ReclaimingtheGulf

TheregioniseagertoseeIndiareturntoitstraditionalrole
asamajoreconomicandsecuritypartner

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WrittenbyC.RajaMohan|Published:January24,201712:36am

Delhisemphasisonselfreliancesawthedismantlementofthestrong
economiclinksthatemergedbetweentheundividedsubcontinentandthe
MiddleEastthroughthe19thcentury.

WhenthecrownprinceofAbuDhabi,SheikhMohammedbinZayedAl
Nahyan,arrivesinDelhiasthechiefguestattheRepublicDaycelebrations
thisweek,hewillonlybethethirdleaderin70yearsfromtheMiddleEastto
gracetheoccasion.Delhihadhostedonlytwootherleadersthepresident
ofIran,MohammedKhatami(2003),andKingAbdullahofSaudiArabia
(2006).Thisindeedissurprising,giventhemultiplefactorsbindingIndiaand
theregionandDelhispersistentpostindependenceclaimsonpolitical
solidaritywiththeMiddleEast.Delhihashadreasonstoserenadeeven
Pakistanileaders(1955and1965)andaChinesePLAGeneral(1958)as
honouredRepublicDayguests.SincetheendoftheColdWarandthe
proclamationoftheLookEastPolicy,DelhihashostedmanyAsianleaders,
butsofewfromtheMiddleEast.

TherebyhangsthesadtaleofIndiasengagementwiththeMiddleEast.No
otherregionoutsideofthesubcontinentissocriticalforIndiassecurityand
prosperitythantheMiddleEast.Yet,theregionnevergetssustainedhigh
levelpoliticalattentioninDelhi.ThevisitofSheikhMohammedandthe
signingofastrategicpartnershipagreementwillhopefullymarkabigchange
inDelhismindsetandhelpconsolidateamoreproductivethirdphasein
IndiasengagementwiththeMiddleEast.

Inthefirstphase,IndiasemphasiswasonantiWesternandantiIsrael
solidaritywiththeMiddleEast.Thiswasdriveninpartbythepresumedneed
topreventPakistanfromscoringamarchoverIndiabyplayingupits
religiousaffinitywiththeregion.ButitalsopreventedIndiafromcomingto
termswiththemanyothercontradictionsoftheregionbetweenrepublics
andmonarchies,conservativeregimesandradicalIslamists,ShiaandSunni,
tonameafew.DespiteexpansivegoodwillforIndiaintheregion,Delhi
seemedtohavelittletoofferbeyondrhetoricalsupport.

Delhisemphasisonselfreliancesawthedismantlementofthestrong
economiclinksthatemergedbetweentheundividedsubcontinentandthe
MiddleEastthroughthe19thcentury.TheoilboomintheGulfsawthe
dramaticexpansionofIndiasinterdependenceregionthroughlabour
exportsandenergyimports.Delhi,however,wasillequippedinbuildingon
thisinterdependenceinthefirstphase.Asitemphasisednonalignmentand
opposedmilitaryalliances,independentIndiadiscardedtheRajlegacyof
providingsecuritytomanyregimesintheGulfandthegreaterMiddleEast.
Thesecondphase,whichbeganattheturnofthe1990s,sawamore
pragmaticIndianapproachtotheregion.Delhinormaliseddiplomatic
relationswithIsraelwithouthavingtosacrificeitsexpansiveinterestsinthe
restoftheMiddleEast.

AsthescaleofIndiaseconomicinterdependenceontheGulfgrewrapidlyin
thereformera,Delhibegantomoveawayfrommercantilismtodeepening
tradeandinvestmentlinkswiththeregion.Thesecondphasealsosawthe
renewalofmilitaryexchangesandsecuritycooperationwiththecountriesof
theregion.Buttheprofoundconvulsionsaffectingtheregionseemedto
preventbolderIndianmilitarypartnershipsintheGulf.

ThattheregiondoesnotfigurehighonDelhispoliticalradarwasmarkedby
thefactthatPrimeMinisterManmohanSinghtravelledtotheregiononly
fourtimesduringhisdecadelongtenuretwoofthosetripsweretoattend
thenonalignedsummits.Tomakemattersworse,thefirstmonthsofthe
NDAgovernmentseemedtosuggestPrimeMinisterNarendraModimightbe
moreinterestedinIsraelthantherestoftheregion.

Therewasasolidcorrectiveinthelasttwoyears.Evenashebroughtthe
Israelpartnershipintotheopen,Modihasdevotedmuchenergytoengaging
theGulfstates.AshepointedoutinhisrecentremarksattheRaisina
DialogueinDelhi,wehaveredefined,inashortspanoftime,anddespite
uncertaintyandconflict,ourpartnershipswithGulfandWestAsia,including
SaudiArabia,UAE,QatarandIran.TheprimeministeraddedthatDelhis
intensiveengagementhashelpedprotectandpromoteoursecurityinterests,
nurturestrongeconomicandenergytiesandadvancethematerialandsocial
welfareofaroundeightmillionIndians.

IndiascurrentintensiveengagementwiththeUAEisatestcaseforIndias
credibilityintheregion.Amidsttheshiftingexternalandinternalbalanceof
powerintheMiddleEast,theregioniseagertoseeIndiareturntoits
traditionalroleasamajoreconomicandsecuritypartner.Onitspart,theUAE
haslaidoutaboldagendaforbilateralcooperationinareasrangingfrom
investmentsincivilianinfrastructuretodefenceproduction.Itisreadyfor
deepercollaborationoncounterterrorismandregionalsecurity.

ThatasmallmilitarycontingentfromtheUAEwilljointhemilitarymarchon
RepublicDayisapowerfulreminderofIndiashistoricroleasasecurity
providerintheregionandtheopportunitytodayforreclaimingthatrole.
WhatstandsinthewayisDelhisbureaucraticinertiathathassoconsistently
limitedthenationsinternationalprospectsandrepeatedlyfrustratedIndias
putativepartners.Thewriterisdirector,CarnegieIndia,Delhiandconsulting
editoronforeignaffairsforTheIndianExpress