India must act as a unifier in the Indian Ocean Region

K M Panikkar, eminent Indian diplomat, historian, and strategic thinker, said in a 1945 essay: "While to other countries, the Indian Ocean is only one of the important oceanic areas, to India it is the vital sea..." In contemporary India, apart from the Navy, most others have paid scant attention to Panikkar's writings, and to his emphasis on the creation of an Indian Ocean identity. We need to note that unlike most other parts of the world, the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has historically lacked forums and institutions that could facilitate dialogue or help create a cooperative response to developments…