Maritime Security and Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region

by Commodore R. S. Vasan 

(Theme Address delivered by Commodore RS Vasan IN (Retd) during the joint seminar conducted by Center for Asia Studies and Stella Maries College on 08 August 2012 at Helene DE Chappotin Center)

Any seminar on the Security Challenges in the Indian Ocean region, brings attention to the twin subjects of  terrorism and piracy as the two main ingredients. Indeed these two headings have taken centre stage particularly due to the impact on mercantile marine trade that is coming under increased pressure as they traverse through high risk areas. There is enhanced awareness that Indian Ocean is the focus of the world due to the growing of economies and the dependence of these economies on the sea routes for development and security. Though most of the discussions tend to focus on conventional security challenges, there is a need to remember that the very concept of security has undergone a paradigm shift. So when we discuss the security challenges in the Indian Ocean, we also have to discuss issues of security which are distinctly different from the conventional security mould. The reference is to do with fisheries and livelihood security, environmental security, Search and Rescue, Marine Pollution and other such non glamorous issues.

Sri Lanka: Moving from 'Tamil Eelam' to 'Eelam Tamil'

By Col R Hariharan

Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) leader M Karunanidhi seems to have quietly acquiesced to New Delhi’s pressure to shift the focus of his widely publicized “Eelam Tamils’ Rights Protection Conference” on August 12 from ‘Tamil Eelam’ to ‘Eelam Tamil.’ The exercise was more than semantics; except for two – Thol Thirumavalavan of the Viduthalai Chiruthai Katchi (VCK) and Veeramani of the Dravida Kazagham (DK) – other mainline speakers hardly made a reference to an independent Tamil Eelam. Even Thiruma’s speech was mostly devoted to redeem Karunanidhi’s reputation damaged during the Eelam War-4.

Who cares for armed forces grievances?

For sometime now the armed forces, particularly the army, had been in the lime light for the wrong reasons. And TV channels went into a tizzy when the former Chief of Army Staff General VK Singh filed a case in the Supreme Court after his efforts to correct his date of birth in the official records failed. Recently a much more serious issue has been brought to the attention of the Government when the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and Naval Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma wrote to the Defence Minister about the absence of any representative from the Services in the committee examining armed forces’ pay and pension anomalies.

The normally taciturn defence minister has also pitched in to convey his concern in writing to the Prime Minister suggesting that “things may take a bad turn” if timely corrective action with regard to the anomalies in fixation of salaries and pensions of the armed forces is not initiated.

But the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh appears to have chosen to ignore these concerns, at least for the time being. Is the Prime Minister ignoring the storm signals? As he is not well known for his public communication, one would think so. But then who cares for armed forces grievances? This is what I hear veterans saying.

India Navy Force Modernisation

Two defence analysts have commented on the India’s Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Nirmal Verma address at the press conference in New Delhi on  August 2, 2012. Ajai Shukla in his blog http://ajaishukla.blogspot.in draws to CNS comment “major policy statements from the US, from our perspective the primary areas of interest to us is from the Malacca Strait to the (Persian/Arabian) Gulf in the west, and to the Cape of Good Hope in the south… the Pacific and the South China Sea are of concern to us, but activation in those areas is not on the cards.”

In this context the CNS pointed to the Indian Navy’s cooperation with China, particularly in anti-piracy patrols off West Asia, where the Indian, Chinese and Japanese navies coordinate their patrolling.

Sri Lanka Perspectives: July 2012

By Col R Hariharan

Highlights

• As provincial council elections in three provinces are nearing political parties are manoeuvring to gain advantageous position. The elections in Eastern Province which has an ethnic mix would indicate how much the government has managed to convince minorities of its performance.  

• Sri Lanka has announced an action plan to implement the recommendations of the LLRC.      

• India has signed agreements to implement the first phase of constructing 43000 houses  for IDPs. New Delhi’s coalition partner and leader of the DMK has agreed to drop the demand for Eelam from the agenda of Tamil Eelam supporters conference to be held in Chennai.