The importance of Pak China cooperation in infrastructure
development can be best understood if one goes through the Indian opposition of
Chinese support for Gwadar port. India itself is helping Iran in the construction
of Chabahar port, located at a distance of around 70 kilometers from Gwadar. It
seems that India is fully aware of the fact that Pakistan offers the shortest
and the most cost effective route to Central Asia via Afghanistan.
India is constructing Chabahar not only to undermine
Pakistan’s importance but also for establishing its hegemony in the Indian
Ocean. In this endeavor India is fully supported by the United States, as no
action has been taken against India for violating economic sanctions imposed on
Iran.
India terms Gawadr a threat for its existence and its
maritime trade. It goes to the extent of term Gwadar a potential Chinese naval
port. If India is constructing Chabahar to protect its economic interest, China
is also doing the same by managing Gwadar to protect its commercial interest,
especially oil being bought from Iran.
One of the points is that India had been overreacting about
the Chinese assistance extended in the construction of the Gwadar port in the
Baluchistan province of Pakistan. India has been creating the hype that the
Chinese presence in Gwadar is not only a serious threat for India, but it would
also give China extra leverage in the region.
India alleges that China has acquired management control of
Gwadar to use it as its naval base. This mantra is aimed at seeking support of
United States and Russia, who consider China a major power in the region.
Indian propaganda has also been aimed at creating an
impression that Afghanistan was highly unhappy because it wanted to join hands
with India to move its shipments through Chabahar port. India also tried to
pass on the message to Central Asian countries that Chabahar located in warm waters
and the road and rail network being constructed would make it the gateway for
them to the rest of world. Additionally, there has also been regular propaganda
about Iranian, Afghani and Indian cooperation.
However, one of the news sources quoting Iranian authorities opened the Pandora’s
Box and unleashed the disinformation being spread by India. In a meeting,
Hassan Nourian, Iranian Consul General in India exposed the extent of cooperation
being extended by India.
Being a seasoned diplomat, Nourian expressed hope that India
would act fast on the Chabahar port, which it had promised to build as far back
as 2003. The message in between the lines was loud and clear — that Iranians were
upset with Indian attitude.
India’s exasperatingly slow progress in building the port —
11 years so far and work has not even begun — has been a major source of
irritation for the Iranians. After all, they gave the project to India
rejecting a Chinese offer.
A s against this, the Chinese have finished building the
Gwadar port in Pakistan that is located 70 kilometers east of Chabahar. It
seems that the Iranians have realized, though very late, the reason why India
wanted the project — to thwart the Chinese. It has also become evident why the
India is dragging its feet — for fear of annoying the US.
For Iran, the Chabahar port is of great economic importance and its great
economic and strategic significance is also known to India. The port has the
potential to open a route that leads to Afghanistan, a lucrative market today,
and beyond, to the mineral-rich countries such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
As Iran is annoyed there emerges an opportunity for China, which is one of the
biggest buyers of Iranian oil, seeking a port outside Strait of Hormaz. India
has also realized that the game is slipping out of its hands. If India loses
Chabahar to the Chinese, it would greatly undermine much talked about Indian
supremacy in the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka offered the Humbantota port development project to India, twice. The
tsunami-ravaged port was in President Rajapaksa’s constituency and he was keen
on re-building it. While India dithered, China jumped in.
Humbantota has developed into a fine port. India ceded a key
strategic space in its own backyard to China. No one could be blamed except
India, because UPA partner DMK didn’t let India do any development work in Sri
Lanka. Now, Chabahar is going the Humbantota way.
While India drags its feet in Myanmar, China is moving in fast. While India
dumped the two hydro-electric projects terming those “too expensive”, China is
going ahead with as many as 33 projects.
The port of Sittwe is critically important for India, for it would open up the
North East. India did secure the project — it was given to the Essar Group.
There have been delays, but the work has begun. However, the project is only a
part of what India had committed to doing, which was to build the entire
multi-modal transport corridor — the Kaladan project. For parts of the project
other than the port, even the tenders have not been floated.
At this stage, place after place in India’s neighborhood,
including Afghanistan, are likely to slip out of its dominance and going under
China’s influence. This is happening only because of the dichotomy of Indian
policies.
India on one hand tries to extract all the possible benefits by
making false promises and on the other hand desert those projects once the United
States and Russia increase aid and assistance that helps in achieving the
status of regional super power and creating its hegemony in South Asia.
