New Delhi: In what is being seen as both a powerful symbol of Indian Hindu cultural influence in Indonesia---the country with the world’s largest Muslim population---as well as an acknowledgement of both Indonesia’s Islamic identity and pluralist culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the "Arjuna Wjiaya Chariot" statue in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon followed by a visit to the majestic Istiqlal Mosque, accompanied by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The Istiqlal Mosque is one of the largest Mosques in south-east Asia.
The visit will send a strong signal to the entire Muslim world, particularly Pakistan, that India’s links with the Islamic world stand strong and robust despite Pakistani propaganda on Kashmir.
Equally interesting to watch will be whether Indonesia and India finalise the agreement to give India economic and military access to the strategic island of Sabang at the northern tip of Sumatra at the entrance to the Malacca Straits, through which 40% of India’s trade passes, as announced by Indonesian minister Luhut Pandjaitan in Delhi last week.
An arrangement on Sabang could see a new strategic partnership in the Indian Ocean and mark a major shift in Indonesia’s ties with India amid rising concerns over growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
