INS Vagir at Colombo port: How yoga on submarine helps India's innovative cultural diplomacy take centre stage

India’s commitment to defending the Indian Ocean Region is growing in importance, driven by strategic interests and security concerns. The International Day of Yoga, proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, coincided with China’s launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. The BRI mission, embraced by Sri Lanka, raised concerns in India from the outset due to its potential impact on regional stability and infringement upon India’s traditional sphere of influence. The high-tech Indian submarine arrives from Mumbai In addition to conventional security measures, India has been utilising cultural diplomacy and innovative approaches to showcase its presence and dedication in the region. An example of this is India’s use of yoga as a tool for cultural diplomacy. Through events like the “Ocean Ring of Yoga”, India symbolically demonstrated solidarity and unity in protecting the Indian Ocean Region. India’s naval capabilities, including submarines, play a significant role in safeguarding its interests in the Indian Ocean. The recent visit of INS Vagir, a newly commissioned indigenous Kalvari-class submarine of the Indian Navy, to Colombo exemplifies India’s cultural diplomacy of a different class. During its stay from 19-22 June 2023, thousands of individuals, including school children, scouts, guides, members of the NCC, and officers from the Sri Lanka Navy, had the unique opportunity to visit the submarine and witness its capabilities firsthand. This submarine, commissioned on 23 January 2023, was built in India by MDL Mumbai in collaboration with Naval Group, France. Four such Kalvari-class submarines have already been commissioned into the Indian Navy. These submarines are stealthy and equipped with multirole capabilities, designed to target surface warships, underwater submarines, conduct mine-laying operations, surveillance, and more. The submarine named Vagir sailed from Mumbai to Colombo, a journey that took six days. Yuan Wang’s surveillance mission in the Indian Ocean The visit of the Indian submarine to Sri Lanka came after the controversial presence of the Chinese surveillance ship Yuan Wang-5 in the Indian Ocean last November. Many in Sri Lanka and India raised suspicions about the Chinese ship, with India declaring it a ‘spy ship’. However, there was no information available about its activities in the Indian Ocean Region. The Chinese ‘spy ship’ was docked at Hambantota port from 16 to 22 August 2022. This research ship belongs to the PLA’s 5th branch, the Strategic Support Force (PLASSF), which was created in December 2015 to engage in space, cyber, and electronic warfare. Equipped with advanced electronic equipment, sensors, and antennae, the ship assists China’s People’s Liberation Army’s land-based stations in tracking satellite, rocket, and ICBM launches within a range of 750 km. India rejected the arrival of the Chinese spy ship, asserting its own interest in maintaining dominance over the Indian Ocean Region, despite China’s claim that the Indian Ocean does not belong to India. Commenting on the docking of the Chinese spy vessel Yuan Wang-5 in Sri Lanka, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that any developments that affect India’s security are of interest to them. In response to the arrival of the Chinese spy ship last year, India came in style to conduct its own surveillance operations. It was after ten months of the spy ship’s arrival that the Indian submarine visited Sri Lanka as part of the Ocean Ring initiative. The Indian Ocean region is defined by the Indian Ocean “rim”, which includes 29 littoral countries and six island countries, including Sri Lanka. However, the concept of the Indian Ocean region can be expanded to include landlocked countries that are dependent on the Indian Ocean, resulting in a potential range of 35 to 52 states included in the region. India recognizes the immense strategic importance of the Indian Ocean region due to its critical role in maritime trade, energy security, and overall national security. In light of this, India has actively worked towards enhancing its presence and influence in the region through initiatives such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Indian Navy’s “Mission Based Deployment” strategy. These efforts aim to strengthen cooperation, ensure regional stability, and protect India’s interests in the Indian Ocean Region. While Yoga is widely accepted worldwide, the sailing of ships and submarines cannot be solely seen as a matter of security importance but can also be understood in a cultural context. Despite there may not be a direct link between International Yoga Day and India’s mission to protect the Indian Ocean Region, it is plausible that the Indian government aimed to utilize the occasion to demonstrate its commitment to unity and solidarity, both domestically and internationally. No military base for China Given Sri Lanka’s existing commitment to China, India has taken precautionary measures and prompted the Sri Lankan government to acknowledge that China is merely a commercial partner. During President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to France on 25 June, 2023, he reiterated in an interview with the French media outlet “France24” that there are no military agreements with China and that no bases would be established that could pose a threat to India. This statement emphasises the potential risks that can emerge from the geographical proximity between India and Sri Lanka if Sri Lanka fails to take significant preventive measures to ensure the security and interests of both countries. With that being said, Sri Lanka should carefully consider India’s interests and concerns when implementing measures for domestic economic growth. Interestingly, in the first half of 2023, India has already sent six warships, including a submarine, to the Port of Colombo, averaging one ship per month. From January to June 2023, a total of 16 warships have visited Sri Lanka. According to Ceylon Today, the Sri Lanka Port Authority reported that in the previous year, 27 warships and two submarines from Russia docked at the Port of Colombo. While it is not unusual for an island nation to receive such visits, it highlights how Sri Lanka is entangled in its own geopolitical dynamics. The author is a freelance journalist and researcher based in Colombo. 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