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CentralAsia
07February2016 01:22

AnalysethemajorareasofcooperationbetweenIndiaandCentralAsian
countries.AlsoexamineifIndiaiswellplacedtocompetewithRussiaandChina
intheregiontoplayanimportantroleinsecuritymattersintheregion.(200
Words)

IndiaandtheCentralAsianregionhavehistoricallinks.Whiletherelationshipin
contemporarytimeshavebeenweak,thereisarenewedthrustoncooperationbetween
IndiaandtheCentralAsianRegion(CAR)countries.Themajorareasofcooperationare
1. EnergyEnergyisthemostimportantareaofcooperation.TheCARcountrieshave
anabundanceofenergyresources.Indiahasbeeninnegotiationsformorethana
decadenowtoensureaccesstogasreservesofTurkmenistanthroughtheTAPI
pipeline.
2. SecurityIndiaandtheCARcountrieshaveasharedinterestinthestabilityof
Afghanistanandcounterterrorinitiatives.
3. TradeThetradebetweenIndiaandCARisroughly$1billioncomparedto$50Billion
ofChina.Hence,thereisahugepotentialforincreasingthetraderelationshipbetween
thetwocountries.
4. DrugtraffickingTajikistanisgatewayforafghandrugstoCentralAsia.Thismoney
isusedforfundingterroractivitiesagainstIndia

Duetoreasonsofgeography,IndiaisatadisadvantagecomparedtoRussiaandChinatoplay
asignificantroleinsecuritymattersintheregion.However,ithasafewadvantages
1. TheCARcountriesdonotliketheexcessiveRussianinfluenceandarealsowaryof
increasingChineseeconomicdominance.Insuchasituation,anassertiveIndiacanplay
theroleofabalancer.
2. IndiaalreadyhasanoverseasairbaseatFarkhorinTajikistan.ThiswouldhelpIndia
cooperateinsecurityissues.
3. IndiahasbeenfocusingonensuringoperationalisationoftheInternationalNorthSouth
TransportCorridor(INSTC)throughChabaharportinIrantoimproveaccesstoCentral
Asia.

Economically,militarilyaswellasgeographically,Indiaisatadisadvantage
comparedtoRussiaandChina.However,India'sstrongdemocratictraditionanda
traditionofrespectforothercountriesalongwithconverginginterestswiththe
CentralAsianRepublicsmightgiveitanedge.

CriticallyanalysethenatureofIndia'sengagementanditsmutualcooperation
withtheCentralAsiancountriesandalsocommentifits"ConnectCentralAsia"
policyhasliveduptoitsexpectations.(200Words)

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IndiahastraditionallyattachedgreatimportancetoitsrelationswithCentralAsia.But,
unfortunately,therelationshipdespiteclosehistorical&culturalcontactshasnotprogressed
tothedesiredextent.

Constraints:
1. UnstablesituationinAfghanistanandahighlyproblematicIndiaPakistanrelationhave
deprivedIndiafromthebenefitofrelationswithCentralAsia.TheTurkmenistan
AfghanistanPakistanIndiaPipeline(TAPI)wouldbeagamechangerifitmaterializes.
Butslowprogressonthis.
2. IranwhichprovidesalternativeaccesstoCentralAsia.However,IndiaIranrelationship
forthelastdecadeorsohasnotprogressedwell.TheInternationalNorthSouth
TransportCorridor(INSTC)whichwouldpassthroughIran,isstillunderdevelopedand
requireshugeinvestment.Indiahasalsobeenslowinrealizingthepotentialofthe
strategicChabaharPortinIran.

Whatshouldbedone?
1. Indiahascomeupwitha"ConnectCentralAsiapolicy"(2012),whichincludes
elementssuchhighlevelvisits,strategicpartnerships,comprehensiveeconomic
engagement,partnershipinthedevelopmentofenergyandnaturalresources.
Developmentofpotentialinmedicalfield,education,enetworks,landconnectivityetc.
Theimplementationofthepolicyneedstobespeededup.
2. IndianeedstochangeitsapproachtoCentralAsiaandshowgreaterproactivity.We
mustshedpiecemealapproachtoCentralAsia.IndiaCentralAsiaTradeisnear$700
millionascomparedtoChinas$46billion.ThiswillrequiredealingwithCentralAsia
notonlyatthebilaterallevelbutalsoatacollectivelevel.Indiacouldconsidersettingup
anIndiaCentralAsiaForum(onthelinesofIndiaAfricaForum)todealwiththeregion
inaholisticfashion
3. DevelopChabaharportonpriority.Indianeedstomovequicklytoinvest$100million
4. InvestininfrastructureinIrantomakeINSTCeffective.
5. MakeeffortstojointheSCOasfullmember.
6. EducationandmedicalfieldprovideanexcellentopportunityforIndiatoshowcaseits
softpower.
7. AforumofIndiaandCARthinktanksshouldbesetup.
8. ToinstituteandstrengthendefenceandsecuritydialoguewithCentralAsiancountries.

AnalysetheimportanceofCentralAsiancountriesinIndia's
fightagainstterrorism.(200Words)

Thereisanincreaseinradicalismandrecruitsintoterroristoutfitsglobally.Indiawitha
largeMuslimpopulationmustseekwaystoinsulateitselffromsuchthreat.Anactive
engagementwithCARwouldbeastepintherightdirection.
1. Pakistan'sinabilitytocontainterrorismandAfghanistan'sgrowingpossibilityoffalling
intotheinfluenceofradicalforceshasledtocreatereasonsforIndiatoseeknew
partnersinitsfightagainstterror.CARknownforitsmoderatepracticeofIslamwillbe
aviablepartner.
2. TherecenttrendofgrowingnumberofrecruitsfromtheCARregionanditsproximity
toinstablewestAsiaandAfghanistanmakestheregionvulnerable.AstableCARwould
helpincontainmentofgrowingradicalismanditsspreadfurthereasttoIndia.

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CARhasanimportantgeostrategicpositionservingasagatewaytoEurasia.Aproactive
engagementwithCARisintheinterestofbothIndiaandtheCAR.Economicdevelopment
willhelpcontainradicalisationinCAR.Indiacanengageincounterterrorismstrategies,
developmentoftheINSTC,theTAPIpipelineandworkontheconnectcentralAsiapolicy
2012foramorestableCAR.

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