India’s Evolving Strategic Partnership With The Middle-East...

India’s relations with Gulf countries and West Asia are very old. The Middle- East region plays a significant role in India’s economy, as it provides about two-thirds of India’s total oil imports. Bilateral trade, especially with the U.A.E., Iran, and other Middle-Eastern countries in the Persian Gulf are growing in recent years. For a long time, millions of Indian migrants have been moved to search for jobs in the Middle-Eastern Countries and they are considered as a significant part of the total remittance received from out of the country. On the other hand, India always maintains a balancing political strategy with the Middle Eastern countries. As such, the relationship between Israel and Palestine is known as the born enemy. But, India played a separate tactical political strategy with those countries.

Drastic changes in Middle East geopolitics are expanding India’s footprint in the region after years of a relatively low profile. A newfound relationship with the United Arab Emirates and deepening ties with Israel and Iran have brought some economic and strategic benefits. India’s Middle East policies are just as hard to predict as the future of the region itself. One is that the present status quo in the Gulf continues. India will be able to pursue its larger Middle East policy without much difficulty and continue to accrue benefits like energy assets, large capital inflows, and the isolation of Pakistan. Still, India continues to prefer a set of limited bilateral relations, primarily with those three countries, rather than a broader regional policy. That position will be tested as regional dynamics continue to shift. Being one of the largest countries in area and population, India is one of the top ten largest economies and will continue to grow. It is hence becoming increasingly dependent on the Middle East for energy security. However, despite the country’s dependence on the Middle East for the provision of this vital and strategic resource, no clear political, economic, or even energy policies directed at the region have been formulated. The establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992 marks one of the clearest and most important turning points in India’s interaction with the region. These relations have flowered and now encompass both the strategic and security realms. When it began, the relationship was opposed by the country’s Muslims and leftists and was met with moderate protests from Arab states. At the core of these relations was the perception within part of the Indian ruling elite that the country’s strong pro-Arab stance was not being reciprocated with support for Indian claims over Kashmir.

Although India has not yet clearly determined its goals in the Middle East, it is slowly treading a path that will eventually lead to a clearly defined role in the region. The most significant step in this regard was the country’s May 2005 appointment of an ambassador which is extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the region. This was followed by the 2006 naval entrance into the area to supplement diplomatic efforts. So far, India’s navy has conducted exercises with countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

The current situations in the region throw a series of challenges as well as offers a set of opportunities for India where it could exert its influence and play an important role in shaping multilateral world order. India as an aspirant power and economic giant cannot afford to be a mute observer. Given the unpredictable trajectory, it would not be prudent for the Indian establishment to assume that India is far-removed from its ill-effects

There are few long-term policy options for India in the current situation. Long Term Policy Options:

·    Prioritising the Region: One cannot deny the political, economic, cultural, and strategic potential of the region for India and India must prioritize its policy accordingly as the global peace and economic prosperity depends on the tranquillity in the region. India should expand the canvass of its foreign policy and move beyond the prism of oil and remittances. India should make a policy pronouncement on “Look West Policy” on the line of Look East Policy. This policy should be supplemented with more proactive Indian involvement in various sectors in the region.

·   Political Efficacy: There is a need to understand the political efficacy of today’s global politics and India needs to deepen the political contacts with the region given the fast-changing scenarios. It is time for India to engage more politically with the region and a series of high-level visits on the part of the Indian government to the region should be made in order to enhance its political image and allay the apprehensions about India’s neglect of the region. Two countries that are vital for India’s energy interest are Iran and Saudi Arabia and India should engage with both of them accordingly.

·     Soft Power Promotion: No doubt, India has earned its soft power stature in recent years among the global community, and the Indian education system has made some inroads there. Apart from this, India can devise a mechanism to promote its films, sports, and music in the region which would be of great assets to establish India’s soft power status which in long term might constitute the component of Indian diplomacy. It is a well-known fact that Indian films are very much revered in Arab-African counties like Morocco and Egypt and India needs to promote this in a more robust manner but meanwhile, this activism should be coupled with political engagement gradually, if not to assert, but to make its presence felt as a responsible global power.

·    Counter-Terrorism Cooperation: In recent years, India has succeeded in mobilizing the alliances in the region in its fight against terrorism and so, India should try in a more vigorous manner and opt for a deep strategic engagement to muster the supports of its political class to fight the terrorism. India succeeded in seeking the extradition from Saudi Arabia of the few-wanted terror suspects in several blast cases. However, too much media exposure to these strategic cooperative endeavors should be avoided.

Conclusion-:

Indian officials have predicated the push for stronger ties with the region on the idea that this will buttress India’s economic transformation and bolster its strategic interests. There will be challenges on both fronts. Any new conflict that threatens India’s energy supplies or inflates energy prices could take a toll on India’s economy and complicate ties. Moreover, any instability or active conflict between regional players will test India’s commitment to a policy of neutrality and non-interference. With the United States – the primary regional security provider of recent times – expressing growing doubts about its regional footprint, and China increasing its influence, India may be forced to take on a greater role than it is willing or ready to. Although India has made some important adjustments to its engagement with the Middle East in recent years, Delhi can’t take its eyes off the rapid changes in the region. India’s fence-sitting diplomacy may, thus, also be described as skillful relationship management.

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