Navy drill sails ahead despite red flags
Centre defends saying such joint naval drills have been taking place since 1992 and it's meant to contain China's regional designs.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: There may be no signs of any let-up of the Left protestations over the 123 Agreement. But that surely has not held back the government from cruising ahead with possibly the biggest-ever peace-time joint naval exercise involving India, the US, Australia, Japan and Singapore that kicked off in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.
The Centre has defended the event saying such joint naval drills have been taking place since 1992 and denied that it's meant to contain China's regional designs.
Thirty-four ships and submarines from the five countries have joined the six-day exercise — codenamed ‘Malabar’ — about 100 nautical miles off the Andaman archipelago. Two super-carriers of the US Navy — USS Nimitz and USS Kitty
Hawk of the Pacific Fleet — will be joined by India's lone aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, during the wargame. A US nuclear submarine, USS Chicago, is also taking part in the event.
Responding to queries on the Left protest, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said: "That is part of their (Left parties') programme. The Left parties have a view on the issue, but the naval exercises have been on since 1992." In the past, India had held exercises with navies from Britain, France, Russia, Singapore and Vietnam. A three-nation event involving Brazil, India and South Africa is also due in May 2008.
Some reports had earlier suggested that the joint exercise was part of an attempt by the participating countries to contain China's growing clout.
Though the participants firmly deny this, Beijing has expressed its concerns. Denying claims that the exercise was aimed at China, Union minister of state for defence Pallam Raju told BBC: "This is simply directed at ensuring security of the sea lanes of communication."
The Left parties, while understandably not vocal about the Chinese angle, have launched the protest on the eastern coastline by alleging that the ongoing joint naval exercise was part of the increasing Indo-US strategic ties bolstered by the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
The Indian Navy described the event as one of biggest in the history. “This will perhaps be the biggest-ever peace-time joint naval exercise in Asia,” said Indian Navy spokesman Captain Vinay Garg. The ships and submarines would take part in anti-piracy manoeuvres, reconnaissance and rescue missions and improve ways of working together, he added.
The Centre has defended the event saying such joint naval drills have been taking place since 1992 and denied that it's meant to contain China's regional designs.
Thirty-four ships and submarines from the five countries have joined the six-day exercise — codenamed ‘Malabar’ — about 100 nautical miles off the Andaman archipelago. Two super-carriers of the US Navy — USS Nimitz and USS Kitty
Hawk of the Pacific Fleet — will be joined by India's lone aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, during the wargame. A US nuclear submarine, USS Chicago, is also taking part in the event.
Responding to queries on the Left protest, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said: "That is part of their (Left parties') programme. The Left parties have a view on the issue, but the naval exercises have been on since 1992." In the past, India had held exercises with navies from Britain, France, Russia, Singapore and Vietnam. A three-nation event involving Brazil, India and South Africa is also due in May 2008.
Some reports had earlier suggested that the joint exercise was part of an attempt by the participating countries to contain China's growing clout.
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Though the participants firmly deny this, Beijing has expressed its concerns. Denying claims that the exercise was aimed at China, Union minister of state for defence Pallam Raju told BBC: "This is simply directed at ensuring security of the sea lanes of communication."
The Left parties, while understandably not vocal about the Chinese angle, have launched the protest on the eastern coastline by alleging that the ongoing joint naval exercise was part of the increasing Indo-US strategic ties bolstered by the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
The Indian Navy described the event as one of biggest in the history. “This will perhaps be the biggest-ever peace-time joint naval exercise in Asia,” said Indian Navy spokesman Captain Vinay Garg. The ships and submarines would take part in anti-piracy manoeuvres, reconnaissance and rescue missions and improve ways of working together, he added.
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