangement with India and does not wish to approach regional and extraregional powers for such agreements," said Sakhuja.

Analysts said Maldives needs help securing its littorals from piracy, terrorism, contraband trade, drug smuggling and human smuggling by local and foreign actors.

"There is a need not just for Indian interests, but also [for] 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. Unless these sea lanes are secured, there would be many more Somalia-like situations happening in the region," said Bhonsle. "I would not view it as an Indian security net but a global trade security net for which other South Asian countries of Sri Lanka and Maldives and those on the East African coast would remain critical. This global trade safety net through the Indian Ocean will be led by India, given the strategic location and large naval presence."
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

Published on Oct 05, 2010
By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)
Krishna likely to open strategic Jaffna, Hambantota consulates in Oct end: ANI
New Delhi, Oct. 5 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is likely to inaugurate two Indian consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna during his four-day visit to Sri Lanka in the last week of October.

The opening of the consulate office in Hambantota is significant in the wake of the Chinese having already established a strategic presence there through the construction of a harbour. The proposed Indian consulate will cover activities in the districts of Galle, Matara, Hambantota and Moneragala.

India has maintained that the Chinese-aided Hambantota project, which opens in November, does not pose any security threat. However, there are concerns in New Delhi over the rising Chinese influence in Sri Lanka.

India has only one consulate in Kandy and the opening of consulates in Jaffna and Hambantotta is an attempt to reach out and spread its sphere of influence to counterweigh China, according to analysts.

Sections of India's strategic community believes Hambantota is part of a Chinese policy to throw a "string of pearls" geographical circle of influence around India and is aimed at counterbalancing and undermining India's natural influence in Sri Lanka.

The port project, which will give alternate access to Chinese goods through the Indian Ocean, was earlier offered to India according to Lankan officials.

China is also developing port facilities in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan, and has plans for constructing railway projects in Nepal.

China is pumping nearly six billion dollars in the form of grants and funding of projects in Sri Lanka.

To check Beijing's rising influence, New Delhi has also accelerated its aid programme and has offered concessionary credit facilities amounting to about 800 million dollars for the railway projects in Sri Lanka.

The proposed consulate in Jaffna will cover the five districts of the war-ravaged northern province - Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaithivu, Vavuniya and Mannar.

The consulate will help rehabilitate and streamline the humanitarian assistance to the displaced Tamils.

India had pledged to build 50,000 houses in the northern and eastern provinces, the Jaffna Cultural Center, the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and the Duraiappah Stadium.

During his expected visit, Krishna will reportedly review progress of Indian-aided projects and is likely to reassure New Delhi's commitment to rebuilding infrastructure in the war-ravaged nation.

He is also expected to call on Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Carl_T »

The AN islands put us at the mouth of the Malacca passageway, with a big enough naval presence there we may be able to control that region. Wrt the west, leveraging our relationship with Oman into a base would be ideal although I think China has similar designs there. However that would totally mess up the current balance of power in the gulf so I don't think such a move will be allowed to happen by others.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

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Yes - Oman is crucial for us, isn't it? Where we can never really have anything useful. To a certain extent I am coming around to the feeling of "internal development onlee". Thats the way to go - atta boy! we should try hard to convince others seriously about this - at least that they should believe that we seriously believe this.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

Published on Oct 07, 2010
Indian Ocean posing serious concern: Maldives Prez: PTI
Viewing Indian Ocean as India's "soft belly", Mumbai attacks Mohamed Nasheed has said it is posing increasingly "serious" concern as highlighted by the Mumbai attacks and favoured a framework agreement with India to take care of security and other issues. He sought to allay concerns here that

Maldives could be used as a route to attack India although he acknowledged that some nationals of his country were getting terror training in Pakistan and some other countries.

"Terrorism issue is apolitical. We have to get a good grip on it," Nasheed said in an interview while talking about the menace which is a cause of concern for the region and beyond.

"Security issues in Indian Ocean have lately been getting more and more serious...I mean we see the Mumbai attack also as an Indian ocean issue," he said.

Noting that "India's soft belly is through Indian Ocean" and no government in Delhi would be comfortable with it being exposed, he said Maldives and India are undertaking coordinated patrolling of the maritime areas.

"We have an understanding with India in patrolling... it is happening," he said, adding India had also lent a helicopter for aerial surveillance of the Indian Ocean region.

Nasheed, who was here on a three-day visit during which he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, however, favoured a framework agreement with India to take care of all issues encompassing relations between the two countries.

"Maldives and India have several agreements but it would be better if the two countries can have one comprehensive pact to deal with all security and other issues," the 43-year-old President said in the interview parts of which were issued earlier this week.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Klaus »

brihaspati wrote: India needs to acquire the IOR islands - buy, cajole to sell or give up, or at the minimum share in control and possession of those now used as "bases".
This would mean that India would be replicating Imperialist Japan (before and during WW2), when it was pursuing a mostly "island hopping" or insular strategy as opposed to projecting landmass based power. There would be no strategic depth in these islands as they are, without mainland India coming into the picture. Of course the key difference was Imperial Japan's was via military moves whereas India's would be through economic and geo-pol move making.

Partnerships with littoral states like Tanzania and Madagacar, which have not been seriously explored by India yet, could be the holy grail of the coming together of power projection and strategic depth of continental landmass and commited resources. Our partnership with Malawi in this regard is a step in the right direction. In fact, it is much easier for India to firmly secure the third entry to the IOR (the Cape route), however antiquated and unattractive it might seem, it will be of tremendous help and leverage when Islamist forces at the other two openings hold the rest of the world to ransom.

Oz has plenty of niches which have not yet been explored, both by goras and desh, their society is one living on the fringes, they havent really felt in "unioin" with the spirit of the land or what it has to offer, unlike CONUS. However closely monitored their society might be, when the battle comes down to prized Oz real estate, desh will be the 1000 pound gorrila and the highest bidder in the auction.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by brihaspati »

Klaus ji,
my post was targeted primarily at the military bases that exist, and those that can become military bases. Land based momentum was projected in the previous version of the "strat scenarios" thread and one on SEAsia not actively maintained. I would be keen to have Diego Garcia and things like that. As for land based projections - there is a different method for that. More "humane" and "civilized".

The African side is crucial but as I have tried to point out in "strategic scenarios" thread, the main problem lies with the mouth of the Red Sea, and which therefore extends to controlling Somalia and Yemen. Both hot potatoes and both descending into non-mans land of Islamic warlords. To tackle those places you need a ruthlessness that India perhaps cannot show fro tactical reasons until certain other internal factors mature. These places were "pacified" by the early Brits [and before them by the Arab slavers] using methods that would have landed any mid 20th century force in a Nuremberg style trial. And islamists will themselves hide behind the liberal face of modern European legal pretensions -which are nevertheless applied selectively - rarely against Islamic atrocities.

The whole of East and north Africa is turning Islamist radical - and therefore potentially anti-India.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

brihaspati wrote:India needs to acquire the IOR islands - buy, cajole to sell or give up, or at the minimum share in control and possession of those now used as "bases".
  • Maldives: Maldives highest point is 8 feet high. Maldives is severely prone to rising sea levels and stormy whether due to global warming. India could build a small coastal town on the Indian Shoreline, and offer citizenship and housing to the 300,000 Maldivians, if in a referendum, they approve of an Instrument of Accession to India. In the meantime, they can be given dual citizenship.
  • Sri Lanka: This would be a difficult nut to crack. But India needs to an outreach program towards the Sinhala. IPL is a good start. We should tempt Sri Lanka to enter into a currency and market union with India first. Three lobbies in Sri Lanka India needs to befriend is Media, Clergy and Army. The Buddhist Clergy in Sri Lanka could be extremely useful in influencing public opinion if we knew how to persuade them. India is home to Buddhism. We are the Mecca of Buddhism. Why should it be so difficult to befriend them? Some creativity should be promoted here. Similarly Indian Armed Forces and Sri Lankan Armed Forces should have intensive military exercises together, and Sri Lankan Military Officer Corp should be getting some training in India also. India could give Sri Lankan Mediamen some scholarships to travel around India and report about India to the Sri Lankans.
  • Mauritius: With Mauritians of Indian Ancestry being 62% of the population, an integration with India should not be difficult. India would have to throw some lollipops to the other Mauritians (Creoles, etc) as well, but that should be doable. Give scholarships to other Mauritians.
  • Seychelles, Réunion, Comoros, etc.: India could give some incentives to Indians who migrate there.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

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Published on Oct 13, 2010
Mombasa welcomes Chinese navy hospital ship Peace Ark: Xinhua
NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government has applauded the visit of the Chinese navy hospital ship Peace Ark.

Addressing the press conference in his office the deputy Provincial Commissioner (PC) Joseph Satia has said the exercise will enable people get access to medical treatment.

The ship set sail from Zhejiang province in east China on Aug. 31, for visits to Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, the Seychelles and Bangladesh, and providing medical treatment for locals.

Peace Ark is the first hospital ship in the world with a 10,000- ton capacity.

China independently developed and built it.

It has 428 soldiers, officers and medical workers aboard.

The ship will arrive at Kenya’s coast on October 13.

The Chinese ambassador to Kenya, as well as representatives from the Kenyan Navy are expected to meet the ship and her crew.
China is expanding its soft-power outreach to IOR countries.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Carl_T »

brihaspati wrote:Yes - Oman is crucial for us, isn't it? Where we can never really have anything useful. To a certain extent I am coming around to the feeling of "internal development onlee". Thats the way to go - atta boy! we should try hard to convince others seriously about this - at least that they should believe that we seriously believe this.
Which part?
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

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Mauritius could hand over 2 islands to India
According to sources privy to the talks, the idea is to let Indian corporates develop hotels and resorts and upgrade the existing airstrip into an airport. The land could also be used for agriculture and other strategic purposes by India.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by SwamyG »

When was the last time any country purchased land from any other entity? The famous ones I can think of are Alaska and the Louisiana Purchase in North America. India could attempt at something like that no? Maybe Chittagong?
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Sudip »

SwamyG wrote:When was the last time any country purchased land from any other entity? The famous ones I can think of are Alaska and the Louisiana Purchase in North America. India could attempt at something like that no? Maybe Chittagong?
Maybe Khulna might be a better idea. It seems like the district with the largest minority and is also the closest to indian borders. The Mongla port could be developed.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by hnair »

VinodTK wrote:Mauritius could hand over 2 islands to India
According to sources privy to the talks, the idea is to let Indian corporates develop hotels and resorts and upgrade the existing airstrip into an airport. The land could also be used for agriculture and other strategic purposes by India.
Sweet sweet sweet. Very unsinkable looking, those long airstrip like islands!! Fit for landing a 737 or its other derivatives.....

Separately, looks like Mauritius is slipping off our happy zone and if this deal is done, the cutoff is going to be even more stark. Wonder if the panda dropped in to peddle some white powder to our Creole brothers? :evil:
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by Sudip »

Sweet sweet sweet. Very unsinkable looking, those long airstrip like islands!! Fit for landing a 737 or its other derivatives.....

Separately, looks like Mauritius is slipping off our happy zone and if this deal is done, the cutoff is going to be even more stark. Wonder if the panda dropped in to peddle some white powder to our Creole brothers? :evil:
Iv spent some years there. I remember having mauritian friends of chinese origin. So that is always a likelihood :-( It seems there is no country with a little china town in it, barring sub-saharan africa where they r expanding fast! :-(
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by SwamyG »

Sudip wrote:
SwamyG wrote:When was the last time any country purchased land from any other entity? The famous ones I can think of are Alaska and the Louisiana Purchase in North America. India could attempt at something like that no? Maybe Chittagong?
Maybe Khulna might be a better idea. It seems like the district with the largest minority and is also the closest to indian borders. The Mongla port could be developed.
Chittagong is more strategic.
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Re: India - The Indian Ocean Civilization & IOR

Post by RajeshA »

Indo-Mauritians represent a majority comprising 68% of the Mauritius population according to the July 2007 statistics
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