Editorial 1: On Finland’s journey to join NATO
Context:
- On April 4, 2023, Finland finally became the 31st country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Why did Finland join NATO?
The move to join the security alliance was precipitated by
- Russian invasion of Ukraine last year,
- Finland’s historical experience with Moscow, and
- The changing nature of international geopolitics with a declining Russian influence.
What has been Russia’s response?
- The Russian Foreign Ministry said that while it will respond with “military-technical measures”, the specifics of its actions will depend on the terms under which Finland joins NATO. The Ministry deemed the now-defunct policy of non-alignment as a “wise decision” and said that Finland has now “lost its independence”.
How has Finland’s security policy evolved via its neighbour?
- Lingering tensions from the Russian Revolution, The Finnish Civil War between 1917 and 1918 and Unresolved issues from the Treaty of Dorpat in 1920 led to the First Soviet-Finnish War.
- The Second Soviet-Finnish War, which took place between 1941 and 1944 ended with the defeat of Finland. Finland lost territories to the Soviet Union and had to pay war reparations.
- This, coupled with the independence process in 1917, the civil war between 1918 and 1919, and the Lapland War in 1944 impacted the collective psyche of the Finns. This made Finland pursue a pragmatic security policy.
- Finland made concessions to the Soviet Union, one of which was the Finno-Soviet Treaty of 1948. This treaty ensured that Finland would remain neutral and would not allow any foreign troops on its soil without permission from Moscow.
- After the Second World War, Paasikivi’s line (named after Juho Kusti Paasikivi, the president of Finland between 1946 and 1956) emerged and began to morph into what would eventually become Finland’s foreign policy strategy.
Why did the security policy change?
- Finland’s experience during the Cold War shaped its approach to security policy. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it sought to build closer ties with Russia while also pursuing greater integration with Europe.
- The country has been an active participant in European security initiatives such as the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO). At the same time, it has been able to maintain close economic ties with Russia.
- However, there were tensions between Finland and Russia as a result of the flux in domestic politics in both countries.
Could there have been an alternative to joining NATO?
- For Finland, an alternative to joining NATO could have been to develop its own military capabilities and pursue a deeper level of cooperation with other European countries, through arrangements like the CSDP and the NORDEFCO.
- However, the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and a declining Russian influence made the decision for the risk-averse Finns easy.
Way forward:
- The continuation of the Ukraine invasion, a declining Russian might, and now a confirmed security umbrella by NATO gives the impression that Finland’s security concerns are mostly assuaged.
- The extent to which this new cooperation between the Finns and the NATO countries pan out will dictate Russia’s actions, but it seems that Moscow, under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, might wish to further escalate by increasing troop presence along the Russo-Finnish border.
Editorial 2: Burning bright: on the latest quadrennial census of India’s wild tiger population
Context:
- India’s tiger population in 2022 was at least 3,167 cats, according to the results of the quadrennial census of the tiger population. The previous such exercise, in 2018, estimated the number to be 2,967.
Project tiger:
- It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (CSS of MoEFCC) providing central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves, Launched in 1973.
- Aims at conserving India’s national animal i.e. Tiger. Wild tigers are found in 18 States in India.
- The tiger reserves are constituted on a core/buffer strategy.
- The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area.
- The Project Tiger aims to foster an exclusive tiger agenda in the core areas of tiger reserves, with an inclusive people oriented agenda in the buffer.
- The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body of the Ministry, with an overarching supervisory / coordination role, performing functions as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Tiger census in India:
- The All India tiger estimation (AITE) exercise is carried out once every four years.
- There is a fair chance that the 2022 numbers may be revised upwards as a full analysis of the census numbers remains to be done. Being the 50th year of Project Tiger, it is notable that governments, since 1973, have consistently devoted attention to ensuring that tigers — generally vulnerable to environmental degradation and extinct in several countries — continue to populate India’s forests.
- Being able to ensure an increase in tiger numbers without relying on fenced reserves and by engaging the participation of forest-dwelling communities in conservation are distinct traits of India’s big cat conservation approach. However, this does not mean that tiger numbers are ordained to grow in perpetuity.
- The ‘Status of Tiger’ report warns that all of India’s five main tiger zones, while largely stable, face challenges of deforestation and loss of tiger habitat. The Western Ghats, while one of the most biodiverse spots globally, also hosts some of India’s most populous tiger reserves.
Way forward :
- From nine tiger reserves in 1973 to 53 today, the increase in numbers has not translated to all of these reserves becoming suitable habitats for tigers. Serious conservation efforts are needed to help, for instance, tiger population recovery in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
- Wildlife habitats here face various threats that include habitat encroachment, hunting, conflicts with humans, unregulated cattle grazing, excessive harvesting of non-timber forest products, fires, mining, and expanding infrastructure.
- Experts have said India’s reserves, in their present state, ought to be able to sustain populations of up to 4,000, and with expanded efforts at improving fledgling reserves, these numbers can increase.
- But, care has to be taken to maintain the delicate balance between making the ground fertile for conservation and keeping the rights of forest-dwelling communities intact. Showcasing conservation efforts ought not to come at the expense of ensuring the right to livelihood and dignified living of communities, who often live the closest to these majestic wild creatures.
Conclusion:
- The cheetah, the leopard, the lion and the tiger can co-exist in India only with the right incentives in place for all stakeholders.