19 May 2020, NIICE Commentary 4762
Monalisa Dash
At this critical juncture, when the entire world is fighting with the Coronavirus pandemic, India has been successfully reaching out to the West Asia, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. India is gaining the trust and confidence of the GCC nations. The extension of medical supplies and assistance from India to these countries have re-strengthened the ties between the two regions. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought them closer, especially amidst the great power rivalries between the US, the EU and China.
Friend in Need
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus took place in the city of Wuhan, China, global geopolitics have been turning towards a phase of uncertainty. The US and European countries, which have proven to be the storehouses of medicines for many epidemics in the past, have suffered a major setback in this one. Meanwhile, emerging powers in Asia, that is China and India, are giving their best efforts to turn the tide in their favour. Both China and India are trying to reach out to different parts of the globe by sending healthcare professionals and providing medical supplies like drugs, testing kits and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In this way, India has successfully extended its helping hand to its immediate neighbours under its flagship ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’. India’s relations with the GCC are a part of its ‘Link West’ and ‘Extended Neighbourhood’ policies, and it has tried to connect with all the Head of States in the Gulf. By offering medical assistance in the form of the essential drug Hydroxychloroquine, or by providing surgical masks and other equipment, India has gained the trust and confidence of Gulf countries during crucial hours in the history of human healthcare and survival. By sending a 15-member medical team to Kuwait at the request of the Kuwaiti government, as well as 88 medical and healthcare professionals to the UAE to help the country in its fight against the COVID-19, India has showed its humanitarian face to the Gulf countries and the world.
The timely help provided by India will establish itself as a trustworthy friend for the Gulf world. As these countries are going through strong economic recessions due to low oil prices, the countries are facing domestic challenges like high inflation, revenue deficit, and so on. The labour force in this region has reached a new low amid closing of oil industries, and due to disruptions in global labour supply and demand chains. As these nations are facing a recession, they are sending back thousands of Indian expatriates to their home country due to closing down of industries. Under the Vande Bharat mission, New Delhi is bringing back it’s citizens, who are stranded outside India. More than 9 Million Indians had been living in these countries, sending USD 9 billion annually in foreign remittances, to India. Moreover, India is a heavy importer of oil from Gulf nations, and this has accounted for a major chunk of the trade between the two nations.
Hence, India and the Gulf, being significant trade partners of each other, must try to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. The fall of oil prices, the declining tourism sectors and fall of revenue are some of the important challenges for these countries. Amid economic recession, India’s helping-hand in providing medical supplies and essential drugs will re-boost the relationship and confidence among its bilateral partners. However, seeing this current situation, New Delhi has applied a pragmatic diplomatic approach through healthcare.
Way forward
Observing the consequences of COVID-19, it seems both India and Gulf countries will be severely hit in their trade relations. As thousands of Indians are returning to their homeland, the Indian economy will be affected badly as it is already going through an economic recession, with rising unemployment. Both India and the Gulf will lose a significant part of their partnership – the diaspora links. India must look for a way to deal with this crisis, when Gulf countries are sending Indian labourers back to their soil.
