India's Islamic Diplomatic Outreach
Nothing is constant , everything which's on the table to talk are matter of transition from interest to jingoism of self-interest. Not only your neighbours should be your friends indeed but who are far flung from your border must be in your good books or vice versa; cause you never know who are good at remediate your exposing wound and who can make your interest best served. so, if you have good watch around your wrist, do check what's the good time and with whom you can best fit with.
India's diplomacy seen 5 phases of foreign policy , starting from Nehruvian foreign policy startling inclination of Nehru's towards the socialism which he saw during his visit of USSR to the NAM (Non-aligned Movement) had approximately no decisive approach to Arab world and this was obvious cause India has just a decade ago got the freedom from suppression and bloodshed of Indo-Pak shouldn't have had a fine imprint to establish a healthy ties with the Arab world and to be very precise Middle east was just a nomena at that point of time and started their developing chaos just fraction of years ago in comparison to what till date Western allies made at. Well thanks to discovery of oil ,who established them at the centre of the diplomatic table to negotiate around. Although as from NAM's perspective the only exception from Arabs was Egypt , although you can say them as unorthodox Islamic countries in comparison to extremely orthodox Middle-eastern Islamic giants and a major contributor in the NAM intially in its first meeting at Belgrade.
India been reluctant to West Asia till the regime of Narendra Modi started to deal with the foreign policy. And if you could observe a sudden turn around where no influx of bonhomie between Arabian peninsula and India ,you get to see only mirages before that ,now blooming buds amidst deserts. India always seen Arabian peninsula not more than just a energy supplier to India's energy requirements. There could be many reasons behind it but one among them the population inequalities between Shias and Sunnis; as more than 85% of Indian Muslims comes from Sunni branch and only 13% comes from Shia branches and rest are Ahmadiya Muslims and others. As Middle-east has different proportion of above demographic , so to maintain a balance between them would have been a twisted spoon to put in the mouth. If you could observe minutely you may able to find one more or two more reason; firstly what happen in Godhra riots which settles a negative image of Modi amongst the Arabic world and wouldn't have been a better op for current regime to establish a healthy personality cult into the hearts of Arbas moguls and may be one more reason could be that BJP's parent organization been the RSS (Rashtriya SvayemSevak Sangh) which's a flag bearer of Hinduism and not so friendly with Muslims, wouldn't have been a better chance to give this a shot to establish BJP as a pro-islamic party, who can best serve the requirements to the Muslims, although voting share still remains not hefty and large proportion still in the hound of the Congress seen a turnaround in 2019 General Election.
Modi's frequent visits to UAE and Saudi Arabia started to bring the healthy cut hefty outcomes for India. Since the independence this govt not just stick to the Western world for the diplomatic ties but look categorically inside the happenings of West Asia. Saudi's crown Prince Mohammad-bin-Salman popularity as MBS and UAE's crown prince Zayed Al Nayan brought a closer ties with India first time since independence. As Modi's prime foreign policy definition came into to play once more , which's based on 3C's (Cooperation, Collaboration and Communication) proved a bliss for India. Demographics , Democracy, Diaspora (3D's of Modi's foreign policy) add an extra texture to the warmthness in capitalising the interest form both the sides. And to result of this recently India and UAE signed FTA (Foreign Trade Agreement) by this UAE pledged to invest $100 billion in India in the next 10 years and also India going to open its first abroad IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) in UAE. Saudi Arabia invited India as special guest in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) conference at Riyad and that too even when Pakistan not in favour of this as most of Araic nations has good relations between Pakistan since its existence.
Since Arab World been a largest source of remittances for India approximating around 70% of the total remittances received by the India year-on-year basis and as India's largest diaspora resides in these West Asia also a prime reason to shift to West Asia policy , having more than 40-50 lacs residents of Indian origin can really force the native government to shift to pro-India outreach. Although after scrapping of Article 370 could have given a jolt to the relationship but all stands at neutral as neither UAE nor Saudi Arabia remained silent and said it's India's internal matter that too when old timr friend Pakistan insisted them to do so ,while Qatar's media house Al-Jazeera raised some serious consequences of this abolition but no other Islamic nation found it as prime agenda ,as any glitches were enough to made the things toxis, a gamble played by India and succeed nicely.
Outgone President of United States of America broke a peace deal popularly known as Abraham Accord among Israel, UAE and Bahrain was a deal indirectly in India's favour. As before this, India had to keep balance between Arab world and Isreal, cause Israel been a military and intelligence ally to India ,while Arabic world have well's of well of oil. Now after this India got some relief as things gone easy, still a constraints regarding to Palestine issues, where Iran, Iraq like countries still favouring the Palestinians and arams and ammunition support to militant organisation Hezbollah supported HAMAS, although India as by now not that worried about after Abraham Accord. And result to this I2U2 came into existence where India, Israel, UAE and US made a QUAD like grouping into the hearts of the Asia to counter China's Border Road Initiative ,a decorated program by Chinese President to realive the Kanishka's time Maritime Silk Road. In the 2020 defence expo at Dubai India got a permanent area for the exposure and Modi got the highest civilian award of the UAE. Although Iran which's a gateway for India's West Asia Outreach enveloped in internal issues and bonds gone on downside since US put sanctions on Iran but amidst of all these India is developing Chabahar Port which's just 72 km away from China's developed Gwador port in Pakistan. Recently India got its first shipment through INSTC (International North-south Transport Corridor). Till very recently Iraq been an unconditional supplier of crude oil and stayed top in this since Russia replaced Iraq to became top oil exporter to India.
What India needs now after establishing such fruitful relationship with the Arabic world ,that there shouldn't be any antiquities in the foreign policy, making policies which well serves the interest of these nation. And as these countries shifting gradually from oil-oriented economies to diversifying their economic activities. As MBS pitched to make Saudi's economy a less dependent on oil by 2030 and that's been the prime reason that in recent times orthodox customes seen some turn around and that too in women's favour , allowing them to drive and travel with their husbands and parents', although not any sort of participation of women's in politics but soon to come As recently Qatar host FIFA World Cup to make correction in their Islamic image, really make some sense that how desperate these nations are now for global outreach. Deserts are now not marely oil fields but soon to be a hotspot of diplomacy and India shouldn't go back into the era of seen these nations only as energy suppliers, cause China on the other hand is now aptly opulent to make a firm stand there to keep you out for long by investment purposes.
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