Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Q. How can strategic partnership counter PLA (N) assertiveness in SCS and IOR?

Replied by Kota Mallikarjuna Gupta, Research Associate, VIF

Chinese Navy PLA (N) with its ever increasing naval assets, mostly indigenous, increases the maritime challenges for many countries in SCS and IOR. China is also involved in building up submarine arsenal of its partner country in IOR. There is also strategic relevance for some ports constructed by Chinese companies in IOR region. The gap between PLA (N) and naval forces of other countries in SCS and IOR is already very wide. Recently, the presence of Chinese research vessels/ satellite tracking ships and fishing boats in IOR escalated security concerns for many countries in Indo-Pacific region. Strategic Partnership..

Q. What are the ways in which Chinese assertiveness in the SCS and IOR can be balanced?

Replied by Kota Mallikarjuna Gupta, Research Associate, VIF

Chinese assertiveness in SCS and IOR can be balanced with increased diplomatic, economic and military engagements with countries in the region. Many countries in SCS and IOR have large trade deficits with China in their bilateral trade. China also emerged as major arms supplier to few countries in both SCS and IOR. Chinese assertiveness in this region can only be balanced by decreasing the economic interdependence of many countries on China for their development and infrastructure requirements. Chinese investments through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) worsened the economic conditions of many countries in Indo-Pacif..

Q. What should India do to avoid external influence to India's democratic system?

Replied by Naval Jagota, Senior Research Fellow, VIF

In order to minimize or avoid external influence manifesting into India’s internal democratic decision making system. First and foremost is to have robust internal institutions manned by competent individuals with diversity and balance of experience and knowledge. Influence operations on the democratic system of a country are done in many ways, such as influencing the decision makers or by influencing the polity. The medium through which generally it can be done is through the media which encompasses print, television as well as social media. Another area in which influence is brought to bear is through multilateral instituti..

Q. As the USA builds NATO to tackle RUSSIA(USSR), why can't INDIA build something like NATO to tackle CHINA? We can build an organization in which we can put together all the nations which have disputes with China. And also we can have the USA with us in that organization?

Replied by Prerna Gandhi, Associate Fellow, VIF

China is the prime strategic challenge for India and will remain so in time ahead. External balancing is a key component in India's strategy in dealing with the China challenge. However, it isn't our policy to join military alliances as India wants to retain strategic autonomy and does not support bloc politics. Also our prime concern is our own border with China. India is part of the Quad security grouping that involves the US, Japan and Australia. The Quad is, however, not a mutual defense security pact like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Quad by virtue of its flexibility brings together strategic capabilities ..

Q. As per US statements they want to extract much out of Russia from this conflict so as to weaken them. They hope the Ukraine war will weaken Russia psychologically, economy, military, financing and will limit Russian presence in the Arctic Circle. Is the USA aiming to counter Russia's strategy by setting up blue hydrogen facility and becoming the major provider of natural resources from Arctic?

Replied by Prerna Gandhi, Associate Fellow, VIF

The United States by virtue of Alaska is an Arctic country. Russia, on the other hand, covers almost half of the latitudinal circle with 1/5th of Russia's landmass north of the Arctic Circle. Both are members of the Arctic Council, the foremost political body managing the Arctic Circle. With global warming and opening up of Arctic sea routes, there has been a renewed focus on the Arctic with both countries seeking to secure their political, security, economic, and other interests in the region. The Ukraine-Russia war and the breakdown in European security architecture has further prompted the Arctic to emerge as a new theatre for c..

Q. Since 2014, various forms of organized subversive protests are on rise. Disguised national and international funding is undoubtedly involved. What has been done to identify these fundings and other economic resources which fuels these activities?

Replied by Anurag Sharma, Research Associate, VIF

Thank you for your question, Rishikesh. As per the information provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2021, around 22,691 active organisations were registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCA), 2010, which have received or receiving fundings from abroad during 2017-2020. Upon any information about the misuse of foreign funds furthering terrorist or anti-India activities received by the Ministry of Home Affairs, appropriate action under the FCA and other laws is taken. For instance, an NGO— ‘Islamic Research Foundation (IRF)’ found to have links with terror groups. The IRF was proscribed u..

Q. Is there any option for India to get Chattogram from Bangladesh so that we can make the landlocked Tripura and Mizoram gain access to the Blue lane and provide a major commercial route of shipping for the eastern states of India? (of note the scenario also considering the current state of Myanmar which is under a military coup)

Replied by Dr Sreeradha Datta, Centre Head & Senior Fellow, Neighbourhood Studies, VIF

India has no interest to 'get' Chittagong. Indeed ever since 2010 , when India and Bangladesh have been working closely on a gamut of issues including building cross border bilateral transport connectivity projects that will also include the South Asian sub-region, the two neighbours have been able to develop a huge network of cross border transport facilities . This amongst others has indeed brought the Northeast region closer to mainland India through many of the new bilateral agreements. Amongst many other cross border transport projects, Bangladesh had also agreed to giving India transh..

Q. Israel is now having working relationship with Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE etc all Sunni nations, but not with Iran, a Shia nation(so called moderate in Islamic terms). What maybe the reasons for the same?

Replied by Hirak J Das

The fundamental reason for Israel’s isolation in the West Asian region is the continuing occupation of Palestinian territories. The pan-Arab and pan-Islamic solidarity for the Palestinian cause in the Arab world has been gradually overshadowed by newer concerns about transnational terrorist groups, Islamist mass movements like Muslim Brotherhood; nuclear proliferation, post-oil economic prospects, etc. Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco have adapted themselves to the changing realities. It is important to appreciate the context of the peace deals which are all based on strategic and economic considerations. Israel after signing the peace d..

Q. Pegasus: Security concerns to India & What are steps taken to tackle such Cyber Security threats?

Replied by Anurag Sharma, Research Associate, VIF

Thank you for your question. Cyberspace is a dynamic and complex environment of users, networks, information systems, and services. Due to its characteristics of anonymity and borderless, cyberspace is vulnerable to various security concerns worldwide. In October 2019, Indian news media reported global breach of WhatsApp data, including around 121 Indians, with the use of ‘Pegasus’ programme developed by Israel-based organisations—NSO Group. The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) raised concerns, and on 02nd November 2019, the MeitY had received response from WhatsApp on the matter. The Indian Com..

Q. With Pakistan on one side and China on the other, how do you see the Border Security situation along LOC & LAC, in addition to Taliban, which came up as a new threat?

Replied by Lt Gen Gautam Banerjee, Editor, VIF

Geography, vitiated by two powerful – one dictatorially autocratic and the other dictated by religious fanaticism – and instinctively expansionist neighbours, both with propensity to seek their goals through military power, places India under a state of perpetual threat. That the two are close collaborators and are more or less in league with the Taliban ideology make the matter worse. LoC and LAC are but manifestations of that burden. Independent India on the other hand, is focused on socio-economic uplift of the poverty ridden masses, as it should be. However, the Indian state has been distracted by banal notions to link th..