The discontent in West Asia: implications for India

In the past, governments had succeeded in containing the spontaneous outbursts of crowds by a combination of force and temporary special measures. Nevertheless, the relative material deprivation combined with a perceived sense of injustice of the regime as reflected in the form of high corruption, and the growing Americanisation of Arab has ignited the long wounded Arabs on the street.

The author illustrates that in context of the Arab world, despite highly vibrant local participation and expression of discontent, the vertical channels that link states and societies have historically been cut off and failed to develop a culture of negotiation and accommodation. Still, many commentators see this popular outburst as beginning of real democratic transformation of Arab countries, yet only time will testify this predicament. However, they will certainly lead to some political reform in the region.

The document highlights that Indian approach towards Arab uprising as ‘wait and watch’, not too supporting to ‘people's protest’, neither endorsing the regime’s suppression of these protests, and offering mild criticism to the western intervention in Libya is a pragmatic one and serves India’s national interest. In this respect, India needs to maintain a ‘strategic autonomy’ vis‐ a vis the USA and must reorient her ties with the Arab world as an indispensable component of her strategic autonomy and commercial exigencies and create a new discourse in line with the evolving norms of Arabism.