Gradeup Magazine: Let's Speak Politics #15

1.Will the Asian powerhouse like China or India ever get involved in the Middle East like the West has?

India is far more connected to the Middle East than any other major power in the world - through history, culture and geography. For instance, there are far more Indians in UAE than even the locals. Any attack on Dubai is as good as attacking Nagpur, in terms of the number of Indians affected.

Modi with the Ministers of UAE.

India was closely connected to Persia and Arabia through historic trade and during the British rule most of the Middle East used the Indian rupee as their official currency. Places like Aden were directly ruled from Bombay. Finally, India has more Muslims than all the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council put together.

Given all this, India cannot be involved in as rash ways as the United States has been in recent times[who have much less to lose from all the bombing and arming like they do]. You would not be going so freely if your family is the one creating trouble/in trouble. The best for India would be stay out and be involved only in humanitarian efforts - evacuating people, sending peacekeeping forces, building schools & hospitals etc. That is what India has done in the past and that is what India is likely to do in the nearby future.

China is way too smart in not poking nose into issues outside East Asia. It is not easy to drag them into unnecessary wars. They also have a fairly restive Xinjiang province that they would not risk destabilizing.

India and China are far too experienced to repeat the mistakes of young powers like USA and Russia.

2. Would it be a good policy for Bharat (India), to extend recognition to the Iraqi Kurdish state?

Doesn't look to align with India's strategic interests. Building modern states along ethnic lines is something that doesn't fit with India's model of multi-ethnicity and it is fraught with dangers. If India supports Kurdish identity [who span multiple modern nations - Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey] what about the question of Nagas who span India and Myanmar. That is dangerous.

Recognizing a Kurdish state might bring India directly in conflict with Iran, Turkey and Iraq. Iran is a traditional friend and with Turkey India is trying to open new relationships.

Traditionally India has avoided such touchy, controversial issues and it would ideally push for Kurds to be worked into the national framework wherever they live.

(The author, Mr.Balaji Vishwanathan is a political observer.)