PRIME Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s announcement of celebrating year 2022 as the ‘ASEAN-India Friendship Year’ to mark 30 years of their partnership is an assuring message to the member-nations about India’s unwavering support to the formation as a strong platform against imperialistic forces. The ASEAN unity and centrality has remained India’s priority since its inception as New Delhi has promptly played the role of a guiding light to the South East Asian countries. Mr. Modi reiterated that commitment while seeking a bigger framework for a shared vision and mutual cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing geopolitical activities and varying security situations.

India’s effort to keep the ASEAN flock together stems from the inherent philosophy of universal brotherhood as the countries in the region bear a defined stamp of Indian culture and values despite different religious beliefs. Indonesia comes out as a prime example of this fact with big imprint of Hinduism in the people’s daily lives, unmistakable belief in Indian values and unhesitant acceptance of cultural diversity despite being a country with strong Islamic influence. Mr. Modi’s assertion at the ASEAN summit was aimed at strengthening the same cultural contiguity among the member-nations for long-term benefits in trade and security domains.

Over the years, the ASEAN has grown into a significant bloc in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region for its consensus-based decision making and being a key to bigger partnerships with the western countries. Of late, with aggressive Chinese intent towards some ASEAN countries the group seeks a new balance in the region. With the prestigious position it holds in geopolitics, it is India’s moral duty to provide impetus to the new balance for creating a strong entity in every sense. This brings the issue of ASEAN’s centrality in the larger scheme of things including the revival of Quadrilateral Dialogue (Quad) and the new grouping between Australia, United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS).

India is a key partner in Quad while it has kept a strategic silence on the AUKUS while it continues to be a driving force of the ASEAN. Therefore, it becomes mandatory for Mr. Modi to allay all fears of the bloc getting caught in power competition in the region. The matrix of the ASEAN group is based on centrality which has to be maintained against threat of aggressive forces like China.