– Kumar Moses

South Asia’s strategic security situation is changing very fast. It is driven by Indian hegemonic interests. Since its creation in 1947, India has always been an invasive force. The long list of Indian invasions and grabbing others’ territory proves this point beyond all doubt. However, things have taken a turn for the worse when USA and Japan outsourced part of their China containment and Asia destabilization strategy to India. The arms race started by India is now spreading to other countries as well. In response to India’s hegemonic expansion, Pakistan is alleged to produce 14 to 27 nuclear warheads a year. If this trend continues, Pakistan will be the world’s third largest nuclear superpower in six years after only USA and Russia.

http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/will-pakistan-soon-have-the-worlds-third-largest-nuclear-arsenal/

Fearing this, India plans to expand its nuclear arsenal to neighbouring Sri Lanka. This destructive move must be defeated early.

India the invader

Since officially gaining independence from Britain, India has made 16 actual and attempted invasions of sovereign nations. Most of these invasions succeeded in expanding the Indian Territory.

1. The 1947 Annexation of Kashmir was the first to display Indian expansionism.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/02/06/indias-shame/

2. 1949 Annexation of Manipur extended India far towards the east.

http://www.tehelka.com/manipurs-merger-with-india-was-a-forced-annexation/

3. 1949 Annexation of Tripura

http://www.crescent-online.net/2009/09/the-myths-of-one-nation-and-one-hinduism-in-india-zawahir-siddique-2316-articles.html

4. 1951 Annexation of South Tibet and changing its name to expand Indian military reach northwards.

http://kanglaonline.com/2011/06/khathing-the-taking-of-tawang/

5. 1961 Annexation of Goa which was an independent territory until then.

http://goa-invasion-1961.blogspot.in/2013/09/india-pirated-goa-china-is-regaining_16.html

6. 1962 Annexation of Kalapani, Nepal

http://www.eurasiareview.com/07032012-indian-hegemony-in-nepal-oped/

7. 1962 Aggression against China. However, unlike India’s smaller neighbours that surrendered their territory to hegemonic India, China fought back and inflicted a well deserved heavy defeat on India.

http://gregoryclark.net/redif.html

8. 1971 Annexation of Turtuk, Pakistan over the war against Pakistan.

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/suddenly-indian

9. 1972 Annexation of Tin Bigha, Bangladesh after helping Bengalis gain separation from Pakistan.

http://www.dhakatribune.com/op-ed/2014/feb/20/killing-fields

10. 1975 Annexation of Sikkim nation after ground work was done in 1951.

http://nepalitimes.com/issue/35/Nation/9621#.UohjPHQo6LA

http://www.amazon.com/Smash-Grab-Annexation-Sunanda-Datta-Ray/dp/9383260386

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/annexation-of-sikkim-by-india-was-not-legal-wangchuk-namgyal/1/391498.html

11. 1981 Attempted invasion of Pakistan to destroy Pakistan’s peaceful nuclear program.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/indira-gandhi-considered-military-strike-on-pakistans-nuke-sites-cia/

12. 1983 (Aborted) Attempted invasion of Mauritius. This attempt was foiled only because of domestic disturbances in India and subsequent killing of Gandhi by her own body guards to avenge horrendous crimes committed by Indian troops in Punjab.

http://thediplomat.com/2013/03/when-india-almost-invaded-mauritius/

13. 1983 Attempted invasion of Sri Lanka

India backed down fearing a heavier backlash against one of its southern communities in Sri Lanka. 1987 – 1990 Invasion of Sri Lanka

14. Fearing the annihilation of Indian funded and trained Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (a US designated terrorist group) in the Jaffna peninsular, India airdropped food and weapons to them. When all these failed to stop advancing Sri Lankan troops, India invaded Sri Lanka in the guise of a ‘peace keeping’ mission. However, peace was not achieved. The war worsened and after horrendous abuse of Tamil women in Jaffna peninsular, India left the island nation, with wounded and defeated Indian pride.

15. 1990 (Failed) Attempted annexation of Bhutan

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/07/world/india-based-groups-seek-to-disrupt-bhutan.html

16. 2013 Annexation of Moreh, Myanmar. Even in June 2015 Indian army invaded Myanmar to prevent the Burmese from reclaiming their rightful land. This is India’s first invasion after the Cold War ended.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nehginpao-kipgen/easing-indiamyanmar-borde_b_4633040.html

Only USA can rival India’s invasion history. Unfortunately, the US has outsourced some of its anti-China operations to India starting in 2005. Since then, India has been expanding its military assets at an astronomical rate. For the fourth year running, India is world’s largest weapons importer. Not just it imports from more countries than any other does it also manufactures its weapons in large numbers.

Pakistan’s response to Indian threats

India carried out its first nuclear explosion test in 1974 codenamed ‘Smiling Buddha’. Over 40 years have passed since but India still hasn’t ratified the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It continues its clandestine nuclear weapons program. In response to India’s nuclear weapons program, Pakistan tested its first nuclear weapon in 1998. Fearing a nuclear response, Indian threats substantially reduced after that. As of 2014, Pakistan edges out India in nuclear warheads by approximately 10 in number.

These events and India’s growing conventional weapons have turned Pakistan to enrich weapons grade nuclear material. According to a US report, Pakistan manufactures 14 to 27 nuclear warheads a year which will take it over China by six years’ time. Alarmed by this development, USA has already cut its grants to Pakistan. However, USA is not in a position to stop Pakistan. USA’s biggest fear is India’s inability to deploy nuclear weapons thanks to very high population density and ethnic enclaves (states) refusing to put their people at risk to save India. Even sea-based weapons have to be repaired in a port. This is why India lags behind in nuclear weapons. However, driven by hegemony India once again considers avenues for deployment.

Indian nuclear weapons in Sri Lanka’s North-West and North-East

India expanded its nuclear weapons deployment recently. Until 2009, land based nuclear weapons were based on three Indian states around the Bay of Bengal, Gujarat, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. After 2009, Indian nuclear weapons are now deployed in Andra Pradesh too. Attempts to deploy them in Tamil Nadu resulted in disapproval and the plan was withdrawn.

A nuclear weapons holding site faces multiple risks. Accidental damage or leakage can cause tremendous harm to the population, an explosion (not nuclear), fire or flooding can also harm the population with leaked radiation. Terror attacks or enemy attacks can spread radioactive waste in a large area threatening the population. These are very high risks and as a result, UK and France have no land based nuclear weapons. Even sea-based weapons are brought to land every few months for repair and maintenance. Densely populated Indian coastal states refuse to have them. Interestingly all economic powerhouses of India are coastal states with Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu leading the way.

As a result, India has turned to Sri Lanka to deploy its nuclear weapons. Accidental damage or attacks cannot harm Indian population and will have no political impact on India. Absolutely no risk to India but massive increase in reach against Chinese and Pakistani sea and land assets make it an attractive option.

In order to make it happen, India pushes a devolution mechanism in Sri Lanka whereby the north and the east will have a pro-Indian regional government. Deployment of Indian weapons will be easy under such a pro-Indian state government.

Immediate steps to defeat Indian demographic invasion

The gravest threat from India is its demographic invasion of the island nation. It must be ended immediately by removing the Tamil language from the official languages list. Tamil was made an official language in 1987 under the 13 amendment to facilitate Indianization of Sri Lanka. It was the unique Sinhala language that unified Sri Lanka and prevented large scale Indian demographic invasion in the past. Once there is language congruence between India and Sri Lanka, it acts like a cultural bridge to bring south Indians.

Secondly, district demarcations must be changed. Trincomalee harbour and surrounding Sinhala majority areas including Seruwila and Gal Oya must be added to the Polonnaruwa District. In ancient times, Trincomalee was the main harbour of the nation when the capital city was in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. This will dissuade Tamil Elam and Indian elements from seeing division of Sri Lanka as a geopolitical means to achieve their hegemonic interests.

Constitutional provisions must be made to illegalize deployment of nuclear weapons in the island or its exclusive economic zone.