In Othello, Shakespeare creates characters who reinforce social stereotypes and others who abandon more traditional roles

In this essay I aim to discuss the way Shakespeare creates characters who reinforce social stereotypes and others who abandon more traditional roles and how it helps his play by looking at the language form and structure. In Shakespeare's time there were different standings in class, race and in gender, men were above women and whites were above blacks a character that reinforces this stereotype of the time is the character of Brabantio, he is the father of Desdemona who is the object of Othello's heart. Othello is black and Desdemona is white, these two being together let alone married would've been a great shock to audiences in Shakespeare's time, so Shakespeare needed a character to represent the way most people think and this was Brabantio. An example of Branbantio as being stereotypical is when he says where hast thou stowed my daughter? Damned as though art, though hast enchanted her. This shows him as being stereotypical in a varied number of ways the first being he believes that Othello has used magic to make his daughter love him which shows the belief of the dark arts at this time but also the only reasons he believes Othello has used dark arts to enslave his daughter is because he is black, black people at this time were very much looked down upon and were thought of evil and users of the dark arts so it is understandable to the audience of Shakespeare that Brabantio is so annoyed and shocked although it would be different now. Another way he shows thast he is stereotypical is by the way he thinks he knows that his daughter could not love a black person and should only love the people he sees good enough for her this taking away her rights and feelings are being disregarded but at this time it was normal for the women to be objectified and men control them. Brabantio also shows the stereotypical view of a patriarch in this society and he believes that Othello is a direct threat to the patriarchal society he believes that the pagans will be come statesman which in his eyes would create social chaos an example of this belief is shown when he states for instance Bond slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be. This statement would shock most people of a high standing of this time, the play would have been performed in England and even the thought of this happening in England is preposterous and would decrease the amount of people going to this, so Shakespeare deliberately sets the play in Venice where there are more blacks and it is somewhere fair away from home so it is believable to the audience but other than the fact that it tells you this play is set in Venice, nearly all of the characters can be directly linked to the English lifestyle at the time. On numerous occasions Brabantio makes numerous comments showing his stereotypical views on his daughter and shows that he thinks he owns her by objectifying her, a quote that supports this idea is â€Å"Ay to me, she is abused, stolen from me and corrupted† when he says this you can see he sees his daughter as his own and only thinks she should do what he thinks she should. A character that is not stereotypical and abandons their own typical role in this play is Desdemona she does this by disobeying her father and society by marrying a black man who is seen as a peasant in her fathers eyes, the time this play was shown daughters and women alike were controlled by men, so the disobedience of Desdemona would surprise the audience and is also the reason that Brabantio thinks that Othello has poisoned her with magic but as Othello denies using magic to win her over by saying that it was his stories that she fell in love with, Desdemona also states that she should be loyal like her mother to her husband, which uses her own fathers patriarchal views against him but this is also uncommon at this time as she is choosing her lover instead of her father causing much anger as she is not dropping in line like a girl should in this time. Furthermore Desdemona is not a typical woman of the time that should be quiet love there husband and obey their father, Desdemona has different ideas of what she wants and Othello believes that she fell in love with him because of his stories and that she wants to become a great warrior and all he represented, a quote that shows this is when Othello tells us â€Å"She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished that heaven made her such a man† this suggests that Desdemona does not love Othello for his heart but for what he represents to her, a black man who should be looked down and despised upon becoming a great warrior and even gaining the respect of her father, she had never met anyone of this type before and she became hooked but the fact that she told Othello † If I had that loved her. I should teach him how to tell my story† shows that she was flirting and really does love him causing distress to father and others that have tried to court her before. Othello is another character that defies stereotypes and standing at this time as he has overcome many a trial in his lifetime, he is a black man living a white orientated world and to get to his standing and stature as one of the heads of the Venetian army's as the Venetian empire at this time had much power behind it with strongholds as Venice and Verona his shows how much of a struggle it was to get there and makes it more surprising, from being a slave sold from Africa to a warrior and being respected for his talent and not prejudged due to his skin colour. In his speech he tells us that he has been through many a hardships of war and slavery telling us he has had a hard life and the use of language tells that he is going to go through more hardships but with Desdemona we can see this when he says â€Å"but that I love the gentle Desdemona, I would not my unhoused free condition† he is saying her that he would give up his freedom from slavery to stay with her, this is an i dealised romantic notion which is not practical which in turn shows us that it will end in tragedy.

Bennett Explores the Fine Line Between Wisdom in ‘the History Boys’

Bennett explores the fine line between wisdom and foolishness in ‘The History Boys’. Discuss with reference to this comedic drama. The fine line between wisdom and foolery has often been explored and blurred in dramatic comedies throughout the ages. Often, in Shakespeare’s plays especially, the fool figure turns out to be the wisest figure out of all of the other characters, and is used as a way to make a comment on the social context of the time.This theme is present in ‘The History Boys’, as Bennett mostly uses characters as a way of exploring the fine line. He also uses scenes and themes during the play to explore the fine line between wisdom and foolishness, but he tends to focus on using the characters to explore the line instead. The Headmaster is a character with whom, when first introduced to, the audience would appoint the title of ‘foolish’, as Bennett shows him to be a very foolish character.However, this would differ from Shak espeare’s fool; in his plays the fools were often the wisest of characters, but in this circumstance, with this character, the Headmaster acts foolish without becoming ‘the fool’ from Shakespeare, as the Headmaster doesn’t have the hidden wisdom and knowledge Shakespeare’s fools had. For instance, when discussing competing schools in the league tables with Mrs Lintott, he says ‘†¦Leighton Park. Or is than an open prison?No matter†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This quote shows the reader what a foolish man Bennett has created; a headmaster not knowing the difference between a competing school in the league tables and a prison is absurd. However, it helps Bennett to show the fine line between wisdom and foolery, as some members of the audience may think that the Headmaster is wise in some of the decisions he makes, as he does know methods to get the students to achieve academic levels that allow entry into Oxbridge.Another moment where Bennett explores th e fine line is when he says, upon discussing Oxbridge with the supply teacher Irwin, ‘I thought of going to, but this was the fifties. Change was in the air†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The first impression given of him from this line of speech is that the characters around him must be able to see through his lies and see the fool that he ultimately is; in the fifties, life was the same as in the forties; it was the sixties where ‘change was in the air’ and the characters around the Headmaster would know that he was ying to cover the fact that he wasn’t academically smart enough to attend Oxbridge. This does show him to hold some wisdom, however, as he was smart enough to cover up the fact that he didn’t attend Oxbridge, even if the lie wasn’t successful, and that he is wise as he does want the best for the boys, but again, this is outweighed by the foolish decision that is to get the boys to Oxbridge to raise the school in the league tables to ‘†¦enhance its reputation and thereby his own career†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ showing he is mostly trying to get the boys do to well for his benefit.Bennett also uses the character of the Headmaster to make a social comment of the schooling at the time he wrote the play, hinting that headmasters of schools often tried to get the better grades for the students only to pull their school up in the league tables, and thereby improve their own reputations of headmasters. A second character Bennett uses to explore the fine line between wisdom and foolishness is Hector, one of the boy’s teachers.One of the first impressions we get of Hector is that he is a character who Bennett presents to be very wise; he has taught the boys so well they can quote literature at any time of the day in the correct context ‘†¦Posner (Edgar) ‘Look up, My Lord. ’ Timms (Kent) ‘Vex not his ghost†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This is quite a feat to achieve, and it also shows that he too knows and und erstands when and where to quote literature, again showing his wisdom.However, this is a point where Bennett does show how fine the line between wisdom and foolishness actually is, as some people may view this skill as useless, as it probably won’t be able to help them in their university or working life, unless they pursue a career where literature and the need to quote it is needed, so this act may be viewed as quite foolish; spending time teaching the boys something they probably won’t need in their future lives, despite the fact that they and Hector may be considered wise for having this skill.Bennett does show Hector to be a character who does act very foolish sometimes; ‘No Headmaster, (He covers his ears. )†¦Non. Absolument non. Non. Non. Non†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The stage directions used here make Hector act like a naughty child who is refusing to stop what they’re doing; a grown man, who is a teacher nonetheless, acting this way does appear to be a fool to people around him, even if they know he is only pretending. However, this is one of the moments where you can explicitly tell that Bennett is exploring the fine line etween wisdom and foolishness and is showing indeed how very fine it is; some people may see past Hector acting like a fool and see him to be very wise; he knows that if he carries on refusing to do what the Headmaster askes of him, the Headmaster may well just give up and drop the subject. This could be down to the fact that Hector doesn’t view the Headmaster as a wise man; more of a fool who you can walk over and expect to carry on doing things the way you want to, even if the Headmaster is against it. ‘A hand on a boy’s genitals at fifty miles an hour, and you call it nothing? This is a very important quote in showing how Bennett explores the fine line. Hector is a very wise man; he has a deep understanding and knowledge of literature, he has helped get the boys A-Levels up to the standa rds of Oxbridge and is, academically, quite smart. However, the quote shows that, in terms of his judgements, he is quite a fool; the acts he performed were frowned upon by society at the time, and show to many people that he has crossed the line between wisdom and foolishness with ease without really realising it. †¦transmission of knowledge†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This also shows how his judgements are foolish, and how he can be seen to be a fool by many people; when he is confronted about his actions, he uses quotes from poetry to try to get out of the confrontation. By the end of the play, many people would probably see Hector as a very wise man, but a man who has the tendency to cross the fine line between wisdom and foolishness, whilst others would see him as only being a fool, despite his knowledge in literature.Overall, Hector is probably Bennett’s main way to explore the fine line between wisdom and foolishness, as Hector crosses the line countless times without realisin g it himself. Another way Bennett explores the fine line between wisdom and foolishness is by using scenes, such as the French Scene. This scene takes place towards the start of the play, and is where Hector and the boys practise speaking fluent French by acting out a scene of their choice in French. Mais une maison de passe ou tous les clients utilisent le subjonctif ou le conditionnel, oui? ’ (But a brothel where all clients use the subjunctive or conditional, yes? ) This quote is taken from the scene and helps to show the wise and the foolish sides of Hector; he and the students are acting out a scene in fluent French (which in itself is a very academic skill for the students to have learnt) and Hector is quite wise in getting them to practise using their French in everyday scenes, thus improving their fluency.However, the foolish part is the fact that the scene they are all acting out is a brothel, which is a very foolish thing to do considering where they are (in a schoo l), but the fact that Hector keeps on going on about their grammar whilst speaking French does show some wisdom, with the fact that he knows exactly how to get the boys to improve their fluency and grammatical skill in French, but in a very foolish circumstance. A third way the fine line between wisdom and foolishness is through themes; specifically the themes of sexuality and sex.For sexuality; ‘†¦Don’t touch him†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This quote is quite important in showing the fine line between wisdom and foolishness, as it is said when Hector and Irwin are discussing Hector’s early retirement, teaching and Dakin. Bennett shows here that Hector’s foolish decisions have turned him into a wiser man, who is advising Irwin on how not to make the same foolish mistake he did. The foolishness here makes the scene quite tragic rather than comic. For the theme of sex, the fine line is explored when Dakin and Scripps have a conversation together about Fiona (the He admaster’s secretary). †¦like particularly her tits, which only fell after a prolonged campaign some three weeks ago†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The wordplay in this conversation is very foolish indeed, which Scripps finds funny albeit embarrassing, but the wisdom in Dakin is evident by the way Dakin applies military logistics to a new context with ease, using the semantic field of war. Overall, these are the main ways Bennett uses to explore the fine line between wisdom and foolishness in ‘The History Boys’, mainly using the characters of the Headmaster and Hector.

Leymah Gbowee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Leymah Gbowee - Essay Example sexual favors in return for accepting a girl to study at her school and also teenage girls being sold for prostitution on less than a dollar per night (Ted Talk, 2012). She was also lamenting on how we have policies such as the No Child Left Behind and UN Childrens Rights acts, but they do not seem to work. Most of these points are true such as the alarming teenage pregnancy rate among children and also that most girls, particularly in Africa, fail to go to school mostly because they lack the resources or society will not let them. Today, girls are married of at young age or sold to prostitution denying them a chance to go to school. What the speaker was trying to stress is that society sees girls as tools instead of human beings, which is mostly true in some parts of the world, for instance, Liberia (Ted Talk, 2012). The only part where I tend to disagree with the speaker is that policies such as No Child Left Behind an UN Childrens Rights. Most of these policies are effective in some regions, for example, the United States. It is up to these other regions like Liberia to effectively apply them. In such a speech, in order to greatly deliver your message, you need to make people truly feel what you are talking about. For example, when talking about the situation in Liberia it would be significant to use video clips or pictures or even bring the girls from the region to tell the story themselves. This will at least give the audience a clear picture of the message being delivered. However, these presentations should not be more of something fancy, but convey the topic of the talk. Your speech should be simple, with a clear start, middle and conclusion. Focus on one theme, and eliminate everything else. When Chris Anderson asked Gbowee what troubles her most about Liberia, she went into a lot of detail only to give a simple answer in her next response that it is teenage pregnancy (Ted Talk, 2012). An advice that I could give Gbowee to help her improve her speech

Simon Everly PLC Financial analysis and decision making Essay

Simon Everly PLC Financial analysis and decision making - Essay Example INTERPRETATION OF LIQUIDITY RATIOS Liquidity of an organization is its ability to meet its short term duties (obligations), and it is amongst the major measures of organizations’ financial health (Brigham & Ehrhardt 2011). The liquidity ratios for Simon Everly PLC determined in this task involved: Current Ratio and Acid Test Ratio. Interpretation of the Current Ratio This ratio shows the ability of an organization to pay its short liabilities using its short term Assets (Brigham & Ehrhardt 2011). Current ratios of orgainzations should be equal to or more one (1). If the ratio is either equal to one (1) or more than one (1), the organization is capable of satisfying its short term obligations using its current Assets (Brigham & Ehrhardt 2011). A current ratio that is less than 1 (one), on the other hand, means that cannot satisfy the needs of its short term liabilities, and therefore, is facing liquidity problems (Brigham & Ehrhardt 2011). Simon Everly’s Current Ratio Th e current ratios for the organization as of the 2011/12 and 2010/2011 financial years were shown in the below: Current Ratio as of 2011/12 Financial year was 1.72. Current Ratio as of 2010/11 Financial year was 1.94. ... This shows that even though the organization’s current ratio liquidity was more than one (1), it was on the down trend, and if proper actions are not taken on time the organization may be faced with liquidity problems in future. The consequences of this downward trend can be solved by the proposed strategy to obtain more funds for additional investments. Interpretation of the Acid Test Ratio The use of current ratio alone is not sufficient to determine liquidity for organisations since it involve certain current assets such as inventory that may be hard to convert to cash. Therefore, Acid test ratio which eliminates these assets (Assets that are difficult to convert into cash such as inventories) will give the real picture of the organization’s liquidity (financial health) (Thukaram 2007). Its interpretation is same as that of current ratio. That is, if it is more than one the organization is financially healthy in terms of liquidity and vice versa if it is less than on e (Thukaram 2007). Simon Everly’s Acid Test Ratio The Acid Test ratios for the organization as of the 2011/12 and 2010/2011 financial years were shown in the below: Acid Test Ratio as of 2011/12 Financial year was 0.9055 Acid Test Ratio as of 2010/11 Financial year was 1.19. While the Acid Test Ratio for 2010/11 Financial year was more than one (favourable, 1.19), the one for 2011/12 Financial year was less than one (unfavourable, 0.9055). This means the organization was able to meet the all obligations of short term liabilities using its current assets during the 2010/11 financial year. As of the financial year 2011/12 the organization’s liquidity was questionable. Therefore, necessary actions are required in order to improve the organization’s liquidity. It is suggested that the

HIT Terminology Table Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HIT Terminology Table - Coursework Example The varied clinical systems that range from patient diagnosis to surgery need a developed system that result to code compliant. Create a table listing the attributes and capabilities for the four health care terminologies you select. For each terminology, provide the following information in a table: Domain, Type of identifiers, Example of one identifier, Key interoperability issues (if applicable) LOINC -Observation Identifier Names and Codes provides a universal code system that reports laboratory and other clinical observations in electronic messages such as health level seven (HL7) observation messages (McDonald, et al. 2003). This terminology is accepted in; health maintenance organizations, hospitals, public health department, pharmaceutical manufactures, and researchers. Health Care Terminologies and Standards provides the umbrella framework that describe the comprehensive management of health care terminologies across computerized systems that provides efficiency, interoperability and reliability(Sensmeier, Halley, & Brokel 2009). A standardized terminologies is increasingly viewed as a promising tool that will improve efficiency of health delivery system especially administrative efficiency McDonald, CJ., Huff, SM., Suico, JG., Hill, G., Leavelle, D., Aller, R.,†¦ Maloney P. LOINC, a universal standard for identifying laboratory observations: A 5-Year update. Clinical Chemistry 2003; 49:624-633. Retrieved from: http://www.clinchem.org/content/49/4/624.full Sensmeier, J., & Brokel, J. M., (2009). Nurses exchanging information: Understanding electronic health record standards and interoperability. Urologic Nursing, 29(5), 305–314. Retrieved from:

Chapter 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 9 - Essay Example Though in these cases the stages of acculturation might not be so visible, they still exist – a sojourner feels excitement about coming to a new area, then a crisis due to the differences one has to get used to, and, finally, readjustment to normal life in case he or she either stays or returns back (general model of acculturation). Another thing I particularly liked is that the chapter also teaches us on how to behave after we return from another culture. My attention was drawn to this part because, from my experience, when talking about the difficulties of acculturation, the problems a person faces in a foreign culture are discussed, while not so much is usually said about the after-return challenges. At the same time, it seems rather important to know what to do and how to behave upon the return to the changed with time native culture. The chapter also presents a hierarchy of needs developed by Maslow. Though it is not the first time I meet Maslow’s pyramid of needs, what I liked about this text is that it clearly explains how to apply Maslow’s theory to real situations of acculturating – appeal to higher needs, such as usefulness or self-esteem, does not work up until the lower needs, such as security of friendship, are met. The author also describes four models of acculturation: general model, the hero’s journey, the surprise and sense-making model, and the comprehensive model of stress, adaptation and growth. I believe it is very useful to know all the four approaches to acculturation, because the more sides and peculiarities of the problem we are aware of, the easier for us it will be to deal with acculturation when such a need arises. While each separate model may be self-sufficing, all of them together show a wider and deeper picture of what happens to an individual in a new culture, how one should deal with the challenges, and what reactions various problems may

Law Enforcement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Law Enforcement - Assignment Example In this regard, the project aims to respond to six questions after selecting a state and recording pertinent information relative to criminal activities in the area. To achieve the objective, the state of New York is examined for violent criminal incidents, such as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault for the period 2006 to 2009. Law Enforcement 1. Select a city, town, or municipality in the United States and examine trends in criminal activity over the last 3 years. Analyze reported crime statistics for major/minor offense categories such as murder, robbery, rape, and CREATE A TABLE OF THE RESULTS. ... What are the overall patterns of crime that you see in the selected town or city? What have you learned by the data? From the data, one learned that in the state of New York for the years 2006 to 2009, majority of violent crimes is reflected in the area of aggravated assault, followed by robbery. Only a negligible amount was recorded in rape and the least in murder. Most notable however, was that the total number of violent crimes have been exhibiting a declining trend from the period 2006 up to 2009. On the other hand, for minor offenses like property crimes, the trend manifests predominance of larceny representing more than 75% of total crimes in 2006 and reaching to 75% in 2009 with the least crime in motor vehicle theft representing only about 10% in 2006 and further declining to 7.5% of all property crimes in 2009. Is there a pattern? In what direction are the trends going? What crimes are on the decline or rise? While it was seen from the chart, there is no clear apparent patte rn in the incidents of violent crimes. The number of incidents for aggravated assault, for example, manifests an up and down pattern where the assaults from 2006 increased, then decreased in 2008 before increasing again in 2009. The same goes with other violent crimes, where the number of incidents increase and decrease intermittently. However, from the total violent crimes, it was eminent that the total number has been manifesting a decreasing trend or pattern since 2006. For minor offenses, the overall manifested trend as exhibited in the total property crime is declining for the period under review and larceny dominating the property offense classification. 3. What are the surprises and usual results in the data that you analyzed? Actually, for a city as New

Does Religion Cause War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Does Religion Cause War - Essay Example Religion is a sensitive issue because it is a matter of the heart to many people, (Burleigh 111-120). It arouses intense emotions. In many part of the world, religion is incorporated into people’s culture, (Gieling 190-201). If a religion causes war, it must be viewed in terms of what religion means to those who are passionate about it, (Burleigh 111). In other words, religion affects many things about people and becomes part and parcel of the personal life of those people. In that sense, people are bound to defend religion as part of their heritage, culture and essence of existence. Religion has proved to be stronger than life itself, (Gieling 190-201). People are willing to die for religious reasons. The fact is most religions come with a promise of greater and better life than life on earth. This is something that people are strongly attached to, (Burleigh 111-120). The attachment to deity makes life on earth seem to be of little or no significance. According to the religio us, this can seem to justify war to take care of these religious interests. Simply put, people can rise up to fight in the name of religion. Loyalty to a being higher than a human can cause people to go to the extremes, (Pearse 147). This has been proved over time. People feel that the reward they want from the unseen deity is more beneficial than respecting the rights of their fellow brothers and sisters. Sometimes the zeal tends to go overboard. For every act of adversity meted to fellow humans through a conflict of a religious nature, people feel there is a reward for it, (Gieling 190-201). This reward does not have to be physical. Religion and War are not strange bed fellows. In fact, they have gone together for a long time. Some of the reasons why people go to war in the name of religion include; spreading their faith. It has been argued that involving God in a war does not necessarily make it holy. One thing is clear, whether war is being done to spread faith or not, it is bou nd to have casualties. The results are always devastating. It has also been said that people fight with an aim of recovering consecrated places, (Pearse 147). These are places referred to as alters which could be profaned and polluted by a group that does not understand the proper use of such places. Such a belief causes the religious to feel duty bound to act on behalf of their god. In the process of recovery of such places, resistance arises, and that can become a beginning of a chain of wars. This includes war to avenge for acts of killings or past time cruelties which were done with a religious intention. Some Christians, Muslims or other groups feel that they may also want to recover countries that were once controlled by their faith. Many countries especially in Middle East and Asia have gone to the extent of incorporating their religion into their constitutions, (Gieling 190-201). This means that religion became part of the culture of those countries. A violation of faith in such a setting is viewed as blasphemy. In such cases, it becomes hard for people with other religious affiliations to exercise their religious freedom. In a large or small way, religion in such a context becomes a source of conflict. The paradox of religion is that it was meant to instill freedom and peace into a world full of conflict, (Cavanaugh 51-62). However, more often than not, religion tends to bring chaos. We have had long and protracted conflicts in the Middle East, (Burleigh 111-120). All because of religious reasons, we have had militias formed to defend certain religious convictions in remote societies. To a certain extent, there

Exploring the Bible Test #2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exploring the Bible Test #2 - Assignment Example He tells us what he sees and what happens to him describing it as special. The events dazzled him evidently. However, the vision affects him saddening him because he cannot tell the people of what God is saying because he has spoken awful things. However the major thing is that God assures Isaiah that he has covered his sins and that is the whole element of the book that all men are sinners but that He will pay the costs of their sins through Christ Jesus his son. After God forgives us and covers us we are able to hear him just like Isaiah who thereafter offered himself as a servant. They have a choice to trust God or trust nations – either choice reflects whom they will serve. In Chapters 40-55, â€Å"Vocation of Servant hood is outlined.† The first nine chapters try to remind Israel of its calling and give the motivation to trust God and following nine chapters detail how Israel can become a servant. Explicit examples of servant hood are seen in Isaiah answering the call to be God’s prophet and Hezekiah who lives out the tension of Israel and still serve God first. He is not concerned with his nation’s survival; first he is more concerned on how its actions have provided the means by which God’s name has been brought to contempt. Thus, he knows 1God is aware of everything; 2God establishes the limits of our trials; 3 we should seek growth and not justification; 4there are many ‘whys’ that we will never understand; 5 trust in the face of anguish; 6 rewards the good and the bad; 7 when we learn what God is teaching us we grow and emerge victorious. Conventional wisdom refers to those opinions or judgments about a particular matter that are generally accepted by everyone while speculative wisdom like found in job incorporates issues such as the significance of life and God’s relationship with man . Proverbial wisdom on the other hand, gives account to short sayings which state rules for living and welfare. 1. Power difference

Analysis on the role of women and men in vanity Essay Example for Free

Analysis on the role of women and men in vanity Essay Victorian era literary has produced many different masterpieces from many different writers who focused mainly on the emergence of interpersonal issues involving love, money and social status, usually backdropped by a historical event with national relevance at the time of the story telling. Vanity Fair is one of these types of this kind of work. And even until today, Vanity Fair is one of the materials referenced by critics during literary analysis involving the role of women in the society, the role of patriarchal influence in the Victorian era social politics and the presentation of different women stereotypes in literature. Vanity Fair is a serialized literary material written by William Makepeace Thackeray, published initially in the pages of Punch Magazine in the United Kingdom, beginning at the start of the year 1847, the final instalment appearing a year later in July. The initial title of this masterpiece was Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero. A popular saying describes vanity as the favorite sin of men and women, a line of thought which will be heavily discussed and supported in this particular paper through the analysis of the presence of vanity and the role of men and women inside the society on the propagation and existence of vanity. Vanity Fair is a very interesting book that attacks personal and societal illnesses that causes the corruption and corrosion from the inside of what was believed to be a socially-shared moral right. The author attacked the issues and the personal and social crises by pointing out the role of individuals as well as the role of the structure of the society that influences the lives of the individuals in the story. â€Å"Almost every sin in Vanity Fair can be traced, beyond personal weakness, to the fundamental laws of money and class The poison in Vanity Fair infects the bottom rungs of the social ladder as well as the top (Dyson, 1973, p. 86). † The role of women in William Thackeray’s â€Å"Vanity Fair† There are many different women found in the novel Vanity Fair. But there are some key female characters that provided significant roles in the story so that the novel can depict the real life situation in the Victorian era and in the process provide whatever moral lesson it can about the aspects of life that it managed to discuss and tackle. The list of key female characters that require scrutiny and analysis is topped by the three women characters that possess any or all of the traits that made them important, like personality, influence, cunning and power: Miss Crawley and the contrasting Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley. Becky Sharp – In a novel without a hero, Becky Sharp was the heroine, even if for some she is the anti-heroine. Becky was one of the two lead women characters who are central to the story. The two girls are opposites in many different ways, and their lives continue such path, with Becky becoming the most villainous of the two and Amelia Sedley her exact opposite. Indeed, the character of Becky Sharp was the catalyst for social abrasion. Some might feel that Becky represents everything that is morally bad and undesirable in the society inside Vanity Fair. Sharp’s character also reminds the readers that people cannot ignore people like her and the characteristics that she displays, dismissing it as a characteristic that is a mere product of a fictional character. Her character represents a type of individual who is alive in the real world. In some twisted consideration, Becky can be considered as the source of â€Å"life† – if life means the presence of constant conflict and the consistent surfacing of anything unexpected – inside a society because Becky does not let social norms get in the way of what she wants. â€Å"The woman who goes after money and status but finds that they do not satisfy her a woman like Becky Sharp is allowed to be at least morally interesting (Garson, 2007, p. 99). † Whether readers admit it or not, Becky’s character is an important pull to the consciousness of the readers; she provides the intrigue and sin that readers on the outside condemn but diligently follows through in the next episodes of the novel. Becky seduces and elicits the feeling of scorn and hate so much that she makes the readers always eager to know what happened to her, largely because real life readers are as vain as her. Becky taunts the devil in the readers, making them think and reconsider the â€Å"what ifs,† the things that Becky is not afraid to do which the readers are having second thoughts of doing. Becky triggers the fantasies. For the women readers, it is the fantasy of being able to pull of seduction and gain worldly possessions, to bed many different men and feel a different kind of power, to be free from the shackles and restraints the patriarchal society placed upon women and to be largely free and unaccountable to anything. For male readers, the fantasy is to be seduced by a Becky Sharp, to be offered body and lustful obedience in exchange for money and power that not every man can have in his lifetime. Becky made the world go around inside Vanity Fair, even if the sad part is that as a whole, she is still a mere part of the patriarchal society that used her as much as she used it to her advantage. â€Å"And what else creates change in Vanity Fair if not Beckys subversive sexual behavior? It is she deprives Amelia of a loving husband well before Thackeray has him killed off on the battlefield at Waterloo (Armstrong, 1990. p. 178). † Amelia Sedley – Amelia contradicts Becky in comparison in many ways. Amelia always opts to live in the past and is tied with the memory of past while Becky is always looking ahead into the future. Amelia is always passive and easily contented, while Becky is always on the move, always hunting or scheming so that she can get what she wants. Amelia is the prototype for the docile and meek domestic housewife, during and after her married life with George, while Becky was â€Å"anything but. † Amelia gives the readers hope that there are still people who walk the straight path of morality, while Becky is jumping up and down, always falling far from where morality wants her to be. Amelia’s role in the novel is more than just as an individual who represents everything that Becky is. Amelia, to some extent, was also the symbol of the ills of the life of being meek and sulky. She is the anatomy of the unknowing victim, the unwitting casualty to the moral massacre that poverty, indebtedness, puritanism and being overly morally upright undertakes in everyday life. She was an angel all right, but Thackeray made sure that even with wings it is easily discernable that Amelia is far from being in heaven largely because of her personality. Amelia, as a character, lived a life that was far from being the ideal married life, and the story was as unkind to her as the critics of the symbolism of woman to which she stood for. â€Å"Late-Victorian women writers contributed to the fight for womens rights by creating representations of women that confronted the self-abnegating, submissive, housebound image of middle-class Ideal Womanhood. This ideal was epitomized at mid-century by William Thackerays Amelia Sedley from Vanity Fair (Mangum, 1999, p. 2). † Becky and Amelia: The analysis and profiling of the real heroine The heroine in the story can either be Becky or Amelia, depending on the reader and the readers perspective and moral standpoint. This is because the identification of the heroine type between the two female characters in the novel speaks a lot about the personal characteristics of the person making the difference between the two. The reader would be placed in a dilemma wherein the reader has to choose which personality she would approve between the polar characteristics of Becky and Amelia. â€Å"Plot in Vanity Fair is primarily the histories of two women: one, the shrewdly competent Rebecca Sharp, consistently exploits the conventions of high society to rise within it; the other, the compassionate but vulnerable Amelia Sedley, is exploited by Rebecca and others in their campaign to achieve social prominence (Lund, 1992, p. 23). † The author was consistent with what critics call as rule in the creation of fictitious married female characters. The story divides the desire for love and for materials goods between two individuals who are vaguely antagonists or protagonists in the story. The clear idea to the readers is the priorities of the women as human characters, looking at them outside the scope of gender. As a human character, Becky was the one who puts material things above all, while the character of Amelia puts love above all providing not just a state of realism but also a sense of balance to the presence of contrasting but significant roles in the novel. With this the reader, male or female, would knowingly or otherwise pick one of the two to become his/her heroine largely on the identification of the same grounds where the character and reader stands. A reader will hardly choose both because like the rule of the fiction writing, the reader will only empathize with the predicament of the character with whom he or she relates the most. â€Å"The rule in fiction is that a female character cannot want both love and luxury. Rare indeed is the novelistic heroine who genuinely loves her husband but who at the same time desires and frankly enjoys the goods that he is able to buy her (Garson, 2007, p. 99). † Thackeray makes it more difficult for the readers to pick which is the heroine between the two opposite characters because an important characteristic of the difference between the two is that the author created characters which are neither white nor black. Becky and Amelia are both neither strictly good nor straight-out bad. The differences of the two candidates for heroine-ism also made implications that altered their state of being good or bad as their state of lives moves forward in the story. There is a sense of goodness in Becky as much as there are some things in Amelia which may merit disapproval from the readers. Because the story is centered on domestic life of couples and the complexity that the society and the personalities of the people in it contribute to the lives of married individuals, the personalities of Beck and Amelia as wives are just as important pieces of consideration as much as their own personal characteristics are in the pursuit of defining who is the more suitable heroine between the two. And like their personalities as single individuals, how they were as wives is just as complicated, Thackeray became consistent with the idea of ending up with having no real defined hero (or heroine for that matter). It forces the reader to take a very good look at real life before finally judging who between Becky and Amelia deserved to be raised in the pedestal as the ideal woman and wife. â€Å"The role she plays perhaps most productively is that of the faithful and charming little wife to Rawdon Crawley. Ironically, as long as she finds it advantageous to play this role, she is a much more effective domestic angel than Amelia Osborne, whose devotion to her husband George is heartfelt but sterile, who maternal affection is positively destructive, and who is quite unable to repay Dobbin for his years of devotion. In contrast to Amelia, Becky brings out the best in her husband, transforming Rawdon from a randy roue to a contented husband and a devoted father (Garson, 2007, p. 99). †

Indias Energy Security Concerns and Its Implications

Indias Energy Security Concerns and Its Implications CHAPTER-I INTRODUCTION 1. Indias economy undeniably, is on a roll. However the parallel energy discourse, sadly, moves at a slow pace, lacking in requisite agility and momentum. If India is to secure its interests in a more healthy manner, its energy discourse must keep pace qualitatively and quantitatively, in concept and in execution, with its economic flight. There is indeed a need to take an analytical look at the entire paradigm of Indias energy security and critically examine whether or not it is appropriately poised and try and to identify the necessary correctives that will help propel the Indian economy along its growth trajectory. 2. A UNDP report defined energy security as the continuous availability of energy in varied forms, in sufficient quantities and at reasonable prices. For India, the Parikh Committee report stated that a country is energy secure when it can supply energy to all its citizens and meet their demand for safe and convenient energy at affordable costs, at all times, with a set confidence level, considering shocks and disruptions that can be expected. It is the, affordable rather than reasonable source of energy that any country would like to have. While describing the concern over Energy Security three major reasons come to mind as far India is concerned: (a) To achieve the aimed domestic economic growth rate of 7-9% energy security is an absolute necessity. (b) High overall global demand and limited supply constraints are continuously pushing up oil and gas prices to higher and higher limits. (c) With Energy supply constraints, there is tremendous international competition to secure the scarce energy resources. 3. Energy is paramount for the sustained economic growth of our country and to fulfil our aspirations of becoming a true Global Power. High projected economic growth rate call for greater availability of reliable and cheaper energy. India and Chinas energy demand growth is unfolding in the midst of a perfect storm: economic, geopolitical, and environmental factors are combining to create new challenges, pressures, opportunities and alliance. Furthermore economical per capita energy consumption (through better governance and distribution mechanism) and access to cheaper energy will help in reduction of energy poverty which is a key development goal for any country. In search of oil and gas these, countries are exhibiting a hunger for energy resources, which has resulted in establishing new ties in South East Asia, in Africa and in Central Asia. 4. It has been seen on various occasion, that these countries are been pitted against each other and this competition has given rise to concerns about the potential for re-emergence of conflict over energy resources. A fallout of this has been a realization by the West of the new geopolitics that endangers the global security and a realization by South Asian, Middle East and Africa countries of the attractiveness of Asia as an alternative market to Europe and the US. On another front, climate change and the links it has with energy and energy choices are also creating significant pressure for low-carbon economy paths for these emerging new economies, adding yet another restraint to energy choices and a new geopolitical dimension. METHODOLOGY Hypothesis 5. China has sought to gain strategic advantage over India in South Asia not only militarily but also through securing energy recourses by progressively making Indias neighbors dependent on China to a large extent for their defence supplies and other economic goodies . Chinese aid to Islamabad , Bangladesh , Sri Lanka and Myanmar is designed to lock India in a low-level deterrent relationship with its immediate neighbors and keep India confined to the sub-continent. The expansion of Chinese influence into Myanmar provides China, the potential to deploy their sea power in the Bay of Bengal, in Indias sensitive areas of maritime interest and to eventually pose a direct threat to Indias eastern seaboard. Also, China is competing for foreign investments and markets in these countries for their products in the next 15 to 20 years to achieve economic marginalization of India. The close relations between China and Myanmar also pose a threat to overall Indian security and economic interests in the Bay of Bengal region. 6. China has been providing military, economic and infrastructure support to these South Asian countries with a long term interest in mind. By providing this support, China aims to secure energy resources for its growing economy, build better relations with its neighbours, and gain a foothold in the South/South East Asian region. 7. Another aspect of Chinas interest in Indias neighbors could be simply be to support to its growing economy. China is aiming to quadruple its per capita GDP by 2020. This would imply an average annual economic growth of 7.2% till 2020. In order to attain this, China will have to keep meeting the enormous appetite of its energy. Thus, the Chinas interest may purely be to strengthen its economy with or without any malicious intentions towards India. However India can afford not be complacent with Chinas intentions if she wants to maintain a safe and secure scenario in South Asia for its own economic and social development. Statement of Problem 8. Are Indias future energy need concerns justified and what is its affect on the South Asias overall security scenario in the backdrop of Chinas aggressive quest for energy in the South Asian region . Justification of the Study 9. Energy crisis is a situation in which the nation suffers from a interruption of energy supplies, coupled by rapidly increasing energy prices that threaten economic and national security. The threat to economic security is represented by the possibility of declining economic growth, increasing inflation, rising unemployment, and losing billions of dollars in investment. The threat to national security is represented by the inability of the government to exercise various foreign policy options, especially in regard to countries with substantial oil reserves. 10. China and India are two rapidly growing economies. Chinas real GDP growth has shown a sustained growth of 8-9%. India too has shown an impressive growth. Both these countries are also one of the most populous in the world. China is the third largest importer of oil behind US and Japan whereas India is the fifth largest consumer in the world. The Energy hunger of India and China is already pushing oil and gas resources to its limits its their own countries. Both these countries also cannot afford any disruption to their energy supplies. 11. India, will face an energy crisis, if there is any disruption in the energy flow, either by war, terrorist strikes on oil production platform or blockage of SLOCs, resulting in increasing oil price. It is therefore imperative to understand the steps taken by India to ensure Energy security, especially in the backdrop of Chinas aggressive quest to secure its energy supplies in the South / South East Asian region and the growing ties between China and Myanmar. Scope 12. The study will discuss the energy forecast of India and China up to 2030 and the availability of energy resources in the world and South /South East Asia( With special reference to Myanmar ) . Having considered the energy resources available, it will explore the way and means adopted by both these countries to secure their energy resources and transportation without challenging each other and affecting the overall security scenario in South Asian region. Method of data collection 13. The source of data collection is Defence Services Staff College Library and Internet . The bibliography is appended at the end. Organisation of Dissertation 14. The study is carried out in the following sequence: (a) Energy requirements for India and China. (b) Indias efforts to secure energy supplies and the importance of Myanmar (China – Myanmar relations). (c) Indias initiatives in Bay of Bengal region to secure energy sources and maintain regional harmony. (d) The way ahead (Importance of cooperation with neighbouring countries for regional peace in South Asia). (e) Conclusion. CHAPTER-II ENERGY REQUIRMENT F OR INDIA A ND CHINA Indias Energy Quest 1. The Hydrocarbon Vision 2025, published by the Government of India in the month of February 2001[1], set out in very clear terms, Indias energy security dilemma : its crude oil self-sufficiency declined from 63% in 1989/90 to 30% in 2000/01. In 2024/25, crude oil self-sufficiency was expected to be a mere 15%. The situation relating to gas was equally grim. From 49 BCM (billion cubic metres) in 2006/07, Indias demand for gas is expected to rise to 125 BCM in 2024/25. As against this, production from existing fields and discoveries was 52 BCM, leaving a gap of 75 BCM to be filled through new domestic discoveries and from imports. The electric power sector was projected to account for 71% of the total incremental growth in Indias natural gas demand from 2000 to 2025. Indias installed power capacity at present is based on coal (59%), hydropower (26%), gas (10%), and nuclear (2%). In the period up to 2025, the share of gas in the energy mix would be 20%. The Integrated Energy Policy (I EP) document prepared by the Planning Commission, in August 2006, under the Chairmanship of Mr Kirit Parikh, takes a holistic view of Indias energy requirements up to 2031/32. The report postulates that, in order to reach growth rates of 8% per annum up to 2031/32, the country needs to do the following: (a) Increase primary energy supply by three to four times. (b) Expand electricity generation capacity by five to six times from the 2003/04 levels, that is, power generation capacity must increase from the current 160,000 MW (megawatt) to nearly 800,000 MW by 2031/322[2] . 2. Taking into account power and other commercial requirements, the report suggests that Indias primary commercial energy requirement (in million tonnes) would be as given in as following[3] : (a) Primary commercial energy requirement (million tones) . 3. The place of gas in the energy mix between 2006/7 and 2031/32 is projected as given as following[4]: (a) Energy mix (million tones) . 4. To reach its growth targets, India would need to hunt all available fuel options and energy sources, conventional and non-conventional. However, the current position with respect to specific energy resources is also to be noted. Presently, Indias energy mix is: coal and lignite 50%; oil and gas 45%; hydropower 2%, and nuclear 1.5%. In 2022, fossil fuels will continue to dominate Indias energy mix to the extent of 75%, with hydropower providing 14%, and nuclear power 6.5%. Even the proponents of nuclear power have noted that, most optimistically, nuclear energy will provide only 8.8% in Indias energy mix in 2032, as against 76% for fossil fuels, and 12% for hydropower. In 2052, when nuclear energy is likely to be 16.4% of our energy mix, coal is expected to be 40%; hydrocarbons 35%; and hydropower 5.1%[5] . 5. The IEP report has looked at different international scenarios pertaining to coal and gas. Its conclusion is unambiguous. Any supply strategy over the coming decades will have to emphasize Indias major resource, that is, coal. Coal is the most abundant domestically available primary energy resource other than thorium and solar. In the coal-based development scenario, the total demand for coal increases from 172 MTOE (million tonnes of oil equivalent) in 2004/05 to 1022 TOE in 2031/32. Measured in MT of Indian coal with 4000 kcal/kg (kilocalories per kilogram), the requirement of coal will thus increase from 406 MT in 2004/05 to 2555 MT in 2031/327 [6]. Chinas Energy Requirments 6. Before analyzing the Chinese forays in Energy markets South Asia , a basic question needs to be answered ,Why China? .The answer lies in the fact that India and China share many similarities. The countries are located in the same geographical area and are amongst the worlds most populated countries. They are the fastest growing economies in the world and are dependent on oil imports to fuel their economic growth. The way China has jump started its economic growth holds some important lessons that can be learnt. 7. The main reason fuelling Chinas aggressive forays into the energy markets are Chinas economic growth which has led to a near doubling of oil consumption in China. The average growth rate has been between 8-10% in the last decade . At this pace of economic growth, the Gross Domestic Product is expected to reach four times of its present value to 4.7 trillion dollars by year 2020 [7] . This high rate of growth has been fuelled by growth in heavy industries which will increase the demand for energy by 150% in the next decade. The near doubling of oil consumption is also partly fuelled by the fact that there is a high requirement of petro-chemical products in heavy industries and an increase in automobile growth in China. This has led to an increase of 7.5% in oil demand every year. Competition to Access Oil Resources in South / South East Asia 8. The oil situation emerging in South/ South East Asia is further complicated by the ongoing tussle between China and India to secure their own energy supplies in this region. The stiff competition is mainly because of two reasons, firstly the countries are amongst the fastest growing economies and secondly they lack in sufficient domestic energy sources and are net importers of oil. The two nations are resorting to efforts, both in the diplomatic and economic spheres. These efforts include forging new diplomatic alliances, high profile diplomatic visits, financial aid to the South Asian countries and investments in economic sectors like infrastructure, telecom and mineral extraction and resource development etc. 9. The state oil companies at the same time, are involved in deals in the oil and gas sectors purchasing stakes in oil fields which are already producing oil or are being explored, exchanging the know how in return for oil and participating in exploratory efforts to discover new oil and gas finds in the region . India is learning from the Chinese efforts in these fields as they have a head start over us in this area and have been quite successful in their efforts to secure their energy supplies. Both India and China are looking towards SriLanka, Bangladesh and Mayanmar for oil and Gas. Chinese Forays 10. China is not only a major energy consumer, but also a major producer with a high degree of self-reliance. In 2008, Chinas energy production reached 2.06 billion tonnes of standard coal and the consumption was 2.22 billion tonnes, ranking the second both in terms of production and consumption with a self-sufficiency of 93%. Coal is the primary source of energy for China and oil comes the second. While meeting the domestic demand, China exports 60–80 MT (million tonnes) of coal every year and is a main exporter of coal and charcoal in the world (even to India). Chinas power generation capacity in 2008-09 was the second largest only after that of USA. China produced over 182 MT of petroleum and 54 BCM (billion cubic metres) of natural gas. 11. To fulfil its growing appetite for energy, China is aggressively pursuing various energy resources. Chinese companies are involved in acquisition of oil companies, buying oil fields and purchasing partnerships in oil fields that are being developed. China is pursuing a multi dimensional approach which is a mix of diplomatic and economic efforts. One of the main thrust of Chinas oil policy is towards Asia and Africa. The importance of Africa countries to China can be appreciated from the fact that the trade between these is expected to rise many fold by the years to come . As part of its Go West policy, China is also accessing the Central Asian Region. It has plans to build pipelines from Tarim Basin in China to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in order to import oil and gas. In 2004, construction began on a pipeline from North West Kazakhstan to Xinjiang to carry oil. Chinese influence in the Central Asian Republics can be gauged from the fact that these republics now subscribe to the Chinese view on a multi polar world, and its views on various regional and international issues like Tibet, Taiwan etc. CHAPTER-III INDIAS EFFORTS TO SECURE ENERGY SUPPLIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MYANMAR 1. India Hydrocarbon Vision 2025 document as discussed earlier had given considerable importance to the role of gas in the energy mix to realize the projected national growth rates. This may be is primarily because though we may be having a large deposits of coal however the domestically produced coal has very high ash and sulphur content and is of very low calorific value . The coal utilized in the country has 4000 kcal/kg as against 6000 kcal/kg available in imported coal. In fact, the coal used in the Indian power plants has a calorific of value 3500 kcal/kg. Large estimates of total coal reserves do give a false sense of security because current and future technologies will convert only a small portion of the total reserves into a mineable category. Owing to all these reasons the govt has started looking towards new sources of energy supply so as to have a requisite amount of strategic energy reserve [8]. 2. There have been several large natural gas finds in India over the last five years, predominantly in the offshore Bay of Bengal (Krishna Godavari region). The discoveries also fit into the recent trend of large upstream developments in the Bay of Bengal, especially in the Krishna Godavari basin. Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) holds an estimated 20 Tcf of natural gas reserves in the Krishna Godavari area [9]. ONGC has worked to maximize its recovery rate at the Mumbai High, which supplies the bulk of the countrys natural gas at present. Transnational Pipeline to meet India s needs 3. Iran-Pakistan-India Pipeline . India has considered various proposals for international pipeline connections with other countries. One such scheme is the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) Pipeline, which has been under discussion since early nineties (1994). The plan calls for a roughly 1,700-mile, 2.8-Bcf/d pipeline to run from the South Pars fields in iran to the Indian state of Gujarat [11]. 4. Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline . India has shown interest to join onto the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline. The TAP project consists of 1,500-mile pipeline originating in Turkmenistans Dauletabad – Donmex natural gas fields and transporting the fuel to markets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and to India. Initial plans for the TAP call for the line to have a capacity between 2-4Bcf/d at an estimated cost of $3.4 billion. While India has publicly promoted this scheme while negotiations with Iran have slowed, the TAPI(India) project faces a variety of hurdles. India has concerns about the security of the proposed line, which would traverse unstable regions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Furthermore, a recent review of the TAPI project raised doubts whether the Turkmen natural gas supplies are sufficient to meet its proposed export commitments. 5. Imports from Myanmar . A third international pipeline proposal envisions India importing natural gas from Myanmar. In March 2006, the governments of India and Myanmar signed a natural gas supply deal, although a specific pipeline route has yet to be determined. Initially, the two countries planned to build a pipeline that would cross Bangladesh. However, after indecision from Bangladeshi authorities over the plans, India and Myanmar have studied the possibility of building a pipeline that would terminate in the eastern Indian state of Tripura and not cross Bangladeshi soil at all. Let us now discuss the impotence of Myanmar and see as to why is it so relevant in the overall energy game. GEO-STRATEGIC LOCATION OF MYANMAR Geographic Loc 6. Myanmar shares common borders with five countries Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, and Thailand 1,800 km. India dominates Myanmars western borders, just as China dominate its north-eastern borders. Thailand borders the entire eastern part of Myanmar except for narrow strip that borders Laos. And this makes Myanmar a strategic land bridge linking South, and Southeast Asia [12]. 7. As a littoral of the Indian Ocean, Myanmars strategic value further increases. Its 1930 km long coastline dominates the eastern arch of the Bay of Bengal, leaning on to the Malacca Strait. Thus Myanmar provides China the shortest land and sea access to South Asia, just as it provides convenient external land and sea communication options to Indias landlocked north-eastern states. Myanmars ocean boundaries are barely 30 km from the Andaman Islands increasing its maritime security potential. 8. Most of Myanmars mountain ranges and major river systems run north-south. This makes construction of road communication and movement from Indias east to Myanmar against the grain of the country difficult. At the same time it facilitates easier movement from the Chinese border in the northeast, and provides for natural flow of traffic. The Chinese have used this favourable terrain configuration to build road from the Chinese border to Mandalay in the heart of Myanmar and onward to the coast. As Myanmar provides the shortest access from mainland China to Indias eastern borders these developments have special long term strategic significance to India. 9. Indias north-eastern states bordering Myanmar are not as well developed as Yunnan province of China bordering Myanmar in the northeast. China has found it useful to link the development of Yunnan region jointly with Myanmar and Laos. Thus the two-way border trade and commerce is qualitatively and quantitatively better with China than with India. 10. While Indias relations with Myanmar have seen substantial improvement in recent years, Myanmar apparently remains within the Chinese sphere of influence. India has moved from voicing its opposition to the military juntas crackdown on pro-democracy activists and the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy to a more pragmatic, non-interventionist policy. This change in policy by India has been prompted by its desire to access the regions energy resources, gain access to the vast markets of Southeast Asia and to balance the influence of China. Strategic Significance of Myanmar 11. Strategic Importance to India . The reasons for the strategic importance of Myanmar to India are: (a) Myanmar is located at the tri junction of East Asia, South Asia and South East Asia. (b) Myanmar is the second largest of Indias neighbours and the largest on the eastern flank. (c) Myanmar provides the Eastern littoral of the Bay of Bengal. An unfriendly Myanmar hosting foreign naval presence would pose a threat to Indian security. (d) Myanmar has a big border with China in the north contiguous with the Sino-Indian disputed border which has many implications. (e) India has both a land border and a maritime boundary with Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal. Four Indian states (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram) border Myanmar (Kachin Chin states and Sagaing Division) . (f) China can gain easy access to Indian Ocean through Myanmar. 12. Strategic Importance to China . In recent years, the strategic landscape in Southeast Asia has begun to change with the emergence of the Peoples Republic of China as a regional power. Chinas economic and military capabilities have grown dramatically at a time when Chinas traditional security challenge, Russia, has faded. Japan remains a long-term, but not an immediate security problem for China. This has left China free, in geopolitical terms, to shift its attention to the south Asia. Most striking manifestation of this development has been a very assertive policy toward the South China Sea; i.e., the entire sea and all the islands within it are now claimed as Chinese sovereign territory. Myanmar has a great deal of strategic significance for both India and China. Myanmars role in providing China a shorter access route to Indian Ocean and South Asia is going to be crucial in the strategic scene of South Asia. The Chinese have used the geophysical advantage they enjoy to gain access to Myanmars mineral and natural g as resources. Following a policy of non-interference in internal affairs of the country, China has become the main supplier of arms to Myanmar. This has enabled the military junta in power to beat the western sanctions and double the Army strength. The Energy factor 13. Chinas building of a port in Pakistan, its extra-polite friendship with the rulers of Myanmar and now its offer to Iran to pick up gas from Pakistan, is all part of the countrys quest for energy to feed its export economy and to marginalise Indias traditional dominance in the South Asian region. There, a mix of its own but rapidly depleting oil, low-grade coal and imported oil and gas are keeping the wheels of the export industry churning. 14. Myanmar is being cultivated as an exclusive oil and gas supplier to China. The extraordinary friendship the Chinese have struck up with the Myanmar rulers is not so puzzling if it is appreciated that oil and gas are Chinas main interest there. To this affect all loans advanced and all military hardware being sold have only one purpose to allow them to grab as much oil and gas as they can [13] . 15. South-East Asias biggest proven gas reserve lies in the Shwe field, just off the coast of Ramree Island. There is a plan to build a pipeline to carry the gas from Shwe field to China. A parallel pipe is also planned to be completed in next two years that will carry Middle Eastern and African oil from a new deep-water harbour at Kyaukphyu, bypassing the Strait of Malacca and fuelling the economy of Chinas south-west . China has made huge energy investments in Myanmar and plans to construct overland energy transport routes through that country to avoid the Malacca Straits choke point. This is a possibly the key factor behind Beijings support for the military junta in Myanmar. 16. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) signed six contracts on production sharing with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) of the Ministry of Energy from October 2004 to January 2005 [14] . The China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation and its subsidiary Dian Quiangui Petroleum Exploration also work the inland fields. Moreover, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and its subsidiary Chinnery Assets also won contracts to upgrade the four old oilfields in central Myanmar. 17. In a development of strategic importance, recently China beat India to sign a 30-year mega deal to import natural gas from fields in Myanmar offshore where interestingly Indias oil companies have 25 percent stake. Chinas State-run China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) entered into a gas sales agreement with South Koreas Daewoo International for buying gas from the Shwe field in A-1 offshore block and the adjoining A-3 block[15] . Possible Implications Of Chinese Intentions 18. Myanmar, after decades of neutrality and a strictly non-aligned foreign policy has today emerged as Chinas principle military ally in Asia. China was the first country to officially recognize Myanmars State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) after it seized power in September 1988. However, prior to this coup China had poured in arms, ammunition in Myanmar and actively supported rebels in Myanmar. This change can be explained in terms of Chinas changing post-Cold War strategic thinking and its priorities. Apart from sharing strategic and economic interests, China and Myanmar also share more than 2,000 km long common border. Besides, Myanmar has also been historically viewed as a buffer state between China and India. Thus, for reasons of geographical proximity, history and security, China has been going overboard trying to sweep Myanmar into its sphere of influence with a combination of economic, diplomatic and military ties[16] . China also views Myanmar as a gateway to Indo-China, South East Asia and the Indian Ocean. Domination of Myanmar enables China to encircle littoral and degrade Indias security environment along its North-eastern border and in the Bay of Bengal. Energy Security 19. It is now very clear that China is an emerging economic and military super power. Its economy has been growing at a consistent rate of 8-10% for the last 10 years and is expected to grow at the same rate in years to come. To be able to sustain its growth rate, China has huge energy requirement and is forging alliances all over the world to not only meet its requirements but also secure energy resources for future. Myanmar has reportedly worlds tenth biggest gas reserves estimated to be more than 90 trillion cubic feet. 20. Eighty percent of China bound oil and liquid natural gas passes through the Indian Ocean. Therefore, China is giving special importance to building strategic naval assets in the Indian Ocean. The building of the Gwadar port in Pakistan ia s part of this plan. Its naval listening facility in Myanmar is also augmenting Chinas blue water capabilities. But Chinas chief interest in Myanmar, analysts say, may lie in its strategic location as a site for pipelines that Beijing reportedly wants to build from Burmas ports to southern China for trans-shipping oil and gas brought by tankers from the Middle East. That would reduce Chinas need to ship oil or gas through the Malacca Straits, which Beijing worries could be closed off by the Indian Navy in the event of a conflict. Standing in the way of Chinese mastery of Indian Ocean shipping lanes is the Indian naval facility in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, opposite the Malacca Straits. In addition, Indias modernization of its navy and its proposed acquisition of nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers are not sitting well with the Chinese. From these small islands, India can interdict most of Chinas energy imports. Indias Energy Security Concerns and Its Implications Indias Energy Security Concerns and Its Implications CHAPTER-I INTRODUCTION 1. Indias economy undeniably, is on a roll. However the parallel energy discourse, sadly, moves at a slow pace, lacking in requisite agility and momentum. If India is to secure its interests in a more healthy manner, its energy discourse must keep pace qualitatively and quantitatively, in concept and in execution, with its economic flight. There is indeed a need to take an analytical look at the entire paradigm of Indias energy security and critically examine whether or not it is appropriately poised and try and to identify the necessary correctives that will help propel the Indian economy along its growth trajectory. 2. A UNDP report defined energy security as the continuous availability of energy in varied forms, in sufficient quantities and at reasonable prices. For India, the Parikh Committee report stated that a country is energy secure when it can supply energy to all its citizens and meet their demand for safe and convenient energy at affordable costs, at all times, with a set confidence level, considering shocks and disruptions that can be expected. It is the, affordable rather than reasonable source of energy that any country would like to have. While describing the concern over Energy Security three major reasons come to mind as far India is concerned: (a) To achieve the aimed domestic economic growth rate of 7-9% energy security is an absolute necessity. (b) High overall global demand and limited supply constraints are continuously pushing up oil and gas prices to higher and higher limits. (c) With Energy supply constraints, there is tremendous international competition to secure the scarce energy resources. 3. Energy is paramount for the sustained economic growth of our country and to fulfil our aspirations of becoming a true Global Power. High projected economic growth rate call for greater availability of reliable and cheaper energy. India and Chinas energy demand growth is unfolding in the midst of a perfect storm: economic, geopolitical, and environmental factors are combining to create new challenges, pressures, opportunities and alliance. Furthermore economical per capita energy consumption (through better governance and distribution mechanism) and access to cheaper energy will help in reduction of energy poverty which is a key development goal for any country. In search of oil and gas these, countries are exhibiting a hunger for energy resources, which has resulted in establishing new ties in South East Asia, in Africa and in Central Asia. 4. It has been seen on various occasion, that these countries are been pitted against each other and this competition has given rise to concerns about the potential for re-emergence of conflict over energy resources. A fallout of this has been a realization by the West of the new geopolitics that endangers the global security and a realization by South Asian, Middle East and Africa countries of the attractiveness of Asia as an alternative market to Europe and the US. On another front, climate change and the links it has with energy and energy choices are also creating significant pressure for low-carbon economy paths for these emerging new economies, adding yet another restraint to energy choices and a new geopolitical dimension. METHODOLOGY Hypothesis 5. China has sought to gain strategic advantage over India in South Asia not only militarily but also through securing energy recourses by progressively making Indias neighbors dependent on China to a large extent for their defence supplies and other economic goodies . Chinese aid to Islamabad , Bangladesh , Sri Lanka and Myanmar is designed to lock India in a low-level deterrent relationship with its immediate neighbors and keep India confined to the sub-continent. The expansion of Chinese influence into Myanmar provides China, the potential to deploy their sea power in the Bay of Bengal, in Indias sensitive areas of maritime interest and to eventually pose a direct threat to Indias eastern seaboard. Also, China is competing for foreign investments and markets in these countries for their products in the next 15 to 20 years to achieve economic marginalization of India. The close relations between China and Myanmar also pose a threat to overall Indian security and economic interests in the Bay of Bengal region. 6. China has been providing military, economic and infrastructure support to these South Asian countries with a long term interest in mind. By providing this support, China aims to secure energy resources for its growing economy, build better relations with its neighbours, and gain a foothold in the South/South East Asian region. 7. Another aspect of Chinas interest in Indias neighbors could be simply be to support to its growing economy. China is aiming to quadruple its per capita GDP by 2020. This would imply an average annual economic growth of 7.2% till 2020. In order to attain this, China will have to keep meeting the enormous appetite of its energy. Thus, the Chinas interest may purely be to strengthen its economy with or without any malicious intentions towards India. However India can afford not be complacent with Chinas intentions if she wants to maintain a safe and secure scenario in South Asia for its own economic and social development. Statement of Problem 8. Are Indias future energy need concerns justified and what is its affect on the South Asias overall security scenario in the backdrop of Chinas aggressive quest for energy in the South Asian region . Justification of the Study 9. Energy crisis is a situation in which the nation suffers from a interruption of energy supplies, coupled by rapidly increasing energy prices that threaten economic and national security. The threat to economic security is represented by the possibility of declining economic growth, increasing inflation, rising unemployment, and losing billions of dollars in investment. The threat to national security is represented by the inability of the government to exercise various foreign policy options, especially in regard to countries with substantial oil reserves. 10. China and India are two rapidly growing economies. Chinas real GDP growth has shown a sustained growth of 8-9%. India too has shown an impressive growth. Both these countries are also one of the most populous in the world. China is the third largest importer of oil behind US and Japan whereas India is the fifth largest consumer in the world. The Energy hunger of India and China is already pushing oil and gas resources to its limits its their own countries. Both these countries also cannot afford any disruption to their energy supplies. 11. India, will face an energy crisis, if there is any disruption in the energy flow, either by war, terrorist strikes on oil production platform or blockage of SLOCs, resulting in increasing oil price. It is therefore imperative to understand the steps taken by India to ensure Energy security, especially in the backdrop of Chinas aggressive quest to secure its energy supplies in the South / South East Asian region and the growing ties between China and Myanmar. Scope 12. The study will discuss the energy forecast of India and China up to 2030 and the availability of energy resources in the world and South /South East Asia( With special reference to Myanmar ) . Having considered the energy resources available, it will explore the way and means adopted by both these countries to secure their energy resources and transportation without challenging each other and affecting the overall security scenario in South Asian region. Method of data collection 13. The source of data collection is Defence Services Staff College Library and Internet . The bibliography is appended at the end. Organisation of Dissertation 14. The study is carried out in the following sequence: (a) Energy requirements for India and China. (b) Indias efforts to secure energy supplies and the importance of Myanmar (China – Myanmar relations). (c) Indias initiatives in Bay of Bengal region to secure energy sources and maintain regional harmony. (d) The way ahead (Importance of cooperation with neighbouring countries for regional peace in South Asia). (e) Conclusion. CHAPTER-II ENERGY REQUIRMENT F OR INDIA A ND CHINA Indias Energy Quest 1. The Hydrocarbon Vision 2025, published by the Government of India in the month of February 2001[1], set out in very clear terms, Indias energy security dilemma : its crude oil self-sufficiency declined from 63% in 1989/90 to 30% in 2000/01. In 2024/25, crude oil self-sufficiency was expected to be a mere 15%. The situation relating to gas was equally grim. From 49 BCM (billion cubic metres) in 2006/07, Indias demand for gas is expected to rise to 125 BCM in 2024/25. As against this, production from existing fields and discoveries was 52 BCM, leaving a gap of 75 BCM to be filled through new domestic discoveries and from imports. The electric power sector was projected to account for 71% of the total incremental growth in Indias natural gas demand from 2000 to 2025. Indias installed power capacity at present is based on coal (59%), hydropower (26%), gas (10%), and nuclear (2%). In the period up to 2025, the share of gas in the energy mix would be 20%. The Integrated Energy Policy (I EP) document prepared by the Planning Commission, in August 2006, under the Chairmanship of Mr Kirit Parikh, takes a holistic view of Indias energy requirements up to 2031/32. The report postulates that, in order to reach growth rates of 8% per annum up to 2031/32, the country needs to do the following: (a) Increase primary energy supply by three to four times. (b) Expand electricity generation capacity by five to six times from the 2003/04 levels, that is, power generation capacity must increase from the current 160,000 MW (megawatt) to nearly 800,000 MW by 2031/322[2] . 2. Taking into account power and other commercial requirements, the report suggests that Indias primary commercial energy requirement (in million tonnes) would be as given in as following[3] : (a) Primary commercial energy requirement (million tones) . 3. The place of gas in the energy mix between 2006/7 and 2031/32 is projected as given as following[4]: (a) Energy mix (million tones) . 4. To reach its growth targets, India would need to hunt all available fuel options and energy sources, conventional and non-conventional. However, the current position with respect to specific energy resources is also to be noted. Presently, Indias energy mix is: coal and lignite 50%; oil and gas 45%; hydropower 2%, and nuclear 1.5%. In 2022, fossil fuels will continue to dominate Indias energy mix to the extent of 75%, with hydropower providing 14%, and nuclear power 6.5%. Even the proponents of nuclear power have noted that, most optimistically, nuclear energy will provide only 8.8% in Indias energy mix in 2032, as against 76% for fossil fuels, and 12% for hydropower. In 2052, when nuclear energy is likely to be 16.4% of our energy mix, coal is expected to be 40%; hydrocarbons 35%; and hydropower 5.1%[5] . 5. The IEP report has looked at different international scenarios pertaining to coal and gas. Its conclusion is unambiguous. Any supply strategy over the coming decades will have to emphasize Indias major resource, that is, coal. Coal is the most abundant domestically available primary energy resource other than thorium and solar. In the coal-based development scenario, the total demand for coal increases from 172 MTOE (million tonnes of oil equivalent) in 2004/05 to 1022 TOE in 2031/32. Measured in MT of Indian coal with 4000 kcal/kg (kilocalories per kilogram), the requirement of coal will thus increase from 406 MT in 2004/05 to 2555 MT in 2031/327 [6]. Chinas Energy Requirments 6. Before analyzing the Chinese forays in Energy markets South Asia , a basic question needs to be answered ,Why China? .The answer lies in the fact that India and China share many similarities. The countries are located in the same geographical area and are amongst the worlds most populated countries. They are the fastest growing economies in the world and are dependent on oil imports to fuel their economic growth. The way China has jump started its economic growth holds some important lessons that can be learnt. 7. The main reason fuelling Chinas aggressive forays into the energy markets are Chinas economic growth which has led to a near doubling of oil consumption in China. The average growth rate has been between 8-10% in the last decade . At this pace of economic growth, the Gross Domestic Product is expected to reach four times of its present value to 4.7 trillion dollars by year 2020 [7] . This high rate of growth has been fuelled by growth in heavy industries which will increase the demand for energy by 150% in the next decade. The near doubling of oil consumption is also partly fuelled by the fact that there is a high requirement of petro-chemical products in heavy industries and an increase in automobile growth in China. This has led to an increase of 7.5% in oil demand every year. Competition to Access Oil Resources in South / South East Asia 8. The oil situation emerging in South/ South East Asia is further complicated by the ongoing tussle between China and India to secure their own energy supplies in this region. The stiff competition is mainly because of two reasons, firstly the countries are amongst the fastest growing economies and secondly they lack in sufficient domestic energy sources and are net importers of oil. The two nations are resorting to efforts, both in the diplomatic and economic spheres. These efforts include forging new diplomatic alliances, high profile diplomatic visits, financial aid to the South Asian countries and investments in economic sectors like infrastructure, telecom and mineral extraction and resource development etc. 9. The state oil companies at the same time, are involved in deals in the oil and gas sectors purchasing stakes in oil fields which are already producing oil or are being explored, exchanging the know how in return for oil and participating in exploratory efforts to discover new oil and gas finds in the region . India is learning from the Chinese efforts in these fields as they have a head start over us in this area and have been quite successful in their efforts to secure their energy supplies. Both India and China are looking towards SriLanka, Bangladesh and Mayanmar for oil and Gas. Chinese Forays 10. China is not only a major energy consumer, but also a major producer with a high degree of self-reliance. In 2008, Chinas energy production reached 2.06 billion tonnes of standard coal and the consumption was 2.22 billion tonnes, ranking the second both in terms of production and consumption with a self-sufficiency of 93%. Coal is the primary source of energy for China and oil comes the second. While meeting the domestic demand, China exports 60–80 MT (million tonnes) of coal every year and is a main exporter of coal and charcoal in the world (even to India). Chinas power generation capacity in 2008-09 was the second largest only after that of USA. China produced over 182 MT of petroleum and 54 BCM (billion cubic metres) of natural gas. 11. To fulfil its growing appetite for energy, China is aggressively pursuing various energy resources. Chinese companies are involved in acquisition of oil companies, buying oil fields and purchasing partnerships in oil fields that are being developed. China is pursuing a multi dimensional approach which is a mix of diplomatic and economic efforts. One of the main thrust of Chinas oil policy is towards Asia and Africa. The importance of Africa countries to China can be appreciated from the fact that the trade between these is expected to rise many fold by the years to come . As part of its Go West policy, China is also accessing the Central Asian Region. It has plans to build pipelines from Tarim Basin in China to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in order to import oil and gas. In 2004, construction began on a pipeline from North West Kazakhstan to Xinjiang to carry oil. Chinese influence in the Central Asian Republics can be gauged from the fact that these republics now subscribe to the Chinese view on a multi polar world, and its views on various regional and international issues like Tibet, Taiwan etc. CHAPTER-III INDIAS EFFORTS TO SECURE ENERGY SUPPLIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MYANMAR 1. India Hydrocarbon Vision 2025 document as discussed earlier had given considerable importance to the role of gas in the energy mix to realize the projected national growth rates. This may be is primarily because though we may be having a large deposits of coal however the domestically produced coal has very high ash and sulphur content and is of very low calorific value . The coal utilized in the country has 4000 kcal/kg as against 6000 kcal/kg available in imported coal. In fact, the coal used in the Indian power plants has a calorific of value 3500 kcal/kg. Large estimates of total coal reserves do give a false sense of security because current and future technologies will convert only a small portion of the total reserves into a mineable category. Owing to all these reasons the govt has started looking towards new sources of energy supply so as to have a requisite amount of strategic energy reserve [8]. 2. There have been several large natural gas finds in India over the last five years, predominantly in the offshore Bay of Bengal (Krishna Godavari region). The discoveries also fit into the recent trend of large upstream developments in the Bay of Bengal, especially in the Krishna Godavari basin. Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) holds an estimated 20 Tcf of natural gas reserves in the Krishna Godavari area [9]. ONGC has worked to maximize its recovery rate at the Mumbai High, which supplies the bulk of the countrys natural gas at present. Transnational Pipeline to meet India s needs 3. Iran-Pakistan-India Pipeline . India has considered various proposals for international pipeline connections with other countries. One such scheme is the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) Pipeline, which has been under discussion since early nineties (1994). The plan calls for a roughly 1,700-mile, 2.8-Bcf/d pipeline to run from the South Pars fields in iran to the Indian state of Gujarat [11]. 4. Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline . India has shown interest to join onto the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline. The TAP project consists of 1,500-mile pipeline originating in Turkmenistans Dauletabad – Donmex natural gas fields and transporting the fuel to markets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and to India. Initial plans for the TAP call for the line to have a capacity between 2-4Bcf/d at an estimated cost of $3.4 billion. While India has publicly promoted this scheme while negotiations with Iran have slowed, the TAPI(India) project faces a variety of hurdles. India has concerns about the security of the proposed line, which would traverse unstable regions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Furthermore, a recent review of the TAPI project raised doubts whether the Turkmen natural gas supplies are sufficient to meet its proposed export commitments. 5. Imports from Myanmar . A third international pipeline proposal envisions India importing natural gas from Myanmar. In March 2006, the governments of India and Myanmar signed a natural gas supply deal, although a specific pipeline route has yet to be determined. Initially, the two countries planned to build a pipeline that would cross Bangladesh. However, after indecision from Bangladeshi authorities over the plans, India and Myanmar have studied the possibility of building a pipeline that would terminate in the eastern Indian state of Tripura and not cross Bangladeshi soil at all. Let us now discuss the impotence of Myanmar and see as to why is it so relevant in the overall energy game. GEO-STRATEGIC LOCATION OF MYANMAR Geographic Loc 6. Myanmar shares common borders with five countries Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, and Thailand 1,800 km. India dominates Myanmars western borders, just as China dominate its north-eastern borders. Thailand borders the entire eastern part of Myanmar except for narrow strip that borders Laos. And this makes Myanmar a strategic land bridge linking South, and Southeast Asia [12]. 7. As a littoral of the Indian Ocean, Myanmars strategic value further increases. Its 1930 km long coastline dominates the eastern arch of the Bay of Bengal, leaning on to the Malacca Strait. Thus Myanmar provides China the shortest land and sea access to South Asia, just as it provides convenient external land and sea communication options to Indias landlocked north-eastern states. Myanmars ocean boundaries are barely 30 km from the Andaman Islands increasing its maritime security potential. 8. Most of Myanmars mountain ranges and major river systems run north-south. This makes construction of road communication and movement from Indias east to Myanmar against the grain of the country difficult. At the same time it facilitates easier movement from the Chinese border in the northeast, and provides for natural flow of traffic. The Chinese have used this favourable terrain configuration to build road from the Chinese border to Mandalay in the heart of Myanmar and onward to the coast. As Myanmar provides the shortest access from mainland China to Indias eastern borders these developments have special long term strategic significance to India. 9. Indias north-eastern states bordering Myanmar are not as well developed as Yunnan province of China bordering Myanmar in the northeast. China has found it useful to link the development of Yunnan region jointly with Myanmar and Laos. Thus the two-way border trade and commerce is qualitatively and quantitatively better with China than with India. 10. While Indias relations with Myanmar have seen substantial improvement in recent years, Myanmar apparently remains within the Chinese sphere of influence. India has moved from voicing its opposition to the military juntas crackdown on pro-democracy activists and the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy to a more pragmatic, non-interventionist policy. This change in policy by India has been prompted by its desire to access the regions energy resources, gain access to the vast markets of Southeast Asia and to balance the influence of China. Strategic Significance of Myanmar 11. Strategic Importance to India . The reasons for the strategic importance of Myanmar to India are: (a) Myanmar is located at the tri junction of East Asia, South Asia and South East Asia. (b) Myanmar is the second largest of Indias neighbours and the largest on the eastern flank. (c) Myanmar provides the Eastern littoral of the Bay of Bengal. An unfriendly Myanmar hosting foreign naval presence would pose a threat to Indian security. (d) Myanmar has a big border with China in the north contiguous with the Sino-Indian disputed border which has many implications. (e) India has both a land border and a maritime boundary with Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal. Four Indian states (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram) border Myanmar (Kachin Chin states and Sagaing Division) . (f) China can gain easy access to Indian Ocean through Myanmar. 12. Strategic Importance to China . In recent years, the strategic landscape in Southeast Asia has begun to change with the emergence of the Peoples Republic of China as a regional power. Chinas economic and military capabilities have grown dramatically at a time when Chinas traditional security challenge, Russia, has faded. Japan remains a long-term, but not an immediate security problem for China. This has left China free, in geopolitical terms, to shift its attention to the south Asia. Most striking manifestation of this development has been a very assertive policy toward the South China Sea; i.e., the entire sea and all the islands within it are now claimed as Chinese sovereign territory. Myanmar has a great deal of strategic significance for both India and China. Myanmars role in providing China a shorter access route to Indian Ocean and South Asia is going to be crucial in the strategic scene of South Asia. The Chinese have used the geophysical advantage they enjoy to gain access to Myanmars mineral and natural g as resources. Following a policy of non-interference in internal affairs of the country, China has become the main supplier of arms to Myanmar. This has enabled the military junta in power to beat the western sanctions and double the Army strength. The Energy factor 13. Chinas building of a port in Pakistan, its extra-polite friendship with the rulers of Myanmar and now its offer to Iran to pick up gas from Pakistan, is all part of the countrys quest for energy to feed its export economy and to marginalise Indias traditional dominance in the South Asian region. There, a mix of its own but rapidly depleting oil, low-grade coal and imported oil and gas are keeping the wheels of the export industry churning. 14. Myanmar is being cultivated as an exclusive oil and gas supplier to China. The extraordinary friendship the Chinese have struck up with the Myanmar rulers is not so puzzling if it is appreciated that oil and gas are Chinas main interest there. To this affect all loans advanced and all military hardware being sold have only one purpose to allow them to grab as much oil and gas as they can [13] . 15. South-East Asias biggest proven gas reserve lies in the Shwe field, just off the coast of Ramree Island. There is a plan to build a pipeline to carry the gas from Shwe field to China. A parallel pipe is also planned to be completed in next two years that will carry Middle Eastern and African oil from a new deep-water harbour at Kyaukphyu, bypassing the Strait of Malacca and fuelling the economy of Chinas south-west . China has made huge energy investments in Myanmar and plans to construct overland energy transport routes through that country to avoid the Malacca Straits choke point. This is a possibly the key factor behind Beijings support for the military junta in Myanmar. 16. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) signed six contracts on production sharing with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) of the Ministry of Energy from October 2004 to January 2005 [14] . The China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation and its subsidiary Dian Quiangui Petroleum Exploration also work the inland fields. Moreover, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and its subsidiary Chinnery Assets also won contracts to upgrade the four old oilfields in central Myanmar. 17. In a development of strategic importance, recently China beat India to sign a 30-year mega deal to import natural gas from fields in Myanmar offshore where interestingly Indias oil companies have 25 percent stake. Chinas State-run China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) entered into a gas sales agreement with South Koreas Daewoo International for buying gas from the Shwe field in A-1 offshore block and the adjoining A-3 block[15] . Possible Implications Of Chinese Intentions 18. Myanmar, after decades of neutrality and a strictly non-aligned foreign policy has today emerged as Chinas principle military ally in Asia. China was the first country to officially recognize Myanmars State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) after it seized power in September 1988. However, prior to this coup China had poured in arms, ammunition in Myanmar and actively supported rebels in Myanmar. This change can be explained in terms of Chinas changing post-Cold War strategic thinking and its priorities. Apart from sharing strategic and economic interests, China and Myanmar also share more than 2,000 km long common border. Besides, Myanmar has also been historically viewed as a buffer state between China and India. Thus, for reasons of geographical proximity, history and security, China has been going overboard trying to sweep Myanmar into its sphere of influence with a combination of economic, diplomatic and military ties[16] . China also views Myanmar as a gateway to Indo-China, South East Asia and the Indian Ocean. Domination of Myanmar enables China to encircle littoral and degrade Indias security environment along its North-eastern border and in the Bay of Bengal. Energy Security 19. It is now very clear that China is an emerging economic and military super power. Its economy has been growing at a consistent rate of 8-10% for the last 10 years and is expected to grow at the same rate in years to come. To be able to sustain its growth rate, China has huge energy requirement and is forging alliances all over the world to not only meet its requirements but also secure energy resources for future. Myanmar has reportedly worlds tenth biggest gas reserves estimated to be more than 90 trillion cubic feet. 20. Eighty percent of China bound oil and liquid natural gas passes through the Indian Ocean. Therefore, China is giving special importance to building strategic naval assets in the Indian Ocean. The building of the Gwadar port in Pakistan ia s part of this plan. Its naval listening facility in Myanmar is also augmenting Chinas blue water capabilities. But Chinas chief interest in Myanmar, analysts say, may lie in its strategic location as a site for pipelines that Beijing reportedly wants to build from Burmas ports to southern China for trans-shipping oil and gas brought by tankers from the Middle East. That would reduce Chinas need to ship oil or gas through the Malacca Straits, which Beijing worries could be closed off by the Indian Navy in the event of a conflict. Standing in the way of Chinese mastery of Indian Ocean shipping lanes is the Indian naval facility in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, opposite the Malacca Straits. In addition, Indias modernization of its navy and its proposed acquisition of nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers are not sitting well with the Chinese. From these small islands, India can interdict most of Chinas energy imports.