India-Asean bond on show

New Delhi: India on Friday celebrated its 69th Republic Day with its customary display of military might and cultural diversity in a parade that saw the rare attendance by heads of state and governments from 10 Southeast Asian countries in a major departure from established practice.

Leaders of countries representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) took the stage along with their host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as President Ram Nath Kovind took the salute in New Delhi.

“The stage was never this big!” tweeted Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar, in a reference to the unprecedented gesture by India to have leaders from 10 countries attend its Republic Day celebrations.

India usually invites the head of state of one country as the chief guest of its Republic Day celebrations, a gesture that is indicative of “New Delhi’s special relationship with that country or its intent to scale up or prioritise ties with that country,” said a person familiar with the development who did not want to be named.

The invite to leaders from Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Myanmar, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines and Malaysia comes at a time when India is celebrating 25 years of partnership with the economically vibrant Asean.

On Thursday, Modi hosted all 10 Asean leaders at a commemorative summit with the theme Shared Values, Common Destiny during which the two sides agreed to scale up maritime cooperation and outlined a road map for future partnership that included an enhancement of physical and digital connectivity besides increased economic linkages.

India’s outreach to Asean comes as many countries in the world and Asia in particular are looking warily at the rise of an aggressive China. With China being a major trading partner of the 10-member grouping and many of the Asean members locked in maritime disputes with Beijing, these nations seem keen to broaden their linkages with countries such as India.

“India and Asean nations have relations free from contests and claims. We have a common vision for the future, built on commitment to inclusion and integration, belief in sovereign equality of all nations irrespective of size, and support for free and open pathways of commerce and engagement,” Modi said, in remarks that could be seen as a comment on China’s ties with Asean.

“This is an age of change, disruptions and shifts that come only rarely in history,” said the PM, according to a text of article posted on the Indian government website. “Asean and India have immense opportunities—indeed, enormous responsibility—to chart a steady course through the uncertainty and turbulence of our times to a stable and peaceful future for our region and the world.”

“Indians have always looked East to see the nurturing sunrise and the light of opportunities. Now, as before, the East, or the Indo-Pacific region, will be indispensable to India’s future and our common destiny. The Asean-India partnership will play a defining role in both. And, in Delhi, Asean and India renewed their pledge for the journey ahead,” he added.