By Zakir Hussain
Last week the USS Paul Jones, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, conducted patrol 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands in Indian Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) without any prior consent. This has left all those surprised who were celebrating the growing bonhomie between Biden-Modi governments. In fact they had reasons to celebrate.
A series of developments such as the recent successful Quad meeting, strategic meeting on annual energy security, US emergence of India’s 2nd largest energy supplier, 4-day visit of John Kerry, Special Envoy of Climate, to New Delhi, are cited to prove that both countries are now working on a definitive agenda of cementing and promoting their bilateral and multilateral interests.
Some also had seen these developments as success of the Modi-government in diluting the Trump effect and their common objectives have become more pressing to work together.
The whole story began on 7th of April 2021 the 7th Fleet of the US Navy entered uncharted Indian water and on 9th April itself announced that it had used its FONA (freedom of navigation operation) in the Indian water without taking the consent of the government. The US Navy defined this action as “challenging India’s excessive maritime claims”.
The Indian foreign ministry reacted, “India’s stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is that the Convention does not authorize other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and on the continental shelf, military exercises or maneuvers, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state”. “The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits. We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of U.S.A through diplomatic channels.” The US is not a signatory of UNCLOS.
Being one of the signatories, India avails rights over EEZ, covering up to 200 nautical miles and continental shelf. The Sea Law enunciates that no state can enter in EEZ and continental shelf without obtaining prior consent of the coastal states. In the past, Chinese ships too entered without prior consent into the Indian water but they were chased out by the Indian security forces.
Some sensitive strategists referred to this as “gunboat diplomacy”, amounting it to the 1971 War when the Nixon administration sent the Task Force 74 of the 7th Fleet to the Bay of Bengal on the pretext of evacuating its citizens from the warzone. At that time, the USSR stood with us. But this time, the situation seems different. The Russian foreign minister Sergi Lavrov ended his New Delhi visit without meeting PM Modi, while Johan Kerry who was on a four-day visit had his fruitful meeting.
How Experts Interpret the US Navy’s action!!
Experts feel that the US entry simply marks that it has asserted its navigational rights and freedom in Indian water as it has been doing in the South China Sea.
An alternative view emphasizes that when Indian foreign ministry said, “The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits”, it means that the government was well aware of the activities of the US fleet in its Western water and the movement of US fleet in Indian water was to set a precedent for other international waters, especially in Malta, China.
Nevertheless, if we believe in this theory that whatever US fleet was doing in our EEZ we were aware of it and this was to set a precedent for others, even then how can we justify the rationality of inviting other big powerful force in our backyard?
Believe it or not, this is not the age of true friendship as we enjoyed with the USSR. Every nation is using all means to maximize its national interest. This is evident from the recent objection of all the three Quad members to our RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) scheme in WTO. The US has objected and sought clarification about our subsidy on rice, support price to cotton while Japan asked about Sugar, while Australia has not raised this issue in WTO but showed its concerns how to answer it’s own farmers.
So what is the Big issue?
Now the big question is: what is the nature and state of India and the US partnership? Is it on an equal footing or is it characterized by expediency of the Biden administration which perhaps aims to club regional countries to manage China!!
Another angle speculated is: The US could not get that much of cooperation from India as it was expecting, including such as India’s clear and concrete stand on Quad, cooperation in trade, investment and energy and clear policy stand on Russia, especially on the S-400, although India has delayed the payment.
India has taken some measures such as delaying the full payment of S-400 defense missile system, promoted the US to the position of the second largest oil supplier, largest trading partner of USD 122Bn, largest defense partner, enhanced military cooperation by signing all four foundational agreements (GSOMIA in 2002, LEMOA 2016, CAMCASA, 2018, BECA 2020), agreement to work on green, clean, sustainable climate and technology exchanges which Nisha Biswal, President India-US Business Council, termed as a “cornerstone of bilateral relationship” between the two countries.
But it seems that these measures are not enough to please Washington. The Biden administration wants more.
Can India afford more such as… Could it (India) afford openly siding with Washington against Beijing and create a permanent powerful enemy to its next door; should India join US sanction against Russia and totally snap its ties with Moscow as it has done with Iran.
Of course, India believes in “sharing is caring” principle. But how much India should share in this corona time when its own economy and society are itself doomed.
Indian government has conveyed its concerns to the Biden administration; however, I leave it to the readers to judge and decide the evolving nature of US-India relations.
India should not be taken for granted. This is a simple and straight message to both its allies and enemies. As a sign of determination the Modi government has asked China to speed up the disengagement processes.
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The author is a political economist.