Haritha's Musings: Good Tidings from UAE

Staving off the diplomatic lethargy and the political diffidence that imperilled India’s foreign policy strategies, Modi’s standalone visit to UAE brought good tidings to the nation. During the visit Modi threw weight around building energy ties, made a progress in convincing the investors in UAE of personal attention and sought investments for infrastructure development and energy exploration. The Indian leadership successfully garnered support of the desert nation in bringing about an emphatic joint statement to truncate far flung tentacles of terrorism and violence carried under the banner of religion.

India inherited the legacy of the British who offered security guarantees and managed external relations to the small independent countries in the Gulf during the early 19^th century. After independence Indian leadership failed to emulate the British and thus the historical, traditional and cultural relations with these nations became decadent. Incidentally Pakistan put the inherited legacy to best use and fostered its ties with all these nations. India having lost an opportunity solicited Pakistan’s help and aspired to build its relations with Muslim World through its prism and failed miserably (1). Consequently Gulf nations later on didn’t lend support to India on the K-issue. Understandably Gulf nations failed to comprehend the difficulties faced by India in dealing with cross- border terrorism emanating from its western neighbour. Hence issuing joint statement on terrorism by nations assumes great significance. It is truly a moment of triumphalism for India. The joint statement urged nations to dismantle the terror hubs in their respective territories, abandon use of terrorism and to denounce the sectarian violence. The message perceived to be a veiled reference to Pakistan reiterates the urgent need to evolve a framework for overcoming the scourging menace of terrorism and religious extremism. Modi in fact stuck a right chord with Middle East countries that are now increasingly threatened by the rising clout of the IS. The cooperation on counter terrorism has come at a propitious time when Gulf nations have adopted East policy.

Further both nations agreed to work together to regulate, control and share intelligence information regarding the terror modules besides keeping a check on the source and flow of funds to the radical organisations and individuals associated with them. Accordingly, the National Security Advisors (NSA)s of both countries would meet every six months. India and UAE have also decided to strengthen maritime security through regular joint exercises of air, naval and Special Forces in the Gulf and Indian Ocean Region. UAE accepted Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) proposed by India. Eventually this will facilitate the acceptance of the proposal by 57 countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Modi first voiced his concerns about terrorism on his maiden address to the UN General Assembly in September 2014. CCIT aims to integrate various agreements on counter-terrorism that can effectively clamp down safe havens of terror (2). UAE has even backed India’s bid for a permanent position in the UN Security Council.

India’s relationship UAE so far revolved around the matters of Indian Expatriate Community working in UAE, their welfare, economic cooperation, trade investments and oil imports. Modi’s bilateral visit accomplished a significant financial outcome with UAE setting up UAE-Indian Infrastructure Investment Fund worth $75 billion. The investment is more than the amount pledged by the Asian giants- Japan $20 billion and China $15 billion. 31 agreements were signed as a part of this investment with special focus on restructuring and modernising India’s infrastructure road, rail, ports, industrial corridors and parks. It is also agreed to increase the bilateral trade by 60%. Further UAE would participate in the manufacture of defence equipment in India providing momentum to “ Make in India” initiative.

Modi during his talks with investors at Masdar City, the Zero-Carbon city has projected that India has potential to absorb investment of $1 Trillion in areas like infrastructure, agriculture and warehouses (3). The countries agreed on promoting strategic partnership in energy sector through UAE’s participation in “the development of petroleum reserves, upstream and downstream petroleum sectors and collaboration in third countries”. Besides both countries signed several agreements in the sectors of agriculture, health, science and technology.

In a rare diplomatic gesture Modi was received by Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his five brothers with a 21-gun salute at the airport subsequently both leaders had extended talks on various issues. Modi reached out to the Indian expatriate community by travelling to the Industrial City Abu Dhabi (ICAD) in Mussafah. 65% of 2.65 million large Indian Expatriate community in UAE consists of the semi-skilled and unskilled labour. Modi met a group of 200 representatives gathered in the recreation centre at the Indian Camp (4). Indian labour working in the Gulf countries are subjected to a contract system (Kafala) whereby their passports are confiscated and are forced to live in inhabitable circumstances. The grave working conditions of the Indian workers is an issue of great concern and this visit is believed to address some of the issue.

Modi finally wrapped up the tour to UAE by addressing the Indian Diaspora at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Amidst loud cheers of 50,000 people Modi conversed in length about India’s relations with its all SAARC neighbours barring Pakistan. During the speech he made digs at Pakistan for sponsoring cross-border and appealed to nations that there is no good or bad Taliban and similarly good or bad terrorism. Modi audaciously appealed to the like-minded nations to come together to fight against terrorism for welfare of the humankind at large. Raising a pitch against terrorism on a Muslim territory indeed summons great courage and conviction. Quite characteristic of his address to Indian Diaspora on foreign lands, he infused a renewed sense of optimism about progress of country. He commended the hard work of the Indian community, thanked the crown prince for the warm welcome and for allotting land for construction of Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. He promised all help to the Indian Labourers in UAE and announced few initiatives formulated by the Ministry of Over Seas Indian Affairs for the welfare of the Indian Expatriate community in the Gulf. These include creation of e-migration portal MADAD to assist Diaspora, an Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) for Diaspora to help in legal cases. He instructed the Indian Embassy to increase number of schools and directed them to set up counsellor camps once a month in the places with huge Indian population (5).

Modi injected a germane optimism in the Indo-UAE relations. But a section of political analysts parsimoniously projected this visit as a part of larger political game plan to reach out to the people in South, since a huge chunk of Indian expatriates in UAE are from South India. His trip to the grand Sheikh Zayed Mosque was depicted as a calibrated move aimed at creating a positive impact on the minority voters in Bihar. As per the reigning trend in India the elite and liberals every act of Modi is judged through the prism of religion. It is no surprise that newspapers are enamoured by strident religious overtones leaving little scope for meaningful reflections on Modi’s first visit to Arab World. It is imprudent to signal that Modi’s visit to the UAE is an effort to make forays into Muslim World and to placate the apprehensions of domestic Muslims. Modi is executing right diplomatic strategy by playing into the rift Pakistan has created for itself with UAE by remaining neutral to the Yemeni Crisis (6). Congruently, India can be a right match for UAE aspiring to emerge as finance, technology and tourism based economy. UAE’s pursuit to transform into a modern economy is incompatible with the religious extremism. Evidently Modi’s bilateral visit to UAE is clearly synced with the objectives of the Arab nation.

In a major departure from traditional thinking on the region Modi made an unprecedented decision of reaching out to its neighbours in the West seeking new opportunities. In line with the changing geo-political strategies and scenarios where strangers are becoming bed mates, Modi seized the rare moment to forge friendship with the Gulf. The visit is indeed iconic, for India obtained support and empathy for its long standing security issues from the closest neighbour of Pakistan. Interestingly, for the larger fraction of the Indian community who is apologetic of its Hindu identity, a perceived staunch Hindutva leader obtained permission for Hindu temple in that part of world. The seeds of change sowed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee (6) yielded result and instead of being celebratory the issued is muzzled. Having roped up bountiful investments from UAE it is time for New Delhi to chalk out concrete plans and set the ground for transforming our economy.

Haritha's Musings

Thursday 20 August 2015

Good Tidings from UAE

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