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Chandigarh December 17, 2021

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The Professor J. C. Anand Memorial Lecture was delivered by Professor Chintamani Mahapatra, pro-Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University. The lecture was chaired by Prof V R Sinha, Dean University Instructions, Panjab University who referred to the shifting balance of power in the present era of pandemic. The lecture is held annually in the department of political science in the memory of Professor Anand, a former distinguished faculty member in the department.

Speaking on the ‘Rising Strategic Turbulence in the Indo-Pacific : India’s Choices’,  Mahapatra referred to the critical shift in the geo-strategic sphere of Asia-Pacific /now termed  as the Indo-Pacific Region. He drew attention of the audience to the emerging opportunities and significance of the region in terms of trade and security in an era when the region is witnessing a phase of turbulence due to the ‘old’ hegemon US taking on the ‘new’ hegemon China. It has resulted not only in the two countries engaged in developing strategic partnerships and alliances-building as in the case of the US it is QUAD, IORC and other security treatises and RCEP by China. Professor Mahapatra referred to the economic cold war  going on between the two countries as an economically empowered China has started flexing its military muscles under the leadership of Xi Ping to pursue its agenda of territorial expansion. What testifies to the growing stature of China is it becoming the number one trading partner of more than hundred countries. In the pre-Trump era, China witnessed heavy investment even by the US corporate sector. Referring to the varied approaches adopted by the countries caught in the tussle and also facing the heat of Chinese expansionism, Mahapatra referred how India and other Southeast Asian countries like Japan and Vietnam despite endorsing the US act of balancing China in the Indo-Pacific, have their own distinct strategies to contain China and protect their national interests.

 Professor Mahapatra reminded that India has historically played a distinct role in the pacific region like in case of the Korean and Vietnamese wars resisting American and Russian interventions.  Refusing to be used as a tool by the US to serve her strategic interests, India has chalked out its own course as its proximity to a `belligerent’ China makes it perturbed about China. There was a time when deep economic engagement with China made India try not to be offensive while displaying anti- China stance. However, it has changed after the Galwan valley episode in recent months. In the process of meeting the growing Chinese hostility and propaganda, it is natural that India views USA as a responsive and democratic custodian in the region as against the irresponsive and authoritarian China which has not been threatening Taiwan but also has captured islands and has sovereign claims over the South Sea.

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In recent years, India has followed the ‘look-east-act-east’ policies and has been proactive in cultivating ASEAN countries. Without being very aggressive in its foreign policy statements, India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world since adopting economic reforms in 1991,  has shifted decisively from non-alignment to multi-alignment policy. It has joined QUAD and AUKUS for the purpose of growing trade and also made its presence felt in the Chinese backwaters. As a military power, it has responded to the Chinese misadventures both in Galwan Valley and in Doklam.    

The lecture was attended by the faculty members and researchers in the discipline of political science from Panjab university and from across the states.