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Journalism of Courage
Calling for strengthening India’s policy towards the Persian Gulf, Vice-President Hamid Ansari today said the totality of India’s interest demanded that the ‘Look East’ policy be supplemented now by a ‘Look West’ policy.
His comments came at a seminar on “India and Gulf”, organised by the Association of Indian Diplomats.
Ansari said, “Recent years have witnessed debates about an alternative security architecture for the Persian Gulf. NATO has been proposed as an option. Some regional states, and opinion makers, have gingerly suggested a role for larger Asian states like China and India. Iran’s focus remains riveted on a cooperative security regime of the littoral states. The smaller littoral states, however, seek security in the involvement of Western powers. This debate needs to be monitored closely. The example of CTF 150 is suggestive of an inclination to keep India away from practical arrangements for security of sea lanes in this general area.”
He said non-traditional threat to the security of the Persian Gulf states, or to their economies, could arise from political mismanagement in domestic terms leading to instability. “All interested parties, including India, therefore, need to develop contingency scenarios to safeguard their interests”, he said.
Underlining India’s importance in the region, Ansari said the Persian Gulf states perceived India as an emerging major power in their neighbourhood, a major destination for their primary exports, a possible venue for investments and a major source of skilled manpower.
