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India's Pearls in the Indian Ocean
Over the last decade or so, India has developed good security relationships with many states throughout the Indian Ocean, with particular focus on the maritime choke points of the Mozambique Channel in the southwest Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf in the northwest and the Malacca Strait in the northeast. India is also developing a security presence in the central Indian Ocean astride the east-west SLOCs across the Indian Ocean.
SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN
The southwestern Indian Ocean forms the gateway between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. India's security relationships in the region are anchored by its close relationship with Mauritius, the island territory that lies around 900km to the east of Madagascar. India has long-standing and close political, economic and security associations with Mauritius. Some 70% of the Mauritian population is of Indian ethnic origin and for several decades Mauritius has acted as the primary gateway for international investment into India (originating from the United States, Europe and elsewhere), largely due to favourable tax arrangements.24
Former Mauritian Prime Minister Paul Berenger described the bilateral relationship as "umbilical and sacred" and security relations as "intense".25
The current President Anerood Jugnauth describes the connection in terms of "blood relations".26
The Mauritian elite see India in largely benign terms and appear to have accepted India as having a special role in Mauritian security. Cooperation is formalised in a 1974 defence agreement under which India has transferred patrol boats and helicopters to Mauritius (including the supply of a patrol vessel in 2010) and provides training to Mauritian personnel and officers for the Mauritian National Coast Guard and Police Helicopter Squadron (effectively the Mauritian navy and air force). Since 2003, the Indian Navy has also provided maritime security through periodic patrols of Mauritian waters including anti-piracy patrols in 2010.
27
India also backs Mauritius' territorial claims to Diego Garcia which was separated from Mauritian administration in the 1960s.28
Mauritian political leaders have publicly indicated on several occasions that India would be permitted to establish naval facilities on Mauritius if it so wished 29
and there are claims that India already operates a signals intelligence station.30
In 2006 and 2007 there were reports of discussions between the Mauritian and Indian governments over the long term lease to the Indian government of the Agalega islands (which lie between the island of Mauritius and the Seychelles), ostensibly for tourism.31
It has been speculated that India's intention was to upgrade the Agalega airstrip to service Indian manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft.32
Discussions over the proposal reportedly ended due to political sensitivities concerning the local creole population (contemplating, perhaps, the complaints of the Diego Garcians who were dispossessed from their islands following a deal between the British and Mauritian governments). India also has growing security relationships with Madagascar, Mozambique and the Seychelles, littoral states in and around the crucial Mozambique channel, the SLOC used by shipping transiting the Cape of Good Hope. The security of the Seychelles was highly contested during the latter half of the Cold War as the United States and the Soviet Union competed to maintain or establish a security presence there. At the same time, India was seen by the Seychelles as a benign regional protector. In the early 1980s, Seychelles' leftist President Albert Rene sought commitments from Indira Gandhi to intervene in the case of an attempted coup. Although Gandhi declined to provide public commitments, India did contribute two helicopters and training to the Seychelles security forces.33
The Indian Navy has assisted with maritime security in the Seychelles EEZ under a 2003 defence cooperation agreement under which it provided anti-piracy patrols in early 2010.34
In 2005 India gifted a patrol boat to the Seychelles—reportedly in a hurried effort to pre-empt offers of Chinese assistance.35
In July 2007 the Indian Navy opened an electronic monitoring facility in northern Madagascar at the head of the Mozambique Channel36 and reportedly has also been granted "limited" berthing rights in Madagascar for Indian naval vessels.37
The Indian Navy has also acted as a maritime security provider for Mozambique, including taking responsibility for maritime security during the 2003 African Union and 2004 World Economic Forum summits held in Maputo.38
In 2006, India and Mozambique entered a defence cooperation agreement that envisages joint maritime patrols, supply of military equipment, training and technology transfer in repairing and assembling military vehicles, aircraft and ships.39
India's maritime security relationships in the southwestern Indian Ocean are also buttressed by growing maritime security relations with France and South Africa. Since 2001 the Indian Navy has conducted annual exercises with the French navy, which operates out of Reunion and Djibouti. India has also sponsored the "IBSA" trilateral security dialogue among India, Brazil and South Africa, pursuant to which trilateral naval exercises have been held in 2008 and 2010 off the Cape of Good Hope. Further south, India also has a growing presence in Antarctica, with one active research station and a second due to open in 2012. While some might see India as holding a strong security role in the southwest Indian Ocean, there are fears in New Delhi that China might undermine or pre-empt Indian's relationships. According to the former Indian Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Prakash, India "cannot afford to have any hostile or inimical power threatening the island states in this region".40
Political and economic relations between China and Mauritius and Seychelles are closely watched by New Delhi41 and it has been claimed that a so-called Chinese "thrust" towards these states presages Sino-naval rivalry in the western Indian Ocean.42
While China may develop better economic and political interests in the area, it seems unlikely that it would be able to dislodge India as the dominant security provider to Mauritius and there are no indications at present that it would be able to seriously challenge India's maritime security role elsewhere in the southwest Indian Ocean.
India's Pearls in the Indian Ocean
Over the last decade or so, India has developed good security relationships with many states throughout the Indian Ocean, with particular focus on the maritime choke points of the Mozambique Channel in the southwest Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf in the northwest and the Malacca Strait in the northeast. India is also developing a security presence in the central Indian Ocean astride the east-west SLOCs across the Indian Ocean.
SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN
The southwestern Indian Ocean forms the gateway between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. India's security relationships in the region are anchored by its close relationship with Mauritius, the island territory that lies around 900km to the east of Madagascar. India has long-standing and close political, economic and security associations with Mauritius. Some 70% of the Mauritian population is of Indian ethnic origin and for several decades Mauritius has acted as the primary gateway for international investment into India (originating from the United States, Europe and elsewhere), largely due to favourable tax arrangements.24
Former Mauritian Prime Minister Paul Berenger described the bilateral relationship as "umbilical and sacred" and security relations as "intense".25
The current President Anerood Jugnauth describes the connection in terms of "blood relations".26
The Mauritian elite see India in largely benign terms and appear to have accepted India as having a special role in Mauritian security. Cooperation is formalised in a 1974 defence agreement under which India has transferred patrol boats and helicopters to Mauritius (including the supply of a patrol vessel in 2010) and provides training to Mauritian personnel and officers for the Mauritian National Coast Guard and Police Helicopter Squadron (effectively the Mauritian navy and air force). Since 2003, the Indian Navy has also provided maritime security through periodic patrols of Mauritian waters including anti-piracy patrols in 2010.
27
India also backs Mauritius' territorial claims to Diego Garcia which was separated from Mauritian administration in the 1960s.28
Mauritian political leaders have publicly indicated on several occasions that India would be permitted to establish naval facilities on Mauritius if it so wished 29
and there are claims that India already operates a signals intelligence station.30
In 2006 and 2007 there were reports of discussions between the Mauritian and Indian governments over the long term lease to the Indian government of the Agalega islands (which lie between the island of Mauritius and the Seychelles), ostensibly for tourism.31
It has been speculated that India's intention was to upgrade the Agalega airstrip to service Indian manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft.32
Discussions over the proposal reportedly ended due to political sensitivities concerning the local creole population (contemplating, perhaps, the complaints of the Diego Garcians who were dispossessed from their islands following a deal between the British and Mauritian governments). India also has growing security relationships with Madagascar, Mozambique and the Seychelles, littoral states in and around the crucial Mozambique channel, the SLOC used by shipping transiting the Cape of Good Hope. The security of the Seychelles was highly contested during the latter half of the Cold War as the United States and the Soviet Union competed to maintain or establish a security presence there. At the same time, India was seen by the Seychelles as a benign regional protector. In the early 1980s, Seychelles' leftist President Albert Rene sought commitments from Indira Gandhi to intervene in the case of an attempted coup. Although Gandhi declined to provide public commitments, India did contribute two helicopters and training to the Seychelles security forces.33
The Indian Navy has assisted with maritime security in the Seychelles EEZ under a 2003 defence cooperation agreement under which it provided anti-piracy patrols in early 2010.34
In 2005 India gifted a patrol boat to the Seychelles—reportedly in a hurried effort to pre-empt offers of Chinese assistance.35
In July 2007 the Indian Navy opened an electronic monitoring facility in northern Madagascar at the head of the Mozambique Channel36 and reportedly has also been granted "limited" berthing rights in Madagascar for Indian naval vessels.37
The Indian Navy has also acted as a maritime security provider for Mozambique, including taking responsibility for maritime security during the 2003 African Union and 2004 World Economic Forum summits held in Maputo.38
In 2006, India and Mozambique entered a defence cooperation agreement that envisages joint maritime patrols, supply of military equipment, training and technology transfer in repairing and assembling military vehicles, aircraft and ships.39
India's maritime security relationships in the southwestern Indian Ocean are also buttressed by growing maritime security relations with France and South Africa. Since 2001 the Indian Navy has conducted annual exercises with the French navy, which operates out of Reunion and Djibouti. India has also sponsored the "IBSA" trilateral security dialogue among India, Brazil and South Africa, pursuant to which trilateral naval exercises have been held in 2008 and 2010 off the Cape of Good Hope. Further south, India also has a growing presence in Antarctica, with one active research station and a second due to open in 2012. While some might see India as holding a strong security role in the southwest Indian Ocean, there are fears in New Delhi that China might undermine or pre-empt Indian's relationships. According to the former Indian Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Prakash, India "cannot afford to have any hostile or inimical power threatening the island states in this region".40
Political and economic relations between China and Mauritius and Seychelles are closely watched by New Delhi41 and it has been claimed that a so-called Chinese "thrust" towards these states presages Sino-naval rivalry in the western Indian Ocean.42
While China may develop better economic and political interests in the area, it seems unlikely that it would be able to dislodge India as the dominant security provider to Mauritius and there are no indications at present that it would be able to seriously challenge India's maritime security role elsewhere in the southwest Indian Ocean.