Abstract
From the security perspective, Southwest Asia is one of the more important focal points for India. The Straits of Hormuz, the vital strategic choke point of the Persian Gulf that carries a billion tonnes of crude oil annually, are located only 1,000 kilometres away. Pakistan, India’s foremost rival, is contiguous with the Gulf. As we noted in the previous chapter, Pakistan’s strategy is to broaden the South Asian strategic sphere to encompass Islamic Southwest Asia. Furthermore, Gulf oil and Gulf trade are vital to the wellbeing of the Indian economy.
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Endnotes
Ashley J. Tellis, ‘India’s Naval Expansion: Reflections on History and Strategy’, Comparative Strategy, Vol. 6, No. 2, 1987, p. 188.
The Hindu, 9 April 1982.
Fig. 3.2, below.
‘Asian Flight: Wake Up’, The Economist, 8 September 1990, p. 53.
Foreign Broadcasting Information Service from South and Southwest Asia, Daily Report for 26 January 1990, pp. 26–7.
The Hindu (International Edition), 25 August 1990, p. 3.
Shireen M. Mazari, ‘US Intervention in the Persian Gulf: Strategic Implications for South West Asia’, Strategic Studies, Vol. XIV, Nos. 1/2, Autumn/Winter, 1990–91, p. 54–5, incl. f.n. 2; conversation with Manoj Joshi, Canberra, November 1992.
‘YM wants paper on (iulf options’, Times of India, 26 November 1990; Times of India, 30 November 1990; and Times of India, 20 January 1991.
Ahmed Rashid, ‘End of Empire’, Herald, March 1991, p. 24.
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For the views of a’senior MEA official’ see untitled report on India, Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter, Vol. XVII, No. 12, June 1991, p. 25.For a comprehensive statement of India’s concern see Ruchita Beri, `Ballistic Missile Proliferation’, in Jasjit Singh (Ed.), Asian Strategic Review 1991–92, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, New Dellhi,1992, pp. 168–204.
See Kesava Menon, ‘Pak. mum on N-deal with Republics’, The Hindu, 28 January 1992, p. 1; Anon, ‘M-11 missiles to Pak: India may be threatened’, Times of India, 27 June 1991. An Iranian nuclear delegation visited Kazakhstan, reportedly to obtain information on nuclear weapons. See a report of the BBC, as rebroadcast on the ABC program ‘Foreign Correspondent’s Report’, 3 April 1993. See also reports of Reuters and The Washington Post, as in ‘Iran in deal for nuclear weapons’, Sydney Morning Herald, 13 October 1992.
Press reports at the time linked the apparent perpetrators of the bombings, the gangster family of Ibrahim Dawood, to Dubhai, where Dawood is based. Tim Mcgirk, ‘India: US warns India over new terrorist danger’, Independent, 17 March 1993, p. 17, (per Reuters news service).
‘Ship with explosives to India intercepted’, Hindustan Times, 29 March 1993.
Conversations, Indian diplomats, July 1993; T.N. Gopakumar, ‘Happy days are here again’, India Today, 15 June 1993, p. 30.
K.K. Katyal, ‘PM puts off Yemen visit’, The Hindu (International Edition), 19 June 1993; ‘Plea not to deport Indians from Saudi’, The Hindu (International Edition), 12 June 1993.
See Admiral K.K. Nayyer’s speech to the US Global Strategy Council Forum, 27 September 1989, verbatim transcript prepared by Neal R. Gross, pp. 13–14 and pp. 20–21. For the emergence of an Islamic identity on a global scale see Pran Chopra, ‘Foreign Policy in a Changing World’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. XXVI, No. 14, 6 April 1991, p. 913. For a description of US views see Amin Saikal, ‘Resurgent Islam not a unified enemy of the West’, The Canberra Times, 20 January 1993, p. 11; and Robert Haupt, ‘Front line now is between capitalism and Islam, Sydney Morning Herald, 11 May 1992, p. 15.
For an account of Pakistan’s ambitions see ‘Pakistan: Singapore ot Southwest Asia?’, ‘Briefs’, East-West Centre Views, July-August 1992, p. 3. On the divided nature of the republics see Amin Saikal,‘Resurgent Islam not a unified enemy of the West’.
Interview, Professor S.L. Rao, Director-General, National Centre for Applied Economic Research, New Delhi, December 1993.
F.J. Khergamvala, ‘Stage set for stronger ties with Iran’, The Hindu (International Edition), 24 July 1993.
India and Oman signed a defence cooperation agreement in 1993 and the Omani and Indian navies have exercised together.
F.J. Khergamvala, `India seeks total relations with Oman’, The Hindu, 5 June 1993; F.J. Khergamvala, `Indo-Oman ties: Pak. not a factor’, The Hindu (International Edition), 26 June 1993.
‘India closing ranks with Central Asian Republics’, The Hindu, 20 October 1992; ‘India offered access to Muslim republics’, Times of India, 10 August 1992; ‘India to help Kazakhstan on economy’, Times of India, 22 February 1992; ‘Iran for Indian role in C. Asia’, Times of India, 20 May 1992; and ‘Tie-up with Iran in rail sector’, The Statesman, 16 November 1993.
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© 1995 Sandy Gordon
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Gordon, S. (1995). The Southwest Asia Nexus. In: India’s Rise to Power. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230371804_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230371804_13
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