INTERVENTION OPERATIONS & RAPID RESPONSE CAPABILITY

Given India’s established expertise and military capability, there can be little doubt that it will be called upon by the international community to deploy Indian forces, writes SATISH NAMBIAR

- SATISH NAMBIAR

Notwithstanding the internal and external challenges India faces, and the imperative need to focus on economic growth, providing our young population with proper education and appropriate skills for fruitful employment, and raising the quality of life of the less privileged sections of our society, it would be prudent for the governing establishment and the strategic community in the country to dwell on the fact that within the international setting in the first half of the 21st Century and beyond, India will have a role to play both regionally and globally.

A role imposed on us by a number of factors: the size of the country; its geostrategic location straddling the Indian Ocean; the population of over a billion people (and growing) with a demographic dividend in its favour; its established democratic credentials; a significant capability in information technology; a large reservoir of scientific talent including in space technology; acknowledged management expertise; proven military capability; and the large market for consumer goods and services. We cannot and must not shy away from this serious responsibility.

Internationally, the situation is that most countries, including major players like the USA, European Union, Russia, Japan, as also some of the regional organisations, would without much doubt like to see India play a more active role in promoting democratic values and contributing to stability in the region. Primarily because of the perception that India has the ability to do so, as also because of their desire not to be directly involved themselves in many cases. The only factor that could inhibit the Indian establishment in developing the appropriate military capability to support such a role is perhaps some reservation about the ability to build a national consensus in this regard.