Non-mention of Kashmir in declaration welcome
The latest declaration of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) comes as a big boost to India's persistent effort to isolate Pakistan, as it did not mention Kashmir, unlike in the last three summits it held. The Tashkent Declaration stressed on bringing immediate solution to the razing unrest in Afghanistan, North Africa and West Asia. It also came heavily on the narratives to counter radicals and the extremists who are fast trying to tarnish Islam’s image. The refreshing stance on Kashmir by the OIC reflects a shift in its earlier position to exploit the situation in this country. This time, despite Pakistan's attempt to alert the members of the organisation about the situation in Jammu & Kashmir, the OIC declaration remained silent.
What comes clear from this is that the Narendra Modi Government's robust diplomatic initiatives to reach out to the nations of the OIC at various levels have paid dividend. Though the previous Manmohan Singh Government coined its ‘look West' strategy in 2005, it failed to make much impact on pursuing the members of the OIC to support India in its fight against cross-border terrorism. However, the situation in 2016 is entirely different for most of the nations of West Asia and the OIC. The looming threat of the Islamic State across the region has forced them to together fight the radical brand of Islam. This could be one of the main reasons why the current OIC Declaration has come forcefully “against terrorism and violent extremism in all forms and their manifestations”. Showing sensitivity on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir will help India to tighten its relationship with more nations of the group.
India's proactive diplomacy in West Asia and the OIC has reached a new height under the Modi Government. There were always traditional interests in energy, trade and diaspora, Prime Minister Modi made historic trips to crucial nations of the region, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Iran and Saudi Arabia, in a short span of time. President Pranab Mukherjee became the first Indian President to visit Palestine and Jordan, which helped in bringing the region ever closer to this country. Besides, Vice-President Hamid Ansari's trips to Nigeria, Mali, Morocco and Tunisia contributed significantly in strengthening our ties with the oldest and largest bloc of Muslim nations.
Finally, the efforts and visits by the Ministry for External Affairs has rejuvenated ties between India and countries of the Muslim world. These concerted moves from various fronts, starting from the office of the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister, have practically cleared the smoke around India's ‘Hormuz dilemma'. Under the Modi Government, India has captured space in the resource-rich nations at a time when other global players like China are already making strident moves out there. It is interesting to note that some of the important nations of the OIC grouping, such as Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have individually condemned the Uri terror attack which emerged from Pakistan. Indeed, the UAE supported any action by India to confront and counter terrorism. India needs to seize the advantage and continue to push diplomatically with the OIC and other groupings across the world, so that Pakistan is not let off the hook.