After the tsunami: how the ‘Quad’ was born

After the tsunami: how the ‘Quad’ was born

Context

• India’s full capabilities came as a surprise to the world the Indo-Pacific during Tsunami crisis as India had naval capabilities of scale to move in urgently further leading to the formation of QUAD.

How did it start?

• The shocking death toll from the tsunami led to a call from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Indian envoy Nirupama Rao made it clear that island nation needed urgent humanitarian assistance.
• For India, it was time to show that the Indian Ocean was in fact India’s domain, and India committed in an unparalleled manner to the effort.
• India within twelve hours was in Colombo with its Indian naval helicopters and relief material.
• Two Indian naval ships were in Galle and Trincomalee, while three others were despatched to Male within next two days.
• INS Khukri and INS Nirupak, were converted into hospital ships and sent to the worst hit-country, Indonesia.
• In all, about 32 Indian ships and 5,500 troops were involved in the international relief effort.

The formation of Quad

• In December 2004, the then U.S. President George W. Bush announced that India, the U.S., Japan and Australia would set up an international coalition to rescue those trapped in the waters, rush relief, and rehabilitate those made homeless, and to restore power, connectivity lines as well as infrastructure like ports and roads.
• By mid-January the coalition handed over charge to the UN, it led to the birth of a new framework: the Quadrilateral, or Quad.
• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first to voice his long-standing idea of an “arc of prosperity and freedom with QUAD.
• The plan for a meeting of the Quad was formed with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Tokyo in December 2006.
• Contrary to public perception, Australia wasn’t the first to object. The U.S. felt that angering China with the Quadrilateral would hamper larger strategic efforts under way, including the move for sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council, and the six-nation talks on North Korea.