INDIA’S OCEAN, CHINA’S SEA

HISTORICALLY, THE MARITIME DOMAIN has played a crucial role in power transitions in India’s turbulent past, and since it will also be the source of future challenges, it continues to shape regional dynamics and our destiny. Unfortunately, maritime power has remained a ‘grey area’ for India’s political and national security elite, giving rise to the belief (commonly held by sailors) that they are afflicted with ‘sea blindness’. But is this an appropriate juncture to discuss maritime matters, when India is locked in a military confrontation with China on its northern borders?

While diplomatic and military parleys are under way, it appears unlikely that, given their past intransigence and exaggerated claims, the Chinese will pull back or