Debotri Dhar | A bolder foreign policy is needed for Indo-Pacific

The Maldives' diplomatic confrontation with India and Male's crusade with Beijing. New Delhi's promotion of the Lakshadweep archipelago, the commissioning of the naval base INS Jatayu to enhance the Indian Navy's operational reach, and the rescue of pirate-hijacked vessels in the Red Sea and elsewhere. The inauguration of an airstrip and jetty in the Alagela Islands with Mauritius. Beijing's renewed claims to Indian territories and the hostile positioning of border troops coupled with sunshine diplomacy. This year's events have again brought the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the broader Indo-Pacific, which links the Indian and Pacific Oceans and houses three…