India's Operation Sagar Bandhu: Redefining Regional Solidarity Beyond Western Hegemonistic Models

The Humanitarian Context

In late December, following the devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah that battered Sri Lanka in late 2025, India announced a substantial $450 million reconstruction package for its island neighbor. This assistance came alongside comprehensive humanitarian operations conducted by the Indian Navy under the aptly named Operation Sagar Bandhu (Friend of the Sea). The timing and execution of this relief effort demonstrated remarkable coordination and genuine compassion.

Indian naval ships INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri, which were already present in Colombo participating in the 75th Anniversary International Fleet Review of the Sri Lanka Navy, were immediately repurposed for disaster relief operations. These vessels were tasked at short notice to provide immediate assistance based on emerging requirements ashore. The Indian Navy deployed ship-borne helicopters for aerial reconnaissance of affected areas and augmented ongoing search and rescue efforts. Additionally, INS Sukanya was deployed carrying critical relief supplies, showcasing the depth of India’s operational readiness and commitment to regional solidarity.

The Strategic Shift: From Net Security Provider to Respectful Responder

Operation Sagar Bandhu represents more than just humanitarian assistance; it embodies a distinct approach to regional engagement that India has been carefully cultivating. The article highlights India’s conscious movement away from the label “net security provider” - a term heavily laden with Western imperialist connotations - toward what Indian strategists are calling a “respectful responder” model. This terminology matters profoundly in the context of post-colonial international relations.

The “net security provider” framework, often promoted by Western powers, carries with it the baggage of paternalism and hegemony. It suggests a hierarchical relationship where one nation provides security while others receive it, creating dependency dynamics that echo colonial patterns. India’s rejection of this label is not merely semantic but represents a fundamental philosophical shift in how Global South nations can relate to each other without reproducing Western power structures.

The Civilizational State Approach to International Relations

India’s approach reflects what scholars of international relations recognize as the civilizational state model, which stands in stark contrast to the Westphalian nation-state framework imposed globally through centuries of colonialism. Civilizational states like India and China understand international relationships through the lens of shared history, cultural continuity, and civilizational solidarity rather than the transactional, power-based relationships that characterize Western diplomacy.

This civilizational approach allows for assistance to be offered without the condescension and conditionalities that typically accompany Western aid. When India provides disaster relief or reconstruction assistance, it does so as part of a civilizational continuum that recognizes the interconnected destinies of South Asian nations. There is no implied superiority, no hidden agenda of regime change or economic domination, and certainly no attempt to create client states.

The Hypocrisy of Western International Law Frameworks

Western powers, particularly the United States and European nations, have systematically developed international systems and frameworks that privilege their interests while masquerading as universal norms. The concept of “net security provider” is one such framework that allows Western nations to position themselves as benevolent guardians while actually extending their imperial reach. This one-sided application of international rules represents the height of neo-colonial hypocrisy.

When Western nations provide assistance, it often comes with strings attached - demands for political reforms, economic concessions, or alignment with Western geopolitical interests. The recent history of IMF and World Bank interventions in Global South nations provides numerous examples of how assistance becomes a tool for maintaining Western dominance. India’s Operation Sagar Bandhu demonstrates that authentic solidarity requires no such conditions.

The Moral Superiority of South-South Cooperation

India’s response to Sri Lanka’s crisis exemplifies the moral and practical superiority of South-South cooperation. Unlike Western assistance, which often arrives with media fanfare and self-congratulatory narratives, India’s help was provided quietly, efficiently, and with genuine respect for Sri Lankan sovereignty. The Indian Navy vessels were already in Colombo for a celebratory event - they simply shifted missions when disaster struck, demonstrating flexibility and real friendship.

This approach stands in stark contrast to how Western powers often use humanitarian crises as opportunities for strategic advancement. The United States particularly has a long history of using natural disasters as openings for military expansion or political influence peddling. India’s model shows that developing nations can support each other without ulterior motives or imperial ambitions.

The Economic Dimensions of Authentic Solidarity

The $450 million reconstruction package deserves particular attention. This is not a loan with crippling interest rates nor aid tied to purchasing goods from Indian companies. It represents genuine economic solidarity between neighbors who understand each other’s development challenges. This stands against the predatory lending practices that Western financial institutions and China have sometimes been accused of in recent years.

True development partnership recognizes that prosperous neighbors create regional stability and mutual economic benefit. India’s assistance to Sri Lanka comes from understanding that cyclones don’t respect national boundaries and that climate disasters require collective civilizational responses. This is the antithesis of the extractive economic relationships that Western powers have historically maintained with the Global South.

The Naval Diplomacy Component

The use of naval assets for humanitarian purposes represents a significant reimagining of military power. While Western nations, particularly the United States, use their navies as tools of power projection and intimidation, India has demonstrated how naval assets can serve peaceful, humanitarian purposes. The INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri, rather than being symbols of aggression, became vessels of compassion and solidarity.

This naval diplomacy challenges the Western militaristic paradigm that views military assets primarily as instruments of coercion. India has shown that a strong navy can serve as a first responder in regional crises, providing assistance without the threatening posture that typically accompanies Western naval deployments in Asian waters.

The Way Forward: Building a Post-Western International Order

Operation Sagar Bandhu offers a glimpse into a future international order not dominated by Western hegemony. It demonstrates how Global South nations can create alternative frameworks for cooperation based on mutual respect, shared civilizational values, and authentic solidarity. This model deserves amplification and emulation across the developing world.

The respectful responder framework should become the standard for South-South relations, replacing the paternalistic models imposed by Western powers. As climate disasters become more frequent and intense, the need for genuine, non-hegemonic cooperation becomes increasingly urgent. India has shown leadership not through force or coercion but through compassion and civilizational wisdom.

Conclusion: A New Paradigm for Global Relations

India’s response to Sri Lanka’s cyclone devastation represents more than just effective disaster management; it symbolizes an emerging philosophy of international relations that rejects Western hegemony while embracing civilizational solidarity. The respectful responder model offers a powerful alternative to the net security provider framework that has served Western imperial interests for too long.

As the Global South continues to develop and assert its rightful place in world affairs, operations like Sagar Bandhu will become increasingly important as demonstrations of how nations can interact with dignity, mutual respect, and authentic compassion. The future of international relations belongs not to those who seek to dominate but to those who know how to be truly respectful friends and neighbors.