India should quit Quad.
USA is not India’s friend and not a reliable ally. USA sees India as a subsidiary ally just like the British had subsidiary allies in India.
Quad in full is Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Its stated objective is to ensure and sustain an open, free and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Real objective is to counter China’s expansion.
Quad is an informal alliance of Australia, India, Japan and USA. USA has bases in Japan. American soldiers stationed at Okinawa have raped and murdered Japanese civilians there and got away.
USA’s Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had visited India in March and had talks with our Defence and Foreign Ministers. It is said Lloyd Austin conveyed that USA does not want India to buy S-400 missiles from Russia. It seems there will be sanctions against India under Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act if India buys the missiles.
After nuclear tests in 1998, USA had sanctions against India. India survived them. If USA imposes sanctions on India, India should reciprocate.
US Navy has violated India’s Exclusive Economic Zone many times. India has protested. USA has ignored India’s protests.
US Navy on 7/4/2021 announced that USS John Paul Jones from its 7th Fleet had asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of Lakshadweep Islands, inside India’s exclusive economic zone, without requesting India’s prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law, and the freedom of navigation operation upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging India’s excessive maritime claims.
This time besides violation of EEZ there was boasting and gloating about it. That was too bad.
The Ministry of External Affairs protested that India’s stated position on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) “is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state”.
USA first defended what USS John Paul Jones did. Later a spokesperson said the operation was routine and “We value our partnership with India on a wide range of issues, including regional security across the Indo-Pacific.”
India should end Malabar Exercises with USA. It should issue warning to USA not to play with fire. Consequences will be disastrous. Next time US Navy violates EEZ there should be a warning to vacate immediately failing which missiles should hit US warships.