Sanat Kaul
Publisher: Pentagon Press
ISBN: 978-81-8274-774-6
About the Book
Since 1947, the Government of India has been curiously disinclined to dislodge itself from a Rip Van Winkle approach to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands that lie in the Bay of Bengal. The vast geographical spread of the archipelagos across 700 km can be understood only when we consider that approximately about 20 km separate Myanmar's Coco Island from Landfall, the northern most island in the Andaman archipelago, while Indira Point at the tip of Great Nicobar, the southern most island in the Nicobar archipelago, lies about 80 km from the tip of Sumatra in Indonesia. This is not a commonly known fact among Indians.
The ignorance about the islands is endemic and may be the cause for the current policy of 'masterly inactivity and benign neglect' of these high value national assets of immense untapped strategic, commercial and geopolitical potential.
In this context, the author draws attention to the policy adopted by the country in the fifties to Arunachal Pradesh, erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency(NEFA) when it was decided to administer the tribal region by creating a specialized Agency out of a portion of the state of Assam, which has led to good results politically. In this book the author analyses strategic challenges facing the country as st we enter into the second decade of the 21 century. The issues of 'Malacca Dilemma' for China and India's advantage as well as the issues of South China Sea, Naval Diplomacy and India's Look East Policy have been discussed. Further, India's settled maritime borders with its neighbours in this region is yet another great advantage. The author argues that a government at the Centre which perpetuates the existing policy, would be wilfully tying one arm behind its back, before going forth to meet national security challenges. The indifference towards tapping the strategic potential of the islands is not in national interest. The facts and circumstances in the book make clear that, going forward in st the 21 century, a continuation of shutting out the islands through a government policy of 'masterly inactivity and benign neglect' as the preferred strategy instrument to keep the islands safe from inimical and anti-national elements, would be contrary to national interest and security. On the other hand, leveraging these assets as proposed would give the country a position of strength on issues of security.
Finally, the author argues that though the islands are an environmentally sensitive region, its strategic importance in the present day context for India cannot be diminished. The book offers suggestions about ways in which India can leverage the geographical location of the islands, especially the Great Nicobar Island at the western entrance of the Straits of Malacca, to tap the potential of the islands to meet India's commercial and security challenges without sacrificing the environmental concerns
About The Author
Sanat Kaul was posted as Deputy Commissioner, Nicobar islands from 1975-1977 and again from 1991-1993 when he also served as Chief Secretary, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the last outpost of the Indian Republic in the Bay of Bengal. The Bay Islands came immediately following a posting in Arunachal Pradesh from 1973-1975 where he served in several capacities including Deputy Secretary(Political). Arunachal had already exposed Kaul to the ground realities of administration and security compulsions in the remote and sensitive sub-Himalayan state located on the Sino-Indian border. Tours of duty in Arunachal and A&N, both abutting international borders, provided Kaul the unique opportunity to assess and critically analyse the government's attitude and quality of approach since 1947 to the remote tribal territories. It brought intrinsic understanding of the critical geopolitical importance of the islands which end up at the western entrance of the Straits of Malacca and for the urgent need for decision makers to shed apparent apathy, to harness the strategic potential of the island assets to further national interest. The author is convinced that, going forward, a deliberate failure to deploy the A&N strategic assets to strengthen India's geopolitical position will be directly adverse to India's national security and national defence.
Sanat Kaul served variously during his career in the civil service, including in the Ministries of Defence, Finance, Home and Civil Aviation (including a stint as India's Representative to ICAO). He holds a Ph.D. (Economics) from University of London and Masters degree in Economics from London School of Economics, U.K.
Sanat Kaul retired from the Indian Administrative Service in 2007 and lives in Delhi.
Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
List of Maps, Photographs and Table
Introduction
Background of Andaman & Nicobar ArchipelagosMaps and Distances
Background of Andaman Islands
Some Features of Port Blair
The Andaman Story
History of Nicobar Islands
The Credibility of R. Akoojee Jadwet & Company
1947: India becomes Independent
2004 Tsunami and the Nicobar Islands: Role of Ellon Henongo
Conclusion
Importance of Straits of Malacca
Why Straits of Malacca is the Preferred Option?
Piracy and its Implications for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Straits of Malacca
China’s Malacca Dilemma
Malacca Dilemma: Finding alternatives to Straits of Malacca
Alternative 1
The Myanmar Alternative
Alternative 2
KRA Canal
Alternative 3
Gwadar Port
Alternative 4
Malaysian Alternative
Alternative 5
The International Law of the Sea and India’s Maritime
Legislative History
Developments Till 1965 Post-Independence India
UNCLOS I—1958
UNCLOS II—1960
Developments After 1965
Maritime Act, 1976
UNCLOS III—1973-82
The outcome of UNCLOS III—The 1982 Convention
on the Law of the Sea
Maritime Boundaries
Agreements with Littoral Neighbours
Tri-junction Agreements
South China Sea
Chinese Policy of Declaring Core Interest and the Camouflage of Peaceful Rise
Basis of Chinese Claims over South China Sea
China’s Status under UNCLOS III and Disputes with its Maritime Neighbours
Rise of Regional Groupings in Indo-Pacific Region:
Civil Initiative
Introduction
ASEAN—A True Indo-Pacific Regional Group
BIMSTEC
Indian Ocean Rim – Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)
Mekong Ganga Project
Conclusion
Indian Naval Diplomacy and Defence Initiatives
Milan Exercise
Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
Malabar Exercise
SIMBEX with Singapore
JIMEX with Japan
A Strategic Shift in India’s Defence Policy Post-LEP 1991 and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
US Tilt Towards India
India and Japan: Convergence of Views
India and Australia
China in Indian Ocean Region
Chinese Apprehension
The ASEAN Conundrum
China-India Conflict in South China Sea
Post-26/11 Developments and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Mumbai Attack: Lessons
History of Defence Establishment in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The Forward Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Leveraging Soft Power: A Tourism Policy for Andaman & Nicobar Islands that
Compliments the Forward Policy
Complementarity between Tourism and Security
Complementarity between Environment and Security
Trade-off between Security and Environment
Present Civil Policy—Environmental Issues Dominate
Supreme Court of India and Environment of Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Environmental Concerns and Development
Island Development Authority (IDA)
Environment and Tourism: The Soft Option
Why Tourism?
Draft Tourism Policy
The Final Version of Tourism Policy
Comparative Tourism Policies of Select Countries 10. Andaman & Nicobar Islands—Strategic Challenges:
A Proposed Policy Prescription
Integrating Andaman & Nicobar Islands with LEP
Soft Power Option
National Security and Uninhabited Islands
Scuba Diving a Source of Surveillance and Environmental Protection
Policy Towards Nicobar Islands
Mass Tourism Versus High Value Tourism
Locating Tourism Sites with Strategic Value
Issues of Connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Domestic Air Connectivity: Government of India Policy on
Connecting Remote Locations
Direct International Connectivity
MoU with Phuket: Sister Cities
Telecom Connectivity
The Indo-Pacific and the Nicobar Islands—Strategic Angle
Appendices
The Boundary Agreement Between China and Pakistan,
March 1963 198
Memorandum of Understanding Between Phuket Chamber of
Commerce and Andaman Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, November 2003 202
Agreement of Friendship/Cooperation Between City of Port
Blair and Phuket Province, June 2005
Bibliography
Index
Order Hard Copy
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