The 2016 edition of the annual Dilli seminar on ‘Regional Instabilities in Indian Ocean Rim States — Legacy of Maritime Conquest and Colonisation’ was held at the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Ezhimala. Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), former CNS, delivered the keynote address and the opening address was by Rear Admiral M.D. Suresh, NM, Officiating Commandant, INA.

Admiral Arun Prakash in his inaugural session deliberated that the Indian Ocean region (IOR) is set to become the economic and geopolitical fulcrum of the 21st century. Prof Radhika Seshan, Department of History, Savitribai Phule Pune University, deliberated on the lasting impact of colonisation on the traditional form of governance in her paper ‘The Europeans in India – Beginning of the Colonisation’. Dr Talmiz Ahmad, former Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, in his talk on the topic ‘Western Intervention in the Gulf and their Implication for Contemporary Regional Politics: Challenges for India’s Security’ examined in detail the security risks and challenges faced by the country as a result of the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East. On the concluding day of the two-day seminar, Prof Sucheta Mahajan, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, deliberated on the ‘Post-Imperial Interest of British in India’ with special attention to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dr Paleri, former DG of Indian Coast Guard presented a paper on the topic ‘Colonisation and Indian Ocean — An Impact Study on the Present Day Geopolitics of Rim States’ and Prof. Kaushik Roy, talked on ‘Colonial Naval Warfare and Present Day Geopolitics’.