Now Reading: Indian Navy’s maritime doctrine gains wider attention
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Indian Navy’s maritime doctrine gains wider attention
The Hindu argues that recent disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthi blockade against Saudi Arabia have brought naval terms such as chokepoints and freedom of navigation into public debate.…
The Story in Brief
The Hindu argues that recent disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthi blockade against Saudi Arabia have brought naval terms such as chokepoints and freedom of navigation into public debate. India’s Navy had articulated the principle of “freedom to use the seas for our national purposes, under all circumstances” in its 2007 maritime strategy. The article says India’s sovereignty, prosperity and security depend on control of the sea lanes that carry its trade and energy.
It presents India’s maritime history as central to the national story. The Satavahanas benefited from Indo-Roman trade, while the Cholas projected naval power into Southeast Asia. The article also recalls resistance by the Kunjali Marakkars and Kanhoji Angre, arguing that India has previously built and defended maritime power on its own terms.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy story is that Independence is mainly a land narrative, while the grander claim that India once ruled the seas can become nostalgia dressed as strategy. Both miss the practical test. A maritime power needs ships, bases, trained crews, reliable shipbuilding and the ability to keep trade moving during a crisis. The 2007 doctrine provides a clear aim, but its value will be measured by whether India can protect its energy and commercial routes when a chokepoint is threatened.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
