Round The World

New Delhi, 1 February 2011

India-Indonesia Relations

REBUILDING BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP

By Monish Tourangbam

Research Scholar, School of International Studies (JNU)

The Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations this year. The symbolic visit brings with it deeper pragmatic ties across a broad spectrum, which if followed with vision and determination will successfully rebuild a beautiful friendship that had lost its way.

During his 2005 visit to India, the two countries had signed a joint declaration on Establishing a Strategic Partnership. This is indeed a critical phase in India-Indonesia relations. Indonesia as the new chair of the ASEAN and India as a current non-permanent member at the UN Security Council have much to gain from each other. Moreover, both are members of the influential G20.

From India’s point of view, Indonesia is an inevitable component of its ‘Look East Policy’ a vision that is being pursued with much gusto keeping China’s rise in mind.  Diplomatic ties started off on a dream note with Indonesia’s first President Sukarno and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru seen as the pioneers of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Recall President Sukarno was the Chief Guest at India’s first Republic Day celebration in 1950. But, the Nehru-Sukarno friendship became a victim of the constraints of the Cold War and differing political perceptions. Clearly, what could have led to new heights of convergence ran into a wall of real politik.

With the coming of the pro-Western military dictatorship under Suharto, the relationship ran into a thicker and thicker wall. But the end of the Cold War and the pervasiveness of globalization as in many other areas, have produced significant changes in this relationship as well. As India deliberately engages on re-emphasizing its Look East Policy, a different scenario is there for all to see.

Indonesia has evolved as a secular democracy, with the world’s largest Muslim population; albeit one that has largely evaded fundamentalist Islamism. And as the rise of fundamentalist Islam and the rising violence associated with it has caught eyeballs, the continuing success of Indonesia and its brand of Islam is something very crucial for the future.

Besides, both countries have charted very constructive relations with the US and with India-US relations moving to the strategic realm, the shape of things to come should be nothing but constructive. In the post 9/11 era, with the increasing salience of cooperation against international terrorism, convergences between New Delhi and Jakarta to counter terror assume more importance.  If India has faced attacks on its Parliament and Mumbai, Indonesia has also seen the deadly face of terror at the Bali bombings.

Consequently, both countries understand the menace of terrorism, which in recent times has been unfortunately identified with Islamic fundamentalism. Indonesia as a modern, democratic and secular State with the largest Muslim population stands as a bulwark against the radicalization and manipulation of Islamic tenets to the detriment of humanity. Thus, the international community will significantly benefit from an Indonesia that continues to remain a symbol of moderate Islam debunking the proponents of extremist Islamism and violence.

The joint statement issued during President Yudhoyono’s visit not only condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations but also elaborated on various mechanisms such as intelligence sharing, liaison between law enforcement agencies, providing assistance in the areas of border and immigration control to stem the flow of terrorist-related material, money and people and specific measures against transnational crimes, including international terrorism

Significantly, New Delhi and Jakarta share a treasure trove of cultural and religious ties which has withstood all constraints on the policy and strategic level. Bali, a tourist heaven still has a majority of its population following Balinese Hinduism. Commendably, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the establishment of a Consulate General of India in Bali.

According to sources, the many business pacts signed between India and Indonesia also included agreements to set up airports at Buleleng, Bali and at Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta (on the island of Java). The Yogyakarta city is known for its centres of higher education and as such business opportunities should favorably spawn increasing interest in exploring more educational inter-actions.

Towards this, the two Governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of education. But, more needs to be done on the policy level to increase people-to-people contacts, amplify the intake of Indonesian students into Indian institutions and encourage Indian students to learn the Indonesian language/Bahasa Indonesia.

Further, increasing exchange programmes between Indian and Indonesian universities could be a major fillip towards producing more young decision-makers in both countries who can understand the better nuances of the political and cultural milieu.

India’s growth story and the increasing recognition of its rising stature by major powers have completely changed the nature of its bilateral and multilateral dealings world-wide. Mirroring the increasing realization of the wide zone of mutual interests between India and the ASEAN countries, the bilateral relations as well as convergence with the bloc have indeed grown rapidly.

Pertinently, from a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992 to a full dialogue partnership in 1995 and subsequently to a Summit level interaction, with the First ASEAN-India Summit being held in 2002. India has been an active member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) since July 1996.

This is not all. India and Indonesia signed 18 agreements worth $15.1 billion spanning across diverse sectors of investments during the Indonesian President’s visit. Both countries have also set a target for bilateral trade to touch $25 billion in the next five years.

The joint statement said, “Both leaders were pleased to announce the commencement of negotiation on Indonesia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (II-CECA), building on what has already been achieved under the India-ASEAN FTA.” The CECA would be comprehensive covering economic cooperation, trade in goods and services, and investment.

South-east Asia has been at the forefront of India’s policymaking priorities, commensurate with the time and energy being devoted to India’s Look East Policy. Its economic and political rise, unlike that of China, is not seen with alarm in the Asia-Pacific region. It is this confidence that New Delhi needs to seriously tap to increase its strategic foothold in the region. But this has to be done in a way that does not jeopardize the confidence that India enjoys as a responsible power on the rise.

In this maneouver, India’s economic ventures in the region needs to be increased, albeit through proper mechanisms that help preserve the mutualism in the process, thus not inviting accusations of being a manipulative meddler.

Nobody doubts the unmistakable rise of Beijing’s power but suspicions linger on as to what kind of power China will eventually turn out to be. Also, whether Beijing can maintain responsibility and restraint along with its rising economic and political clout.

As such, India needs to polish and re-emphasize its image of a restraint and responsible actor on the international stage. Undoubtedly, New Delhi should be vigorous and resolute in safe-guarding its interests but at the same time, it is India’s long term interests to project its rise as that of a responsible and benign power. ---- INFA

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