Sense and sentiments<\/p>\n
India, which shares a maritime boundary with a few ASEAN
\nstates including Indonesia, has never really been seen by the
\norganization as a direct security threat even in the context of
\nNew Delhi's nuclear arms testing in 1998. All the same, New Delhi
\nhas not also come in for much reckoning by the ASEAN as an
\nindirect consequence of its original perception, slow in fading,
\nabout India as an insular economy. It is in this historical
\ncontext that Mr. Vajpayee's new diplomatic excursion to Vietnam
\nand Indonesia must be judged.<\/p>\n
The historical circumstances of New Delhi's current engagement
\nwith the ASEAN states seem to have impelled the Vajpayee
\nadministration to invoke the benign images of India's
\ncivilizational links with parts of South East Asia. While there
\nis nothing inherently wrong with this, New Delhi should strive to
\npackage its \"Look East\" policy with much more economic and
\npolitical substance and much less cultural sentiment.<\/p>\n
As the largest member of the ASEAN, Indonesia deserves to be
\nbefriended on other grounds as well, given especially the
\neconomic and political challenges of its endeavor to become a
\nfull-fledged democracy under its President, Mr. Abdurrahman
\nWahid. New Delhi's new defense-related tie-up with Jakarta does
\nnot certainly measure up at this stage as a strategic partnership
\ndespite the move to set up a joint commission and
\ninstitutionalize bilateral dialogue. Similarly, the latest ideas
\nabout a systematic military cooperation between Hanoi and New
\nDelhi, inclusive of the proposed training of Indian officers in
\njungle warfare techniques in Vietnam, do not amount to a major
\ndeal as of now.<\/p>\n
India's offer to help Vietnam in regard to its research and
\ndevelopment of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes should be
\ncarried forward in a transparent fashion. More recently, the
\nVajpayee administration has appeared keen on assessing other
\ncountries in the context of their outlook on India's credentials
\nfor permanent membership of an expandable U.N. Security Council.
\nUnlike in the case of the Vietnamese leaders, Mr. Wahid's
\npolitical prevarication over Indonesia's support for India on
\nthis matter should of course be seen in the context of Jakarta's
\nown aspirations.<\/p>\n
-- The Hindu, New Delhi<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sense-and-sentiments-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }