– Dr. Rahul Kumar, Diplomacy and Security Expert-
(Samaj Weekly)- QUAD is a strategic security dialogue between India, USA, Japan and Australia. Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Indian Prime Minister, was of the view that the group was not ganging up on China but simply meeting to exchange views on development from our experiences as democracies. India –China relations deteriorated when in June 2020 People’s Liberation Army(PLA) troops ambushed and killed 20 Indian soldiers including Colonel Santosh Babu in the Galwan Valley in the Ladakh sector of the contested LAC( Line of Actual Control). Since the formation of QUAD, India with other militarily, politically and economically powerful members is unable to restrain the belligerence of China in the Indo-pacific regions. Rather, China has increased its strategic footprints in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka thereby further weakening India`s influence and dominance in these states. The edge that China enjoys is that it is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council(UNSC) and is capable to exercise influence whereas India is a non-permanent member of UNSC.
India gave $112 million military aid to Nepal, $28 million military aid to Bangladesh, $42 million military aid to Myanmar, $42 million military aid to Maldives and Bhutan $403 million military aid to Bhutan( Defence Capital, 2020,p.11). Under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India launched the Security and Growth for All in the Region(SAGAR) in 2015 and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative(IPOI) for maritime security. SAGAR policy works through the channels of regional organizations like BIMSTEC, ASEAN, IORA. The SAGAR doctrine has not been able to fill the power vacuum of the IOR.
It is often alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team in the Indian External Affairs Ministry have been observed pursuing foreign policy in regard to China not independently but under the influence of the United States of America. Geopolitical situations are changing swiftly particularly after the invasion of Russia on Ukraine. There is an urgent need for the New Delhi establishment to make stronger relations with the neighbouring countries before China leaves no option for India to recover.
In the QUAD, Australia is quite weak as compared to Japan. China directly and indirectly has caused a colossal damage to the Australian economy by taking back their students from Australian universities. India gains no support by depending upon Australia hence India needs to follow its own independent thinking if it wants to calm down China. India also needs to gear up its activities on SAGAR. Simply making rhetorical gestures would not serve any substantial purpose for India. India needs to practice soft diplomacy in order to achieve its political and economic objectives. The more it irritates China at the behest of other QUAD members the more it is going to lose.
