1. International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, January, 2013 ISSN 0975-3486, RNI- RAJBIL- 2009-30097, VOL- IV * ISSUE- 40
Research Paper
Revisiting India - West Asia Relations
In The Post-arab Spring Period
January,2013 * Tilottama Mukherjee
* Guest Lecturer at Netajinagar Day College and Research Scholar at Jadavpur University
A B S T R A C T
West Asia has been important to India, not only for her huge petroleum and natural gas reserves, but also for her geographical
proximity to India. In the post-Arab Spring period, equations are fast changing and India has to play a crucial balancing
role in this region, particularly with respect to Saudi Arabia and Iran. This paper attempts to explore how India's secular
outlook, her pro-Palestine stand, her contribution to effective peace-keeping, all provide her with opportunities to harness
the potentials of this region.
West Asia has always been a crucial region for India, years endeared her to some of the key players in the
primarily, though not exclusively, because of the fact region, who have urged India to play a greater role in
that this region alone accounts for over fifty percent of international affairs & in the Middle East Peace Pro-
the oil consumed by India. Also, because of her large cess.
Muslim population base, India has a direct stake in the Saudi Arabia & Iran remains crucial to India.
peace & prosperity of the region. This is certainly a Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Gulf Cooperation Coun-
factor which can allow her a greater voice in the affairs cil (GCC) is the largest supplier of hydrocarbons to
of this region vis-à-vis the other emerging giant of India from this region. However, her sharing of close
Asia, namely China. In her quest to garner greater military & strategic ties with Pakistan, remains a major
world opinion in support of her bid to get a UNSC hurdle in the India-Saudi Arabia relations. However,
permanent seat, India has got some of the prominent India's growing economic might & her willingness to
backers from this region, such as, Bahrain, Brunei, strengthen ties with the Gulf countries has converged
Qatar, Syria, Israel, UAE, Oman & the like. Iran too, has with the "Look East" policy of these countries. So, it is
set precedents of objecting to some of the attempts not a mere coincidence that in January 2006, after a
made by Pakistan in the past, to frame resolutions period of about fifty years, the Head of Saudi Arabia
having definite 'anti-India' connotations in the Organi- visited India. The 'Delhi Declaration', a strategic en-
zation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Over the Kashmir ergy partnership was signed between King Abdullah
issue too, India has some of the allies in the region. For & Dr. Manmohan Singh during this visit. This visit was
instance, President Saddam Hussein of Iraq staunchly reciprocated by PM Singh's visit to Saudi Arabia in
stood by India over the Kashmir issue, & Syria too, 2010, & he was felicitated with an honourary doctorate
maintains that Kashmir is a bilateral problem. from King Saud University. Iran, on the other hand,
This region has been suffering from several remains crucial to India primarily for her petroleum
unsettled problems, such as the Arab-Israel problem, reserves, & also for gaining access to the Caspian Sea
the issue of a stable & viable state of Palestine, the & Afghanistan. It is here that India needs to play her
Shia-Sunni divide, the rivalry between Iran & Saudi cards carefully, especially after the Arab Spring, when
Arabia & perhaps, most importantly, the continuing the divide between the Sunni Saudi Arabia & the Shia
presence of foreign troops. Hence, there have been Iran is accentuating & Saudi Arabia fears that Iran
situations where the UNO had to undertake Peace- might meddle & disturb other Sunni Arab regimes in the
keeping Operations in West Asia & India continues to region, such as, Bahrain.
actively support the UNO in its Peacekeeping mission Iran's nuclear ambitions have invited the wrath
in the region, right from the first United Nations Emer- of western countries & her rivals in the region. India,
gency Force (UNEF-I) (1956-67) to the current UN In- on this issue, officially maintains that Iran has a right
terim Force in Lebanon. to possess & use nuclear weapons for peaceful pur-
India's pro-Arab stand & her decision to not poses, but she should abide by her international trea-
to establish formal diplomatic relations with Isreal for ties & obligations, especially the Nuclear Non-prolif-
a very long time had worked in her faovur. India main- eration Treaty (NPT). Unofficially though, perhaps,
tained cordial relations with Yasser Arafat. India sup- there is a feeling that possession of nuclear weapons
ports "Syria's legitimate right to regain the occupied by Iran can actually correct the anomalies in the bal-
Golan Heights". Such a posture by India has over the
RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION 65

2. International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, January, 2013 ISSN 0975-3486, RNI- RAJBIL- 2009-30097, VOL- IV * ISSUE- 40
ance of power of this region, which was heavily tilted worked out. It materialized, it can be truly beneficial.
in favour of Israel, the all-weather ally of the West. This Another way in which greater Indian presence can be
is perhaps why, it is not surprising that the West vehe- recorded in this region is through properly utilizing the
mently condemns Iran's nuclear ambitions. robust education & service sectors that we have. Some
It is also not surprising that the West was not steps have been taken in this regard. For instance, we
very forthcoming initially in championing the cause & have the CEP programme which provides five scholar-
the message of the Arab Spring, a pro-democracy ships each year to Syrian students for higher educa-
movement that swept across Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, tion. Syria, too, offers five scholarships to Indian stu-
Libya, Syria during 2010-11. America, the Championer dents for studying Arabic language & literature. The
of liberal democracy, had developed close relations horizons of this initiative should be further expanded.
with some of these dictatorial regimes, & their interest Our success stories in the IT sector & in the pharma-
could have been better served by the status quo than ceutical sector, can be shared with these countries to
the change. This is perhaps why, Obama while welcom- forge better ties. Agreements relating to effective co-
ing the wave of democracy in the Middle-East, when operation & joint promotion of tourism can be yet an-
asked about the authoritarian, corrupt heads of the other area of significance. Designing joint counter-
states in this region, remarked that America does not terrorism measures have become an imperative, par-
'label the folks'. ticularly in the post-Osama period, where terrorism is
India, too, had a very restrained reaction to far from being over. In short, our interests in West Asia
the Arab uprising. Initially, the desire was to see peace are manifold. It is only because of our myopic policy-
& stability in the region. Many analysts have opined making that West Asia remains important to us mainly
that, because there are more than six million Indian for its oil & gas reserves. It will be interesting to see
expatriats in the region, this could have been the only what role India plays in the region when USA with-
option before India. Later, however, India welcomed draws its troops from Afghanistan in 2014. On the one
the spread of democracy in this region. India took a bit hand, after a long period of time, these countries are
more time, than was expected, in assessing the changed hoping to become the shapers of their own destinies,
scenario, & this drew flak from several quarters. on the other hand, there is resurgence of Taliban pos-
India's relation with West Asia has just begun ing an imminent threat. Strong governance will be the
to unravel post the Arab Spring. India, the largest de- need of the day, & since this region practically is the
mocracy in the world, can indeed stand by these newly neighbourhood of India, with Pakistan as a failing state,
democratising countries & share her experiences with the role of India will become significant in the coming
these countries to build a better future together. It can days. Her secular credentials, pro-Palestine stand,
be said with certainty that this effort by India in the empathy towards the Kurdish community, experiences
nation-building process in the region, will not be for- of viable democracy, her effective leadership in playing
gotten in the coming days, as her leadership in the the role of a mediator & her contribution towards Peace-
NAM has not been forgotten. keeping operations, all place India in an esteemed ped-
With particularly the Gulf countries, India's estal in the region. The future challenge are galore, so
focus has always been more on economic consider- are the prospects. The coming days will be crucial to
ations, than political. It continues to be so over the know how India shapes long-term sustainable devel-
years & the year 2004 onwards, India-GCC Industrial opment policies in the changed circumstances vis-à-
Conference is being held. Currently, India-GCC FTA vis West Asia.
negotiations are underway & the details are being
R E F E R E N C E
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2. Alam, Anwar. India and West Asia in the Era of Globalization. New Delhi: New Century Publications, 2008. Print.
3. Grover, Virender. West Asia and India's Foreign Policy. New Delhi: Deep and Deep Publications,1992. Print.
4. Naaz, Farah. West Asia and India: Changing Perspectives. New Delhi: Shipra and Shipra Publications, 2005. Print.
5. Vincent,J.P. and H.M.Ilias. India-West Asia Relations: Understanding Cultural Interplays. New Delhi: New Century
Publications, 2007. Print
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