The diplomacy is a complicated subject that requires you to evaluate the cons and pros of happening around the world constantly. The diplomats have a task cut out for them. They have to take in consideration the interests of their respective countries before making any move.
The present scenario involving two rival Islamic nations is a great test of the diplomatic skills and talents of our diplomats. New Delhi very recently hosted the political heads of Saudi Arabia and Iran in quick succession. This is an open secret that Muslim countries are a divided house. The two Middle East nations have failed to come to terms in the past and the ice does not seem to melt in the near future. Therefore, India has the near impossible task of balancing the two oil rich nations and securing its vested interests.
The Saudi Arabia is a preferred destination of the people who seek employment in the Middle East. The exact number of Indians working in Saudi Arabia is hard to determine but you can safely say that Indian labor (both skilled and unskilled) forms a substantial chunk of the entire foreign labor available in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, New Delhi has to ensure the safety of its citizens stationed there. Moreover, India has to maintain good ties with Saudi Arabia to receive unhindered supply of crude oil to keep its economy and system running.
On the other hand, Iran has much better mutual ties with India. Tehran and New Delhi have collaborated on many issues in the past and continues to do so even now. We all know that Iran is at the receiving end of the sanctions imposed by the west. The economic sanctions have crippled the economy of Iran to quiet an extent. However, the oil resources at Tehran’s disposal are humungous and can take of all the energy needs of India for the next 200 years. However, India has to make sure that it the ties with Iran may not raise the eyebrows of the western powers led by the US.
However, it is high time and New Delhi has to do the balancing acts with a clear-cut agenda of pleasing both and appeasing none. In order to secure the interests in Afghanistan, New Delhi has to seek help from both of these gulf nations as India’s huge investments in Afghanistan would be jeopardized if it fails to garner assistance from these two nations.
