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Oct 15, 2024
Ramaharitha Pusarla

Modi Elevates India’s Standing at ASEAN

Commemorating a decade of the Act East Policy (AEP), Prime Minister Modi on his two-day visit to attend the 21st India-ASEAN Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit in Laos PDR, has firmed up ties with the region. ASEAN comprises 10 Southeast Asian countries- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. India established dialogue relations with ASEAN in 1992. Over the years, the relations have gradually strengthened and improved. Marking the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-India diplomatic ties, New Delhi hosted an ASEAN-India commemorative summit under the theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny” in January 2018. At the 2018 Shanghai Dialogue, PM Modi for the first time strongly articulated India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy for a free, open, inclusive and stable Indo-Pacific region. At the 34th ASEAN summit, leaders adopted the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP), a blueprint of ASEAN engagement with Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions in June 2019. In November 2019 at the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) India announced the Indo-Pacific Ocean’s Initiative (IPOI) and highlighted the need for both sides to work together to seek common solutions for a rules-based order. The alignment of IPOI and AOIP laid a firm ground to enhance partnership between both sides on maritime security, sustainability, disaster prevention and management. AEP is the cornerstone of India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. ASEAN is the heart of India’s Act East Policy and is central to India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. ASEAN is the gateway to the South China Sea, a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Subsequently, in 2021, both sides adopted a Joint Statement on Cooperation for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in the region. By 2022, India and ASEAN elevated ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In 2023, both sides agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation and Food Security and Nutrition cooperation in response to crises. The partnership built on four Cs- Culture, Connectivity, Commerce and Capacity Building, was further revitalised at the India-ASEAN Summit at Lao, PDR with PM Modi proposing a 10-point program. In the context of this year's ASEAN Summit theme, "Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”, delivering India’s national statement, PM Modi has suggested 10 steps to reinvigorate the partnership. These include- Promoting tourism wherein India has committed $5 million and declared 2025 as the "ASEAN-India Year of Tourism”; commemorating a decade of AEP, enhancing people to people connect, Sides are planning Music Festival, Youth Summit, Hackathon, Start-Up Festival; holding annual Women Scientists Conclave under "India-ASEAN Science and Technology Fund"; increasing scholarships for ASEAN students at Nalanda University and Indian Agricultural Universities; a review of "ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement” to create a secure, resilient and reliable supply chain; attaining disaster resilience with close coordination between sides with fund allocation of $5 million from the “ASEAN-India Fund”; ensuring health resilience through an institutionalised framework including extending invitation to health experts from ASEAN to India’s Annual National Cancer Grid ‘Vishwam Conference’; digital and cyber resilience; Green Future and Climate resilience. Stating that the 21st century is the century of India and ASEAN countries, PM Modi ushered Sides into a new chapter of cooperation. Seeking solutions to address the challenges of the 21st century, Sides brought out a “Joint Statement on Advancing Digital Transformation” for the implementation of ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM 2025) and to facilitate a seamless transition into the next phase by 2030. As part of capacity building, India has been making noteworthy contributions in terms of knowledge sharing with the establishment of Centres for Excellence in Software Development and Training in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. India also reaffirmed the “importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, and other lawful uses of the seas, including unimpeded lawful maritime commerce and to promote peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO)”. Cognizant of China’s incremental maritime expansionism that has brought the region to the precipice of conflict, India has supported, “the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety and look forward to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS”. China’s maritime expansionism has roiled the peace and security of the region. Chinese militia’s aggressive manoeuvres in the South China Sea, including the use of water cannons against the Philippine vessels and attacks with iron rods on Vietnamese fishermen, have brought smaller ASEAN neighbours on a collision course with China. Chinese aggressive military posturing is now a major threat to the region. The five claimants for territorial structures in the South China Sea other than China - Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia are wary of the former’s encroachment of their exclusive economic zones. Adeptly synchronising the developmental agenda with security concerns, India is stitching a strong regional partnership with ASEAN countries with a firm commitment to upholding international rules-based order. Reiterating India’s position, addressing the 19th East Asian Summit, PM Modi said our focus should be on “development and not expansionism”. Earlier at the ASEAN Summit, he remarked, “We are neighbours, partners in the Global South, and a rapidly growing region in the world. We are peace-loving nations that respect each other’s national integrity and sovereignty.” EAS comprises 18 participating countries- Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States plus the 10 ASEAN countries, and has a reputation for being a platform for dialogue among major powers keen on engaging with the region. Reasserting India’s position in the context of the ongoing Ukraine war and the Middle East Conflict, PM Modi stated, that it is “essential to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and international laws. With a humanitarian perspective, we must place a strong emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy”. He also added, “Coming from the land of Buddha, I have repeatedly stated that this is not the age of war. Solutions to problems cannot be found on the battlefield”. Endorsing ASEAN’s five-point consensus for Myanmar, India highlighted its contributions to the region including extending humanitarian assistance under “Operation Sadbhav” in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi. In tune with the global challenges, India and ASEAN are expanding areas of cooperation in fields of emerging technologies like AI, Blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Quantum Computing and 6G. For a comprehensive and mutually beneficial equitable development, India and ASEAN are exploring potential synergies between sub-regional mechanisms and frameworks such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), Singapore-Johor-Riau (SIJORI) Growth Triangle, Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), and Mekong sub-regional cooperation frameworks, including Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) and Ayeyawady Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS). India is also enhancing connectivity with ASEAN in land, air and maritime domains in line with “Connecting the Connectivities”. As of now, India operates direct flights to seven ASEAN countries. Direct flights to Brunei will commence from this year. India has opened an embassy in Timor-Leste. India’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is opening up new paradigms for connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region. India is expediting the operationalisation of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway and seeking to expand it eastward to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In the long term, India plans to become the vital hub between Europe and South East Asia by linking IMT with the India-Middle East- Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). ASEAN, central to the Indo-Pacific strategy has been a collaborating ground for major powers that sought active engagement with the region. Given the geographical proximity and extensive economic cooperation, China casts maximum influence in the region closely followed by the US, Japan, EU and others. Sadly, despite being a close neighbour, ASEAN is rather underwhelmed by India. As per ISEAS- Yusof Ishak Institute, New Delhi is rated as the eighth major partner in ASEAN. Ratcheting up defence and maritime security cooperation, India is now deepening ties with ASEAN countries and seeking to emerge as an important defence supplier and partner as well. India has commenced the first joint drill with ASEAN countries facilitated by Singapore in 2023. Six countries- the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam joined the naval drills underscoring the underlying Chinese influence on the foreign policies of some countries. The discreet Chinese factor is posing a threat to ASEAN unity and preventing some of them from calling out Chinese threats openly. By and large, Beijing’s unabashed predatory approach is now forcing countries to forge stronger ties with partner countries like the US, Japan and Australia and eventually led to another Quad- SQUAD. Setting forth a mutually beneficial framework for engagement, leveraging its civilisational and cultural connect and endorsing the security threats of the ASEAN countries, PM Modi has positioned India as a reliable Indo-Pacific security partner. References https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/38397/ASEANIndia_Joint_Statement_on_Advancing_Digital_Transformation https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/38396/Joint_Statement_on_Strengthening_ASEANIndia_Comprehensive_Strategic_Partnership_for_Peace_Stability_and_Prosperity_in_the_Region_in_the_context_of_the https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/38403/List_of_Outcomes_Visit_of_Prime_Minister_to_Vientiane_Lao_PDR_October_10_11_2024 https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/38399/English_translation_of_Indias_National_Statement_at_the_21st_ASEANIndia_Summit_delivered_by_Prime_Minister_Narendra_Modi https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/38404/English_Translation_of_Prime_Ministers_Intervention_at_the_19th_East_Asia_Summit_Vientiane_Lao_PDR https://www.mea.gov.in/media-briefings.htm?dtl/38410/Transcript_of_Special_Briefing_by_Secretary_East_on_Prime_Ministers_visit_to_Lao_PDR_October_11_2024 https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/38395/English_Translation_of_Opening_Remarks_by_Prime_Minister_Shri_Narendra_Modi_at_21st_ASEANIndia_Summit_in_Vientiane_Lao_PDR

Oct 14, 2024
Ankita Dutta

Reclaiming Mathura: Historical Analysis of Krishna Janambhoomi

Having visited and read about Mathura in some detail earlier, Manoshi Sinha’s Reclaiming Mathura did not draw my interest initially. Soon after I received my copy, I assumed it would be just another monotonous description of the history of the sacred city of Mathura and its occupation by invaders in different time periods in history. I therefore put it aside to read some other day, having flipped through its pages only once the day I first got hold of it. Though the battle for the Ram Mandir culminated in victory for Hindus, one of the most popular slogans of the Ram Janambhoomi Movement ends with Kashi Mathura baaki hai – a subtle reminder that though the battle has been won, our struggle is not yet over. It has been rightly said that there comes an opportune moment for everything. My hands picked up this same book of Manoshi Sinha on Mathura while I was on my way from Nalbari to Bokakhat to attend one of the historic Durga Pujas of Assam held at the sacred Kako-Goshani Durga Thaan. As I opened the book and began reading while listening to a melody sung by the musical doyenne Tarali Sarma in praise of my matrubhoomi Asomi Aai (Assam), very soon I realised that this was no ordinary book on Mathura. My mind flew back to my university days when I had once engaged in a heated debate with a senior Professor who was trying to argue against the act of destruction of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in December 1992. Manoshi Sinha’s book is a befitting reply to propagandists of that breed. Crisp, factual, and beautifully elaborated it is. It busts some artificially manufactured academic myths surrounding the discourse of the Bharatiya civilisation in the backdrop of the Islamic invasions, particularly in the context of Sri Krishna’s birthplace Mathura which is now occupied by Muslims. They claim its ownership based on the Shahi Idgah Mosque, built after destroying a temple on the orders of the Muslim fanatic Aurangzeb. The book takes the reader along on a journey as well, a journey that seeks to trace the origins of a problem that has now metastasised. I finished reading the book within two days, so riveting was the narrative that it kept me hooked through late into the night. It analyses the Islamic mindset of the destruction of Hindu sacred spaces in exactly the same manner our ancestors faced and fought against it amidst all odds, with the sole objective of protecting their Dharma from the barbaric mlechhas. There are many portions of this book where the author’s narration of the story of Mathura is too gripping, especially when we try to analyse her multi-layered arguments in the light of present-day events beginning from the formation of the Sri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust and the ongoing legal battle for the reclamation of Krishna Janambhoomi. The author’s insights are deeply historical and yet, have not failed to lose their realistic appeal. The book is divided into 16 chapters and each chapter dwells upon an interesting topic, peppered with numerous descriptions related to literature, numismatics and archaeology that bring to light the cultural and spiritual importance of Mathura for Hindus. In the introductory chapter itself, the author subtly establishes the fact that Sri Ram and Sri Krishna were not different; for, Shatrughn, Ram’s brother, re-established Mathura during the Treta Yug and also erected the shrine of Kapilavaraha. Yet, unlike Ayodhya, where Sri Ram has reclaimed His abode, the dispute at Mathura remains unresolved. As a result, Sri Krishna is yet to reclaim His birthplace. The author lays bare the one-sided narrative of history writing in post-independent India that has glorified invaders while deliberately overlooking Bharat’s rich past and cultural heritage. Her knack for data-driven research, supplemented with well-documented historical facts and figures, gives a clear picture of the larger civilisational conflict in Mathura that stands as a testimony of the perseverance of Hindus to reclaim Krishna Janmabhoomi. In this regard, the book touches upon several aspects related to the Hindu struggle for the restoration of Mathura’s glory based on ancient and medieval literary sources. By doing so, she systematically counters the propaganda of glorification of invaders by Left-wing historians. The author then raises several pertinent questions with respect to the synchronised desecration of Mathura over a period of time to erase its Hindu identity, and what this means for Bharat and the very existence of the Hindu civilisation. She throws light on the social and cultural life of ancient and medieval Mathura and the strategic significance of the Yamuna River in this regard. She provides a nuanced and balanced understanding of the need for the restoration of all our temples. This is the urgent need of the hour – to not only restore our lost heritage but also reinstate the lost pride of Hindus in their cultural and civilisational legacy. The chapter on Formation of Sri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust and Filing of Suit elaborately explains the peculiarity of Mathura’s land dispute and its restoration, as well as the need for initiating an honest academic discussion around the same. I found it extremely insightful when the author narrates fact-by-fact the in-depth investigation conducted relentlessly by lawyers- Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain representing the Hindu side of the case. The father-son duo’s struggle for the recovery of the original documents and other relevant materials pertaining to the case is enough to make any proud Hindu teary-eyed. Without giving way to political correctness, Manoshi Sinha’s stance on the subject of Hindu temple restoration is well-articulated. Several writers and academics on the subject have intentionally neglected this aspect because of their ideological orientations. However, the author is dispassionate in her tone and tenor while presenting her views on the subject. She quotes passages from the Manusmriti, Ramayana, Mahabharata and our Puranas to establish the antiquity and sacredness of Mathura from the Treta Yuga when it was known by the name of Madhupura. The fact that Mathura has had a continuous unbroken tradition of worshipping numerous deities of the Hindu pantheon has been substantiated in detail. Her views on the Mathura Krishna Janambhoomi case highlight in detail the significance of the Kesavadev Temple and the issues concerning the ownership and possession of the sacred land. It is only the Sri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust that is the rightful owner of this land. The book is a humble attempt to enable Hindus to understand Mathura from a civilizational perspective. The author has made a concerted effort to review and incorporate a comprehensive array of both primary and secondary literature on the subject matter. She strongly believes that the reclamation of Krishna Janambhoomi is essential for the protection of the Hindu civilisation and Bharat itself. Therefore, according to her, the time has now come for Hindus to reclaim this sacred place from the claws of the secular Indian Government and the invaders. However, a separate section in the book under review could have been included on the teachings of Sri Krishna to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra War and Krishna constantly motivating Arjuna to lead the battle from the forefront so as to ensure the victory of Dharma over Adharma. It was Krishna who inspired Arjuna to seek the blessings of Maa Durga before the battle. Hindus need to be reminded of these lessons from their history, and perhaps this invocation of Durga is what is most required for the Hindu society to fight against the demons. Published by Garuda Prakashan and an impressive Foreword from Padma Shri Subhash Kak, Reclaiming Mathura would make a great gift to young Hindus who are interested in learning more about their history and civilisation, especially in the context of the historic reclamation of the Ram Janambhoomi at Ayodhya. Launched for the first time by three Indian National Army veterans- Lt. Rangaswamy Madhavan Pillai, Sri L Jaganathan and Sri Lourdu Samy in New Delhi on September 22, 2024, the book is a milestone in itself. A second edition probably can explore the multi-faceted personality of Krishna – the Supreme Warrior and the destroyer of Adharma. His emphasis on using all means possible including war to establish the rule of Dharma is the most important civilisational lesson for Hindus to imbibe. Image source: X