Mad Momentum

It is in this context that India has voiced deep concern and anxiety over the projected expansion of the Diego Garcia military base, which will only aggravate the great power rivalry and tension. In our view, not only such great power rivalry and tension affect adversely the interests of the littoral States. But they are also counterproductive from the point of view of the great powers themselves. Very often balance of power considerations are urged to justify the build-up of bases and naval deployments of external powers. We have seen elsewhere in the world that there is a mad momentum in the armaments race again in the name of balance of power.

While peace is being strengthened by promoting detente and co-operation between the great powers in other areas of the world, the Indian Ocean should not become a scene of great power rivalry. This is not in consonance with the idea of relaxation of tensions throughout the world, not in keeping with the resolu­tions of the United Nations. It is also contrary to the aspirations of the overwhelming majority of the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean.

In our day and age, there is no strategy more effective and no concern more vital than that which serves the interests of peace and the welfare and progress of mankind. Unfortunately, one still hears of justifications for external naval presences in the Indian Ocean or bases there in terms of use of naval presence as an instrument of diplomatic leverage, a thesis reminiscent of the era of the "gunboat diplomacy".

In the present atomic age with its strategic compulsions, those who propose to wield such diplomatic leverage should not over­-look the fact that their very actions may end as self-fulfilling prophecies. The manipulators may be drawn into local disputes and be manipulated. This was one of the lessons of the tragedy of Vietnam.