Reorienting policy towards West Asia, chasing the Hindu vote at home

India's alignment with the US-Israel axis, especially after October 7, has been difficult for the Arab world to swallow. Hence, the pressure felt by India to modify its international stance

Is there something decidedly odd about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to woo the Muslim world even as his domestic push for Hindutva reaches its high point?

At home, the orchestration of national celebrations around the Ram Temple at Ayodhya is hurtling the polity towards the creation of a majoritarian Hindu nation. At the same time, overtures are being made to Muslims.

Prime Minister Modi has urged the entire nation to celebrate the consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya on January 22 by lighting a "Ram Jyoti" (a lamp in honour of Ram) at home. Describing the event as a "historic moment", he has also begun an 11-day fast, observing rituals "to awaken divine consciousness" within himself.

The prime minister has announced that he will follow "Yama Niyama" (yama, restraints; niyama, observances), the ethical guidelines mentioned in the Gita and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. "Yama" norms specify non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, abstinence and non-accumulation. "Niyama" rules include cleanliness, contentment, penance, self-study and surrender to the divine.

Most of these are impeccable guidelines of ethical behaviour for anybody. However, repackaging them as an eleven-day ritual transforms them into political branding of the Prime Minister in his bid to get re-elected.

While the politics of the Ram Temple is along expected lines, another emerging narrative enmeshes with it quite uneasily. Recent events suggest that India may be reorienting its policy towards West Asia. Perhaps there is a realisation that the costs of joining the US-Israel bandwagon may be too high. A course correction requires, even if for the sake of appearance, a bow towards Islam as well.

Prime Minister Modi's Cabinet colleague, Smriti Irani, recently led a delegation to the holy city of Madina in Saudi Arabia and posted pictures of herself outside Prophet Mohammad's tomb on January 8. She effusively tweeted, "Undertook a historic journey to Madinah today, one of Islam's holiest cities included a visit to the periphery of the revered Prophet's Mosque, Al Masjid Al Nabwi, the mountain of Uhud, and periphery of the Quba Mosque – the first Mosque of Islam. The significance of the visit to these sites, courtesy Saudi officials, intertwined with early Islamic history, underscores the depth of our cultural and spiritual engagement."

Madina is a sacred site, not a tourist destination. A public visit by a non-Muslim delegation to the Prophet's Mosque is unprecedented. Even more unusual is the way Irani publicised the visit.

Two days after Irani's Madina visit, Prime Minister Modi met a delegation of hand-picked Muslims and handed over a "chadar" (a sheet), an offering of devotion and respect for the 812th Urs (death anniversary of a Sufi saint) of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer. The "chadar" was offered in Ajmer on Saturday.

These acts may be read against other political developments.

The Centre has unexpectedly allowed Kashmir's Chief Islamic Cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, to come to Delhi for a couple of weeks. He was under house arrest from August 4, 2019, a day before the abrogation of J&K's special status, but was released in September 2023, although confined to Srinagar. There is speculation that his visit to Delhi is part of the government's outreach because elections in J&K are expected after the Lok Sabha polls. Elections in J&K may also be seen as a signal to the Islamic world that India is trying to restore democratic governance there.

These domestic developments seem to be linked to the slow re-pivoting of India's foreign policy in West Asia. India had stood by Israel after the attack by Hamas on October 7. It refused to vote in the UN on resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire, claiming they did not refer to the terrorism of Hamas. However, despite repeated urging by Israel, India has now refused to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation. On December 13, 2023, India also voted in favour of a UN resolution demanding an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire", the unconditional release of all hostages" and "ensuring humanitarian access".

India also shifted its stance on Iran within hours of the Houthi militants attacking two India-bound ships in the Red Sea on December 22/23 last year. The Houthis are believed to be proxies of Iran in Yemen. Having sided so far with the US on Iran, India joined Russia and China in opposing a UN resolution expressing "serious concern" over Iranian human rights violations and its record on religious freedom. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov subsequently endorsed India's "responsible approach" to Ukraine and world affairs, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is now rushing to Tehran for talks.

Is this one coincidence too many?

India's return to its traditional anti-Israel position in the UN may follow from a realisation that its pro-Israel stance had alienated some important Islamic countries of the Gulf. They are a major source of employment for Indian workers and a significant source of investment. In the past, they have largely ignored the BJP government's discrimination against minorities.

However, India's alignment with the US-Israel axis, especially after October 7, has been difficult for the Arab world to swallow. Hence, India felt pressure to modify its international stance.

It is unclear whether India will move definitively towards the Russia-China-Iran pole. As of now, India is trying to ride both boats. The Arab world is itself divided between the US-Israel axis and the Iran-China-Russia axis. India wants to protect its shipping from attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis and also recover its image as a nation that stands by the Palestinians and is not inimical to Islam.

The gestures towards Indian Muslims are more offshoots of this geostrategic juggling than part of a pre-electoral charm offensive for the Muslim vote. Currently, the Ram Temple alone is the primary instrument of Hinduisation of the polity.