Even as the Left promised to up its ante during the forthcoming four-nation Malabar naval exercise, the government on Wednesday has revealed that it had conducted as many 27 military exercises with the USA in the last six years.Out of 27, sources said, at least 18 exercises were carried out during the UPA regime, which was supported by the Left.
The red brigade’s protests against joint military exercise with the US began in November 2005, when hundreds of Left supporters gathered outside the Kalaikunda air base in West Bengal to show their dissent against an air exercise.
After two years, they again raised their voices in June on the eve of a port call by the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Nimitz. The comrades made some token protests in Chennai during Nimitz’s visit. The Left parties are now threatening to launch protest marches during the five nation naval exercise involving India, USA, Australia, Japan and Singapore. Besides Nimitz, the conventionally-powered US aircraft carrier—Kitty Hawk will participate in the exercise.
To be conducted between September 4 and 9, the exercise involving at least 20 foreign ships will take place at 100 nautical miles west of the Andaman Islands.
CPM’s objections
The CPM’s objections appear to have a link with the Chinese observation, that it may be the beginning of an anti-China grouping in the Asia-Pacific region.
This time, protest will be registered by flagging off two ‘jathas’ — one from Chennai by CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and another from Kolkata, by party patriarch Jyoti Basu. Interestingly, barely two weeks before the exercise, an extended version of the annual naval war game – one of the top US naval officers, Admiral Timothy Keating has arrived in the capital.
Admiral Keating will have a series of meeting with the three service chiefs and officials in the defence and external affairs ministry on Thursday.
Admiral Keating is visiting the capital days after Australia Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Russ Eric Shalders and Japan’s defence minister’s visits.
Another 20-day long Indo-US exercise, Vajra Prahar, involving Special Forces from both sides,  will begin at the army’s elite counter-insurgency and jungle warfare school in Vairengte in Mizoram.
For the last few years, the US Army is engaging with the Indian Army to learn the nuances of counter-insurgency operations.