India pleads for common naval platform in Indian Ocean

To thwart new challenges in Indian Ocean, India needs a common platform for naval division of neighbouring countries to pool information, Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar today said at an event here.

"I feel, we should initiate, the aspect of creating a group of Indian Ocean regions. This small group is very important, and we can have a common grid (for information sharing), because today the threats are not traditional. We need friends and we need cooperation, and therefore, I hope the organisers will take note of it to create a common platform for Indian Ocean countries' navy", he said at the closing ceremony of an international conference on 'India & the Indian Ocean: Renewing the Maritime Trade & Civilisational Linkages', organised by the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies (ISCS) jointly with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).

He mentioned that Somali pirates shifting their activities towards India is a non-traditional threat and hence, sought greater cooperation among countries situated in the Indian Ocean region.

"Somali pirates, after being neutralised by various countries' navies, are shifting their locations towards India. They have moved 30-40 nautical miles forward, although they are still 450 nautical miles away from India. They may not be next to India but... we are watchful and careful," Parrikar said.

Guarding Indian Ocean region is important for India as it is a key commercial shipping route, and accounts for more than two-thirds of oil trade. Somali pirates have been a threat to international shipping in the Indian Ocean and especially in the Arabian Sea, and have made millions of dollars in ransom by seizing ships and kidnapping ship crews.

India has been organising joint defence exercises with several neighbouring countries to maintain an atmosphere of cooperation in the region, and probably to check the growing presence of China. Parrikar, however, did not name any country while talking about increasing defence cooperation in the region.

"We want to have good relationship with neighbours and treat everyone equal. Already 38 countries are sending their men to be trained in India. In future, we are looking to supply defence materials to these countries so that they will be dependent upon us for such arrangements", he said.

Along with coastal security, the minister talked about allowing military air strips for civilian use."I am working with Airport Authority of India (AAI) to allow old military air strips for civilian use. But we must remember that these things cannot be done overnight as it involves lot of legal and economic issues", he said.