Dr Muhammad Khan
ON 15 January 2020, while participating in Raisina Dialogue Indian Naval Chief Admiral Karambir Singh has been critical to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He clearly declared that these projects impinge Indian sovereignty, logic beyond perception. Earlier, Indian political leadership has been criticizing the projects for attaining political mileage and as part of US strategic partnership in Asia. The Admiral also quoted People Liberation Army (Navy) intruding into exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of India. “There have been instances when PLA ships entered our exclusive economic zones; we told them that it impinges on our interests. There has been increasing Chinese involvement in Indian Ocean.” Indian military criticism against these projects at a time once there is an internal chaos in India after passage of controversial constitutional amendment (CAA) has three connotations. One, India is trying to divert the attention of its masses from domestic crises, the Indian society is facing. Two, on the request of Pakistan, China has convened a close door UNSC meeting over the Kashmir dispute, which was contested by India. The Indian propaganda against CPEC and BRI immediately after UNSC closed door meeting is a counter strategy. Three, India is trying to strengthen its strategic partnership with America. US State Department and even Pentagon have been constantly issuing statements against these projects.
Indian Ocean has been a region, where India is constantly contesting the presence of PLA (N). Since China is trying to exert its power in the broader Asia including Indian Ocean, therefore, any Chinese military manoeuvre is being contested by US and India. The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan also rejected the US criticism on these projects after visiting US Assistant Secretary Ms Alice Wells issued a statement in Islamabad about CPEC and BRI. Pakistan too considers this illogical US criticism as un-desired and untimely. ‘The Raisina dialogue is a premier event conducted annually with support from the Ministry of External Affairs where more than 100 countries take part and discuss geopolitics.’ It is worth mentioning that Indian defence budget for the year 2019-20 is $ 61.96 billion whereas Pakistani defence budget is less than $6 billion. Over the years, India has been increasing its defence budget constantly and still feel, “This defence budget falls critically short in the overall endeavour of capacity building of our armed forces to cater for envisioned threat perception.” Practically, over the past decade, the rise in the Indian defence budget has been more than double. The defence inventory, India has increased, includes: 272-306 fighter aircraft and 56 medium transport aircraft. For the Indian Army, 3,000 to 3,600 artillery guns, 66,000 assault rifles, 66,000 rounds of armour-piercing ammunition for T-90 tanks besides many other miscellaneous small arms. India has added 12 diesel-electric submarines, 6 nuclear attack submarines and 7 stealth frigates. There is a planning that India will purchase about 1000 helicopters for all three Services. Despite this long wish list, India intend purchasing during the next few years, Indian military authorities feel that, “defence budget falls critically short in the overall endeavour of capacity building of our armed forces to cater for envisioned threat perception.”
In a bid to compete Chinese military development, India is developing is naval power, based on capabilities. In order to dominate Indian Ocean as ‘India Ocean’ India has made major defence allotment for its Navy. Besides, India has the intention to play its part in the pacific; the Indo-Pacific strategy. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an independent institute on global security, together with US and China, India is among the top 15 countries that have the highest military spending for many years now. Increase in the Indian defence budget is promoting arms race in the region. Today, South Asia is home to world’s largest number of poor people in the world. The primary reason of this poverty is the expanding expenditures on defence by almost all countries, especially India and Pakistan. Indeed, there is a never-ending arms race in the region, which emanates from the aggressive designs of India against all regional states. India revealed its aggressive designs immediately after decolonization of the region, starting from Pakistan, on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and Sir Creek. Nevertheless, those basic issues are still pending for the resolution, rather over the years, there arose many more issues, some of them as progeny of these issues like Siachen and water issues, having their origin in Kashmir dispute, which India unilaterally annexed with it as union territories in August 2019.
After acquisition of Rafale aircrafts from France, Indian political and military leadership is directly threatening Pakistan. Indian Air Force also received 8 out of the 22 Apache helicopters from US. These helicopters have variety of weapon which includes 70 mm Hydra rockets, air-to-ground Hellfire missiles and air-to-air Stinger missiles. US also allowed IAF to use Chinook helicopters. The heavy duty helicopter would allow the Indian Air Force to move heavy equipment to difficult terrain. Its Navy has an agreement of US$ 3 billion for nuclear submarine with Russia. With the massive military build-up, India has rapidly become a threat for all South Asian countries, especially Pakistan. Indeed, India has directly threatened Pakistan since it illegally annexed occupied Jammu and Kashmir into its union on August 5, 2019. Being its strategic partner, US must understand the rising clouds of war in South Asia, if India continues increasing its military modernization with an aggressive posture.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and International Relations at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
Indian military modernisation: A regional threat
