mangalore today

Nuclear power to combat China, need of the hour


Mangalore Today News Network

Manipal, Nov 07, 2017:  Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla AVSM, Chief of Personnel, Indian Navy, Naval Headquarters , opined that India should build up its military strategies and options.  Specially to empower itself with nuclear power to combat the concern over the rise of China in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), said the Vice Admiral.


Anil Kumar 7 n...


He was delivering a talk on "India’s Preparedness to China’s Growing Presence in the Indian Ocean Region", organised by the Department of Geo Politics and International Relations, Manipal University, on Nov 6, Monday.

The Vice Admiral said, "Our country, India, needs to empower itself to be strong enough to counter the military strategies in the India Ocean adopted by the China. The wars take place between inequalities. The strong will never fight the strong. India needs to maintain adequate military strength and comprehensive strategies. The country needs powerful nuclear deterrent. Besides, the partnerships should be developed and investments in the regional security networks is also the need of the hour."

He pointed out that China has bought out seven white papers, and it has been explicitly told in all that it wants to be the global Navy. "India will stay in Indian waters for other human beings and does not encounter any fear of losing its existence as similar to that of China. The British and the USSR failed to establish their sway on the Indian Ocean, hence there are also possibilities of China facing similar vulnerability," he stated.

Chawla also said that the Indian Ocean is the only ocean in the world that is named after a country. Asserting that China has varied reasons to claim its designed military strategies in the Indian Ocean, the Vice Admiral said China is a new player and a novice in the area. "China claims that economy is the priority in building base at Indian Ocean, however, in reality, China is going beyond the economic dealings in its intent in the IOR. It also claims that to combat piracy, it is opting the dynamic defence strategies in Indian waters. It is true that piracy is happening, however, nuclear operation is not required. The submarines and war ships are put under the guise of piracy combat operation, he maintained. China started its IOR venture with merely three war ships in 2008 and currently has 17-18 warships operating in the IOR. Chinese Navy is in the 2nd position in the list operating in the IOR.

"China is also a major player in the humanitarian assistance during disaster. PIL Navy (China Navy) is A huge medical aid in the Ocean. China makes an attempt to be generous to hide its real intentions to be in the IOR and to claim that it is not slanted towards military ambitions," said Chawla.

Stating that India has undissolved border dispute with China, the Vice Admiral said that the very fact increases the vulnerability against China’s maritime power in IOR.

"There are apprehensions over China’s arguments that its investments in the IOR is in developing the trade with the underdeveloped and developing countries in the neighbourhood of the IOR and also the bases that are being built. The China-Pakistan economic border is also a matter of concern, besides the close nexus of China and Pakistan in the past 60 years. There is no other country in the world except China, which is sharing its nuclear technology with Pakistan. China would work on all probabilities to keep India tight down," he said.

Chawla added there is a naval exercise that is being organised in the Indian waters in the months of January and February, wherein 23 navies from all over world would converge.