BRIC Team reports: India should have stepped into the vacuum when the United States, which played a dominant role in the West Asia region as the guarantor of security, lost its credibility in the region, said Talmiz Ahmad, former ambassador to Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and professor of International studies, Symbiosis International University, Pune. We do not have a collective view of the region, nor do we wish to play any role in promoting security and stability there.”Answering a question over whether he felt India has followed a “balanced” West Asia policy, Sunjay Sudhir, former Ambassador to UAE and Maldives, Distinguished Fellow, IIM Ahmedabad, said that the policy has been rather “pragmatic”.“It is because we have interests across the region – from Israel and the GCC to Iran.
To balance out these interests, the approach has to be pragmatic. The visit to the UAE is a significant statement in itself. Half of our diaspora in the region is in that country and we have a huge amount of trade and Foreign Direct Investment,” he said.Commenting on India’s role in the crisis in West Asia, Gulshan Sachdeva, Jean Monnet Chair, School of International Studies, JNU, said that India had taken a side in West Asia even before the war had begun.“I would say that our assessment was not really correct.
Background
We thought that it was going to be a short and an easy war and they (U.S. and Israel) were going to win. We are trying to, perhaps, balance since then...” he said, adding, “Our one relationship with Israel should not become a liability, not only in West Asia, but in the entire global south.
Key facts
- To balance out these interests, the approach has to be pragmatic.
- The visit to the UAE is a significant statement in itself.
- We thought that it was going to be a short and an easy war and they (U.S.
What this means
In the long run, things are going to settle.”T.C. Karthikeyan, professor on Politics and International Relations, Director – Centre For Public policy and Administration, Saveetha School of Law, added, “Whenever nations face economic hardships, some people may emerge saying they can offer all the solutions. We have to be mindful of the emergence of dictatorships.
India should play the role of a facilitator – principled and committed to international rules-based order.”
