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Concern over Indian Ocean developments
India's policy on the Indian Ocean is a logical and natural outcome of its policy of peaceful co-existence and non-alignment — fundamental tenets of foreign policy set by the late Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, when India became independent.
Only twenty-seven years ago the decolonisation process was initiated in the Indian Ocean region with the transfer of power to this country. Our memories go back to the closing years of the 18th and early years of the 19th centuries when naval rivalry among the then great powers resulted in their occupation of the entire Indian Ocean area. The interaction of the rivalries of external powers and the disputes and quarrels among the littoral States and principalities resulted in the establishment of British, French, Dutch and Portuguese colonialism over the peoples of Asia and Africa. It is therefore, no wonder that their is extreme sensitivity among the littoral nations regarding great power rivalries and rival naval deployments.
4000-Mile Coastline
India has for long worked consistently and steadfastly towards the goal of making the Indian Ocean a zone of peace, free from great power rivalry and military involvement. We have repeatedly expressed our position that large-scale presence of the navy of one great power is bound to attract the navies of other great powers, thus heightening tensions and creating problems for the littoral countries.
Most of the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean are developing countries, which wish to devote all their energies and resources to the immense task of economic development and which cannot but be adversely affected by the consequences of tension and rivalry in the Indian Ocean area. What happens in the Indian Ocean is of concern to all the littoral countries. India is particularly concerned as it is a maritime nation with a 4,000-mile long coastline and its major trade and communication routes traverse the ocean. It is significant that the concept of Indian Ocean as a zone of peace has gained greater support over the last two or three years, and countries like Australia and New Zealand have also begun lending support to the proposal of zone of peace.
However, taking into account the political and military realities, the onus for taking concrete action towards establishment of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace lies clearly with the great powers for it is they who have to curb their military presence and activity in the Indian Ocean and to eliminate existing bases and refrain from setting up new ones.