India's response to Unrest in Libya

India’s Response to Unrest in Libya

As news of violence in Libya becomes regular feature and becomes a talking point in every household in India the response from the Indian government to ruthless crackdown by Libyan government is disappointing, though along expected lines, to say the least. Taking sides has never been India’s forte and this was well reflected in the soft condemnation by the government. Rather than supporting the aspirations of the people and sending a strong signal to Gaddafi the Indian government is once again appearing to be sitting on the fence. In war between right and wrong one cannot afford to be neutral. The reality in Libya today is that there is no popular support for Gaddafi and despite his military backing him and the ongoing crackdown his days in power are numbered.

In such a scenario the western nations have decided to put their bets on the people and are contemplating strong actions against Gaddafi. The question before India is whether it will support a dictator whose future is fickle or people who would like to have a government that is in consonance with the one we have? The western countries have played their cards very smartly. The US deliberately remained hesitant to take a strong action till its nationals were not evacuated. Once that was done it got a UN resolution imposing sanctions on Libya through the UNSC and is now preparing to establish a “no fly zone”. It has frozen assets worth $37 n belonging to the Libyan government. The US has moved its warships towards the Mediterranean Sea a position from where it could intervene militarily whenever necessary. Sadly the Indian government, in the first place, has been very slow to evacuate its nationals. A country that can’t protect its own citizens can hardly be expected to stand up for the rights of foreign citizens. So what is impeding India?

First is the irrational fear of been seen as conspiring with the west against a Muslim country. This is unwarranted since many Arab nations are themselves facing popular uprisings. More Over Libya is on the verge of being isolated as many Arab nations are US allies. Second is the self-created problem of protecting the lives of Indian nationals in Libya. With thousands still stranded India fears that its nationals will be harmed if it takes a strong position. Third is the traditional Indian mindset of the need to follow an independent foreign policy. That is fine in theory but independent policy does not mean always opposing the west or supporting some developing countries. Last but not the least the fear that India will lose out on future investments in Libya, particularly in the oil sector. What India forgets is that Libya sits atop vast oil reserves and they have better chance of being explored if a democratic government comes to the fore. If Gaddafi continues in power despite opposition it will owing  to the support of countries like Russia and China in UNSC and not because of India. Therefore China not India will be the most beneficiary if Gaddafi remains in power. The people of Libya will remember who supported them in their hour of need and who sat on the fence. So the rationale of supporting the people whose government is most likely to come to power makes sense even in national interest. Although India supported the UNSC sanctions on Libya it is not going to support the proposal for “no fly zone”. This may have its own logic since sanctions and “no fly zones” can be counter- productive. The need of the hour is to ensure that the International pressure is sustained and Gaddafi gets isolated. The onus of leading the international pressure is on the democratic countries and it is here that India seems to be hesitating. The question is not whether India will be on the side of the west but whether it will be on the side of democracy.

India believes in the policy of non interference. However it is important to understand that supporting legitimate aspirations of people is not interference in internal affairs of other countries. It is a moral duty that India needs to uphold, if it wants to earn respect in the world and climb up the ladder of the great power status. When freedom is threatened and justice is denied India cannot and should not be non-aligned.

This is not to say that India should know tow the west. It should take positions based on its interests. India should therefore have issued a strong statement demanding Gaddafi’s ouster and establishment of democratic government but equally issuing general statement opposing the use of outside force to do so. Supporting the Libyan people will nullify any opposition from other Muslim countries. This will also go down well with the west whose support is crucial if India is to become a permanent member of UNSC. Supporting the positions of countries that lack democratic credentials like Russia and China shows India in poor light. Whatever may be the case realism suggests that India must come strongly in support of Libyan people.

 Before any of this it must get its own people back!