India is not required to take sides in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. It must put its own interests first. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s allegation in an article published in the National Herald that the lack of any official statement on the taking out of Iran’s ‘Supreme Leader’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ‘is not neutral, rather it amounts to an abdication of responsibility’. The question is, responsibility towards whom? The people of India or a section of society that blindly follows faith leaders regardless of their actions?
The Modi government has consistently maintained good relations with Iran and worked to build strong economic relations with it, while distancing itself from its internal politics, or backing its ideology. This has been done deftly and Iran, generally, has responded in similar manner. However, in a war that has broken out between the US-Israel alliance against Iran, and consequently drawing in a number of Gulf nations, taking sides would serve no purpose and only jeopardise the delicate balance that needs to be maintained.
The difference, of course, is that the Congress is not making the distinction between a particular individual and a nation. India has ancient civilisational ties with Iran and, despite challenges of various kinds, has sought to nurture relations in a positive way. This has not been easy, but a pragmatic approach has been adopted that has delivered results. However, it must not be forgotten that Khamenei continued with the brutal policies of his predecessor and inflicted the most appalling atrocities upon women, in particular. As such, to consider him as the ‘representative’ of the Iranian people would alienate a large section that seeks an end to the cruel theocratic state. It is better to maintain an appropriate distance. It is also relevant to note that Khamenei’s policy towards India was not always friendly, to say the least. There are numerous examples when he not only interfered in India’s internal affairs but also adopted an adversarial position, such as on Kashmir.
There are other ongoing conflicts regarding which India is adopting a similarly ‘neutral’ seeming stand, such as the one between Ukraine and Russia. This makes it possible for PM Modi to speak to leaders of both nations and advocate for peace. The abduction of the Venezuelan President was also an event that did not draw a disproportionate response. It has to be India first, always, and ‘principled’ action must result from the realities that exist, not from a make-believe world of the mind.
