For India, a strong relationship with ASEAN is no longer a policy option; rather it is an economic and strategic necessity. Elaborate.
Refer – The Hindu
IAS Parliament 7 years
KEY POINTS
Economic necessity
· Infrastructural projects like India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project and Bangkok-Yangon-Delhi railway will significantly boost connectivity between India-Myanmar leading up to the rest of Southeast Asia.
· Enhanced connectivity between the two countries will not only serve India but also neighbouring Bangladesh.
· India, which is vying to become a regional leader in South Asia, can score major points with its South Asian neighbours by connecting them to East Asia.
· The demand for goods in Western economies is coming down.
· Also, there could be alterations in employment structures and even loss of jobs in the coming future.
· Digital technologies and the impending Fourth Industrial Revolution could largely drive these changes.
· These call for the south-east Asian region to look deeper within, to develop markets and increase trade for mutual benefits.
China factor
· Maritime rivalry with China is another challenge which calls for India to develop a strong regional cooperation.
· It includes its territorial claim on the resource-rich South China Sea, OBOR initiative and power struggle in the Indian Ocean.
Strategic necessity
· Given the prevailing regional power imbalance created by a declining U.S. and an assertive China, India and ASEAN are well poised to become strategic partners in ensuring regional peace and stability.
· Other non-traditional challenges such as human trafficking, cybercrime and piracy also demands greater regional cooperation.
Socio-cultural ties
· India’s cultural and trade ties with Southeast Asia go back 2,000 years.
· India and ASEAN also have a unique opportunity to reap the potential of geographic proximity.
· The presence of the Indian diaspora in almost all ASEAN nations is another factor requiring partnerships.
· Given all these, India-ASEAN partnership is more an economic and strategic necessity than a choice.
