New Delhi has a golden opportunity to assist in supporting democratic regimes in the Arab World. It’s in its own interests to seize this chance.
The fall of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi stands as the latest, most dramatic episode in the explosive changes roiling today’s Middle East. As Libyans—and their counterparts in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and elsewhere—start down the difficult path of political change, India possesses a historic opportunity. In recognition of its growing global role and its status as the world’s largest democracy, India can play a unique role in supporting the democratic forces that have produced the Arab Spring.
Identifying ways to do so would recognize a central geopolitical fact of our time: New Delhi is increasingly drawn into decision-making in the world’s most critical regions. Earlier this year, India voted with the other great powers on the UN Security Council to sanction Libya following Colonel Gaddafi’s brutal crackdown. Millions of Indians in the Middle East today are literal witnesses to history as Arab publics agitate for the same freedoms Indians themselves enjoy. And New Delhi’s posture toward developments in countries like Syria and Iran are of increasing consequence for decision-makers and publics alike.
These developments position New Delhi to help shape the Middle East – home to five million Indian citizens and most of India’s energy supplies. India is in fact better placed to work with the people of the region than nearly any other power. As the Times of India has noted, recent events ‘present an opportunity to project New Delhi’s soft power, which is considerable in the region. (India) presents a working democratic model in a sociocultural environment far closer to the Gulf’s than Western democracies are—and with none of the political baggage of the latter.’
Officials have been understandably modest about India’s possible contribution to the Arab awakening. ‘(D)epending on how the situation develops, India will certainly try to position itself to be of advantage to forces of democracy so dear to India’s heart,’ says External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna. But he remains cautious: ‘India does not believe in interfering in the affairs of another country. We will take the cue at an appropriate time depending on how they want India to help. India will be willing to be of some assistance to them. But let the situation arise.’
It would appear that the situation has indeed arisen. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has raised the possibility of Indian support for upcoming elections in Egypt. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, meanwhile, has approached India for help with conducting nationwide elections. Given India’s remarkable success in regularly organizing elections for hundreds of millions of its citizens, it’s uniquely positioned to provide this expertise.
But might this be only the beginning, rather than the sum total, of India’s efforts on behalf of Middle East democracy? After all, the non-interventionist tradition is a relic of the time when India was weak and poor. It seems ill-fitted to the foreign policy of a country increasingly strong and prosperous.
As demands for democratic change swell from Benghazi to Beijing, India’s liberal system gives it a unique strategic advantage that New Delhi should seize.
India today brands itself on the world stage as ‘the fastest growing free market democracy’—drawing a none-too-subtle distinction with its Chinese rival. Acting on this belief, India already has worked to strengthen democratic institutions in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and, most prominently, Afghanistan.
India was one of ten founding members of the Community of Democracies and a leading co-founder of the UN Democracy Fund, dedicated to promoting good governance and human rights around the world. India has participated in the multilateral activities of the Center for Democratic Transitions, the Partnership for Democratic Governance, and the Asia-Pacific Democracy Partnership.
New Delhi hasn’t just a moral stake, but also a national interest in building on this record in the new Middle East. Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and the Gulf states will need to establish the institutions of good governance, from strong political parties to independent judiciaries. New Delhi’s advice and assistance would make these countries better homes for Indian workers, better allies in stabilizing a region of great strategic importance to India’s development, more reliable energy suppliers, and more prosperous trade and investment partners.
The crisis of governance in the Arab world also presents an opportunity to strengthen US-India ties. Whether working together with India or independently toward similar ends, the world’s largest democracies bring complementary strengths to the hard task of building a culture of democracy across the Arab world.
Arab publics are clamouring for reform. Supporting them isn’t a policy of regime change or the imposition of outside values. It is nothing more than pursuing at once our interests and our values.
Richard Fontaine is Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Daniel Twining is Senior Fellow for Asia at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Each previously handled South Asia policy at the US State Department and served as Sen. John McCain’s foreign policy adviser in the US Senate.
Photo Credit: Zeinab Mohamed
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truth
i dont care who are what….only thing i know that small creatures(chinese) shld live on floor and let the tall creatures(indian) enjoy the sky.
Dragon already extinct.
Tigers still existing
Huang
“For best or for worst”,its India’s own business and should not be of any concerns to others especially China. India’s fate rests entirely in the hands of its peoples-particularly the poors and the not-so-poor within India’s multi-ehtnic,linguistics,religeous,social divides,and most importantly,the degree of realistically understanding India’s present and future course or direction of developnments. After more than a decade of trying to understand India’s strange attitudes and perceptions toward China,the people of China gradually realizing the detachment or remoteness of the problem fews at the upper social ladder with the “down to Earth” India China respected and learned from in the past. The India China see today is being ruled by a distint social culture(fortnunatly only a tiny number)more akin to their former Western colonial administrators than to the rich ancient Indian ways of thinking(no-boastings,not status hungry,condemn jealousy,seeking and upholding only truths,respects all under the sun,and most importantly for today’s India-an ability or capacity to treat everyone with the same respect). China does care about India’s political idealogy and thus India should consider doing the same since democracy is merely a term used by the West to dis-credit others different forms of political structures they find NOT likely to be controlled by them. “the ski is very high and the Earth is extremely thick” meaning things are not as they appear to be and lots remained to be learned even when one believes he knows everything under the sun. Bad habits or counter-productive behaviors(of India’s problem few) are hard to cracked,but will be drowned out by China’s overwhelming sincerities and practical demonstrations of mutual respects,mutual trusts,and China’s classic no nonsense approaches in tackling difficulties or challenges.
Legrosbisson
Ozivan is that Sun Tzu you are quoting to a Chinese? What a great world this is.
ozivan
@Legrosbisson. Hi..Something like that, I guess..haha.
@Nan Yang. I urge you to be respectful with our Indian friends. I am Chinese too, but I have many Indians who are my personal friends, including my personal doctor.
If you’re not careful, they can mess you up real bad.
Nan Yang
India is not even the 10th largest economy
India is no where is any world sport event heck cannot even hold a commonwealth games
India has not sent a man into space
India democracy voted an Italian waitress to be its leader
India is hardly a model for any country.
ozivan
Without being provoked by another, do not taunt at them. It would be like poking at a tiger.
Mohsin Akhtar
Dear Nan Yang:
.
We in India, wish China ‘continued success’ on its chosen path.
May you meet the same fate at the hands of the progressivist-utilitarians,
that the vermins met at the hands of one Pied Piper of Hamelin.
.
China, may yet, in some distant future, produce a Gandhi/Aurobindo/Hazare.
But for now, it has its hand full with an Ai WeiWei.
.
Even the Nazis could beat ‘ein Volke’ into a straight line …
But we Indians, are an unruly bunch. We criticise our country, and love it still.
We get frustrated, but don’t lose hope.
You will call it ‘inefficiency’. We will just call it ‘democracy’.
A democracy that has a million mutinies and still holds.
I believe, that is not what you could speak for the 150,000+ protests,
that happen annually in your country?
.
By the way, my dear Shifu / Lao, best of luck with Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. Your world, is about to get very … very … crowded.
SHIRISH PANDEY
Dear Nan Yang
India is 10 largest economy by nominal GDP
India ranked second in Delhi Commonwealth Games
India will be sending Men in space. Rakesh Sharma from India flew to space for eight days in 1984
That Italian women you are talking about may be waitress but she was daughter of a noted businessmen of Italy
With right perspective everything looks optimistic