Emerging ties B/W India-Indonesia

Emerging ties B/W India-Indonesia

GS-2: International Relations

(IAS/UPPCS)

Relevant for Prelims:

India-Indonesia relations, Look East Policy, ASEAN.

Relevant for Mains:

About Indonesia, India-Indonesia Relations-Various Dimensions, Conclusion.

06/05/2024

Source: TH

Why in news:

Recently, at the seventh India-Indonesia Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting held in Delhi, India and Indonesia have agreed to further expand overall bilateral defense ties, including maritime security and production of military equipment.

India-Indonesia relations:

Historical and cultural relations:

  • Cultural and commercial relations between India and Indonesia are more than two centuries old. According to historians, people of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim religions have been traveling from India to Indonesia since ancient times.
  • The influence of Sanskrit on the language of Indonesia is clearly visible.
  • Stories from the great Indian epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the source for Indonesian folk art and dramas.
  • Characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata appear in the form of puppets in festivals and tableaus etc. in Indonesia.
  • The famous Bali Yatra, a week-long festival, is celebrated with great enthusiasm and gaiety in both India and Indonesia.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Center (JNICC) is operated by the Embassy of India in Indonesia, which regularly organizes classes related to Indian classical music, Indian classical dance (Kathak and Bharatnatyam), yoga and Hindi and Tamil languages.
  • Since its establishment in 1989, Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Center (JNICC) has been actively working to promote Indian art and culture in Indonesia.
  • Shared culture, colonial history and common goals of political sovereignty, economic self-reliance and independent foreign policy after independence have had a deep impact on the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Political Relations:

  • The struggle against colonial powers, democratic traditions, pluralistic culture and progressive leadership are some of the common threads connecting India and Indonesia.
  • President Sukarno of Indonesia was the guest of honor during India's first Republic Day in 1950.
  • Independent India and Indonesia became major supporters of the independence of Asian and African countries, the spirit of which led to the historic Bandung Conference of 1955 and later the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961.
  • Since the adoption of India's 'Look East Policy' in 1991 and upgrading it to 'Act East' in 2014, bilateral relations have grown rapidly in the political, security, defence, commercial and cultural sectors.
  • India and Indonesia have a comprehensive strategic partnership and have reached a common vision of the Indo-Pacific.
  • In the defense sector, both the countries are working together and conduct bilateral maritime exercise Samudra Shakti and joint military exercise Garuda Shakti every year.

Commercial Relations:

  • Indonesia has emerged as India's largest trading partner in the ASEAN region.
  • Total bilateral trade during FY 2022-23 was US$ 38.85 billion (growth of 48% over previous fiscal year), including exports of US$ 10.02 billion (growth of 18%) and imports of US$ 28.82 billion (growth of 62%) was imported.
  • India is the second largest buyer of coal and crude palm oil from Indonesia and imports minerals, rubber, pulp and paper and hydrocarbon reserves.
  • India exports refined petroleum products, commercial vehicles, telecommunication equipment, agricultural commodities, beef, steel products and plastics to Indonesia.
  • Indonesia is an attractive destination for Indian investment.

Indian diaspora:

  • According to an estimate, there are approximately 100,000 Indonesians of Indian origin living in Indonesia, while there are more than 8500 Indian nationals living in Indonesia, which include engineers, chartered accountants, bankers and other professionals.

About Indonesia:

  • Indonesia, located in Southeast Asia, is famous worldwide primarily for its islands and attractive landscape.
  • Indonesia, an archipelago located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, is the world's fourth most populous country.
  • Its capital is in Jakarta, but Indonesia recently approved its relocation to a site 2,000 kilometers away on the island of Borneo, which will be named "Nusantara".
  • About 80 percent of the population of this country believes in Islam religion. Apart from this, people following Christianity, Hindu and Buddhism are also found here.
  • In this country with the largest Muslim population, the principle of secularism is followed like India.
  • The total area of this country is 1,919,443 square kilometers in which according to the census of the year 2014, a total of 253,609,643 people reside.

Conclusion:

  • India and Indonesia have had civilizational ties for more than two thousand years. Being maritime neighbors and strategic partners, the two countries enjoy important and close relations.
  • Currently, the partnership is characterized by close cooperation in the bilateral and multilateral arena, including frequent high-level interactions.
  • Indonesia is an important partner in India's Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific region.
  • There is immense potential for both countries to grow further with growing bilateral and community relations in the coming years.

Mains Exam Question:

Discuss the various dimensions of India-Indonesia relations.