Modi to ramp up help for Indian Ocean nations to counter China influence


(Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi will offer island nations in the Indian Ocean a broad range of military and civilian assistance next week in a bid to wrest back some of the influence China has gained by spending billions of dollars in the region.
Modi will make the pledges during a visit to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles after decades of neglect by successive Indian governments. His trip to Sri Lanka will be the first in 28 years by an Indian prime minister.
China has built seaports, power plants and highways across the small island nations. Its navy has also made forays into the Indian Ocean, including when submarines docked last year in Sri Lanka, rattling New Delhi, which has an uneasy relationship with Beijing.
New Delhi is hoping to tie the islands into a closer security embrace, Indian officials said.
"India has a role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region," said a defence official involved in preparations for Modi's trip, which begins on March 10. "We are providing patrol ships, surveillance radars and ocean mapping for the island states."
At the top of Modi's agenda is Sri Lanka, the tear-shaped island off the southern coast of India where a new government, concerned at Beijing's growing influence, is reviewing infrastructure contracts the previous administration awarded to China. It has also ruled out additional Chinese submarine visits in the near future.
Modi is expected to tighten defence and security cooperation and push for final approval for a 500 MW power plant to be built by India's state-run National Thermal Power Corporation under a 2012 agreement in Trincomalee, a strategic port in eastern Sri Lanka, Indian officials said.
The two sides were also in talks to upgrade military training, a Sri Lankan government official said.
SECURITY NEEDS
During the past year, the Indian defence ministry carried out a survey to identify the maritime needs of the island nations and has begun addressing them, the Indian defence official said.
Modi will commission a 1,300-tonne Indian-built patrol vessel in Mauritius, the first of such sales which include fast attack craft under construction in Indian shipyards.
"We have practically given Mauritius a coastguard," said Commodore Ranjit Rai, a former head of Indian naval intelligence and operations.
Other nations require similar maritime assistance, according to the Indian defence ministry assessment.
Sri Lanka also needs help with fisheries patrols while the Maldives needs assistance with surveillance against piracy as well as the threat of Islamic State supporters finding a sanctuary in the island chain.
Meanwhile, India and Seychelles are expected to sign an agreement on mapping of the waters around the archipelago during Modi's visit.
At the same time, China is upgrading the Maldives' international airport after authorities cancelled a deal with an Indian firm in 2012.
China has in the past also considered Seychelles as a potential resupply port for navy ships taking part in anti-piracy operations off Africa. Its submarines, one of them nuclear-powered, docked in Sri Lanka on their way to join the anti-piracy operations.
But Modi should not push the smaller states to choose between India and China, said Vijay Sakhuja, director of the government-funded National Maritime Foundation of India and a specialist on Indian Ocean security issues.
"China's overt military support to the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Seychelles and Mauritius is an issue which has caused enormous anxiety in India. Notwithstanding that, it will be prudent for Modi to avoid raising the issue, which could result in an "India or China" dilemma."

http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/03/05/india-modi-islands-idINL4N0W623C20150305

Comments

  1. Modi visit will give Seychrllois the posibility to see zhe over number of indian expats Michelvunilaterally imported to our shores not only as cheap workforce but as colonizators..Michrl.has made them feel zhey sre seychelloid bx illegally allowing zhem.to build hindu trmple i. Out land and even.blocked our street to prrform illrgal hindu religous processions i. Our strrets as if seychelles is the birzh place and a colony of india.....Modi as stateman will be welcomr as stateman deserve to be welcome,but he.musz keep mind that ondia friendship is bezween pl rogue regime zhe Indian govz helped zo keep power in order to enslave Seychrllois and indian whose fakr frirndship wizh pl is all about puzzing i.dian interestds above zhaz of a soverrihn seychellois nation ehich in facz share nothing histoticallx,culturally,religiouslx,in.mrntally,inout DNA wizh indians wizh zhr excepzion zhat bozh countries lie in the same Ocean.seychellois eill listrn to Modi speech as reprct for a szatrman but.Modi musz.not zhink seychelloid is going zo deliver his wishes as if seychrlles belong to india and seychrllois are indians...seychrlles own interests are above forrign interests.

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  2. In a Stadium which would be teemed with Indian colonizators disguised as Expat workers,Modi will sure speakscin Hindi for Indians feelvSeychrlled is part of india,and he will also tells srychellois thst“,india is a friend of seychelles.But,the problem with trying to make seychellois that India is a friendcof ,seychelles..Mr Modi would need to explain Seychellois ehy did Indian govt helped Pl gangers with Rene as chief keep hold tobpower when Seychellois was mounting a coup to undo Rene tyranny.If youbfriend of seychellois why u did not support thr seychellois in bringi.g back freedom but instead dreesed Rene in a Rag as Indira Ghandi,put him on plane and bring him back to take over power? Is this friendship to seychellois or to pl rogue regime.,,?is seychellois pl?
    Mr Modi you know what?i.dian frirndship is with pl rogue regime Seychellois......you no why?pl never represented seychellois wishes and will.....pl friends are not necessary the frirnds seychellois would naturally choose.seychelles shares only the same Ocean with India,but apart form that Seychellois has nothing historicallx,religiously,culturally,socially,traditionally,genetically,and so forth to do with India.Unlike,Mauritius,where Indian culturr,religoin rtc is the majoritx,seychelles has its roots in europe....we pocess more European DNA,esprciallx French DNA,which make us feel tacitly and naturally better among Europeans than other cultures etc....you can change that..and we not about to change what make us,and give us our identity and dignity to be someone eksevwe not...that is disrepect to Seychellois

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  3. After,michel was forced by citiuns pressure not to commit his crimes on our environment,,i read zhat CEPS,will continue fight to protect Cape Zernay(zhere is also Grand polic e which michel is plani.g to destroy to ptotect to),,and CEPS SAYS it will bring ideas on what development will be best for Cape Ternay......well there should be infact no DEVELOPMENT AT ALL AT CAPE TERNAY..WHY.?it is a national park and national parks and national reserves should stay intacz wizhout human activities such as building hotels or else...we donot build in national parks and reserves...any human development will destroy zhese heritage.2)we already have enuogh hotels in seychelles of which none today to br. Fill at zozal capacizy not even during high season....many small hotels close each year.....more gotels means a policy which will end up making Seychelles a mass touristic destination..for when hotels ,including five star hotels can fill up their rooms,there would be a.point in time,that they could be forced to reduce their real price drastically to entice clients,therby making seychellrs a devaluated,under price and mass tourism destination..which woild mean more cheaper zourists arrivals..spending less..but zhe amount or total would put more stress on environment,natural resources,habitat,housing,healzhcare because more cheaper foreign labor would be recruited which would increase indians zo our shores and as tourist increase help increase on natural resoutces..increase financial leakage,and keeping seychellois unemployed and not being able to benefiz from their own economy.,3)future generations to come would need space,land for their own development..pl cannot just build hotels on all beaches,on every coastal land,,just to say we have more hotels which in fact bring little revenue to our economy,(five.star hotels)....fill up existing hotels pl,,and stop building more hotrls for pl own pleasure when zhere is no need for.more hotels..bring visitors back first pl..and stop destroxing the environment of seychelles

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  4. Check a few words on farmers.last week,a saw A report ON GERMAN TV,ON DENIS ISLAND.DENIS ISLAND IS DUE TO BE A TOURSIST LUXURIOUS DESTINATION,with a five star hotel...Strangely in the report,i discovered that Denis island is not being use only for a five star hotrl operation,,big farming project exist on the island..in other words,the owner of zhe five star hotel is illegally doing farming on big scale forcwhich is not licenced to do and in turn affect se,chellois farmers businesses...dozens of pigs,cows,chichens are being breed on denis not as means of food supply for the island,but as the owner said in the report namely aim for public markets..is Debis island with a five star hotel on it,fit for animals farming?No should the owner of Denis island licenced and registered as farmer in seychelles?no.does it has slaughter houses and fill the norms to do so?no.Is it a legal practice?no...... we then asking pl to ask the onwer to stop his illegal farmerong of pigs,coes,chickens etc. On Denisclicensed to operate a hotel but no big scale farmering zhat affect our farmers,conpete with them,reduce zheir revenue and destroy this nobrl proffession.

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  5. ECEPs though its fight to protrct seychelles heritage is welcome and should be supported,has no legitimate and constitutional power to draft development .iz is not your responsibilizy......any contoversial devrlopmrnt,shoild it need to go forqard,must have zhe consent,approval of the citizens the legal mean in place to condult Seychellois is called REFERENDUMM,STIPULATED IN OUR CONSTITUTION.

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  6. Stop building more hotels pl,fill up existing hotels and zhen start devrloping OFF SEASON TOURISM DONKEY.

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  7. Pl tells Seychellois women and girls that claimnte change is an opportunity for them to gain their Huamn Rights--- In other words Pl thinks climate change which is not a person nor God would CRIMINALIZE Domestic violence in Seychelles ,something Under educated Meriton fails to do ,,for Pl.Huamn Rights is universal ,Pl...Be it women,man ,childrens --we are all equal under God's creation------Huamn rgihts is not about Gneder,Sex like in EUA;SAUDI ARAIBIA-----but about Huamn beings who was created equal.......maybe Climate change could probably bring Women their Huamn rights in Paternal and archaic societies like that of your friends Khaflia whereby women are consider inferior than men and stand between men and animals....Tells Khalfia your friends who to date love his Kmamels more than his wives to allow women to fully exercise their Huamn Rights -by removing this traditional arab BURKA on them,,which has nothing to do with Islam but something tradtionla combined by fools with Islam,,allow them to choose their husbands,drive,travel alone etc..

    Why are you donkeys ..Donkeys Pl?Waht the hell you doing in government when you are under educated and the most stupid donkeys--Why you did not consult an expert of HUAMN RIGTHS band get your brain engage before you put you idiotic mouth into gears Pl.We understand now,Why Meriton does not want to Criminalize Domesetic violence though it is the most deteraence solution...simply because Pl thugs are still primitives.Should go back to school donkeys.attend religious lesson conducted by RAM,educate yourselves donkeys or shut your mouth donkeys.

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  8. Women's day exists since 1909,..and Seychelles is independent since 1977..the question to Pl ,is what has Pl done in the last 50 years for women'?Birth decrease,salary disparity,Domestic violence,governemnt mostly control by Pl patriachal gang,though they later, not necessarily the most intelligent while many women excel them in regards to education and qualifications----etc..etc..etc..etc..
    And finally Pl,dictatorship does not protect Huamn rgihts in any sort be it for men,women,children...So be it women ,men or kids ..we donot have our Huamn Rights respected in Seychelles...and we donot expect that to happen in any dictatorship.....it is just impossible


    Our women would not have the Unamn Rights as Pl idiots said in NATION by Cliamate Change....nor by Pl thugtocracy ..but as for every Seychellois citizens from kids,men to women but in a democratic system which does not exist in Seychelles .NB Pl would try and make you believe since their Mutli-party elelctions ..we in a democracy......Democracy Pl is the rule of the people ,for the people,and by the peoppl ..and how do the people achieve that ...through FREE AND FAIR democratic elections...not by fake celebrations..not by just blahing balhing about it...or using it it as window dressing ,......

    Seychelles is a dictatorship ..so no single person apart from Pl gang members Human rights are respected ,,the majority Huamn Rights are violated Pl.......until real democracy in install...Pl cannot and should not speaks about Women ,Rigts ,Baby rights,Men rights.Kids Rights or nay other rights unti ldemocracy in achieved.

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  9. On PIRATES ARMS


    ..It is true that through the decades,Pirates Amrs has made a name known both locally and Internationally ..since ti is literally the only meeting point or spot in Victoria.......But at the same time unlike the Clokc Tower,Market,Post,and other colonial buildins ;Pirates is not a National heritage......though many Seychelois feel nostalgic about the news that Pl wants to destroy it to build ??????
    I personally, not against the renovation,of a new building and so forth.....What is important..the ambient,atmophere,etc.... should not be destroyed......If Pl is going to build ,whatever but keeps the same space,at the same location ,the same feel,atmophere and so on.........there is no reason for opposing the building of a new complexe..(BUt NB Seychellois have not yet ,Since the Master plan of Victorai ,nor give Pl their approval,,so nothing could be done without Seychellois consent and approval...it is about the Capital City of Seychellois and we not going to let Pl,Arabs or any ofreigners come and tell us how our Capital City should look like....This meeting point must not be change or displace...nes building Yes,,,but Pirates Arms name,as meeting point,etc......must stay...it is tradmakr ofr Vicotira ..and we cannot allow Pl to change anything to that except the building.

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