Consensus of Littoral States
In our view, those who flout the consensus of the Indian Ocean littoral states and the majority of non-aligned nations are not adding to their credibility in regard to their interest in arms control measures. We in India feel that the question of the Indian Ocean as a peace zone is intimately and inextricably linked up with other proposals to promulgate various categories of peace and neutrality zones in different parts of Asia.
As far as the Indian Ocean is concerned, not only the people of the region but also the world community as a whole have already expressed their views and concerns. The U.N. General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution in December, 1971 designating the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace for all time and called upon the great powers to halt further escalation and expansion of their military presence and to eliminate their bases, military installations and nuclear weapons from the Indian Ocean. The non-aligned nations conference in Lusaka in 1970 and in Algiers in 1973 declared themselves unequivocally for the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace. The ad-hoc committee, of which India is a member, which was established by the U.N. General Assembly, is also playing a valuable role in promoting the cause of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace.
It is not enough to pass resolutions or make protestations. It is time for action before it is too late. The U. N. General Assembly's call to the great powers to refrain from expanding their military presence in the Indian Ocean as an essential first step has to be heeded. The U.N. conference on the Indian Ocean proposed by the U.N. in its resolution this year should also take place at the earliest possible date.
As far as India is concerned, I would once again appeal for sincere cooperation of all concerned in making the Indian Ocean a zone of peace and tranquility, which will not only contribute to the security, stability and progress of the region but also serve the wider cause of world peace. It is hardly necessary to emphasis that the Indian Ocean and what goes on in it, is not the concern of India alone but is also the concern of the littoral and hinterland states of the Indian Ocean and, if I may say so, is the concern of the international community as a whole.
Indeed, the movement for making the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace gained momentum only after the adoption of the December 1971 resolution by the U.N. General Assembly at the initiative of Sri Lanka.