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By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

India's multi-align diplomacy triumphs

New Delhi: West Asia has transformed into a battlefield rained by fireballs. Seas or land, everywhere echoes the roar of cataclysmic explosions, flickering flames, and swirling smoke clouds. et amid such adversity, Indian ships boldly waving the Tricolour navigate the strait undeterred, entering the Arabian Sea. More remarkably, Iran has sealed its airspace to global flights but opened it for the safe evacuation of Indians.   This scene evokes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's memorable 2014...

India's multi-align diplomacy triumphs

New Delhi: West Asia has transformed into a battlefield rained by fireballs. Seas or land, everywhere echoes the roar of cataclysmic explosions, flickering flames, and swirling smoke clouds. et amid such adversity, Indian ships boldly waving the Tricolour navigate the strait undeterred, entering the Arabian Sea. More remarkably, Iran has sealed its airspace to global flights but opened it for the safe evacuation of Indians.   This scene evokes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's memorable 2014 interview. He stated that "there was a time when we counted waves from the shore; now the time has come to take the helm and plunge into the ocean ourselves."   In a world racing toward conflict, Modi has proven India's foreign policy ranks among the world's finest. Guided by 'Nation First' and prioritising Indian safety and interests, it steadfastly embodies  'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' , the world as one family.   Policy Shines Modi's foreign policy shines with such clarity and patience that even as war flames engulf West Asian nations, Indians studying and working there return home safe. In just 13 days, nearly 100,000 were evacuated from Gulf war zones, mostly by air, some via Armenia by road. PM Modi talked with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian to secure Iran's airspace for the safe evacuation of Indians, a privilege denied to any other nation. Additionally, clearance was granted for Indian ships carrying crude oil and LPG to pass safely through the Hormuz Strait. No other country's vessels are navigating these waters, except for those of Iran's ally, China. The same strategy worked in the Ukraine-Russia war: talks with both presidents ensured safe corridors, repatriating over 23,000 students and businessmen. Iran, Israel, or America, all know India deems terrorism or war unjustifiable at any cost. PM Modi amplified anti-terror campaigns from UN to global platforms, earning open support from many nations.   Global Powerhouse Bolstered by robust foreign policy and economic foresight, India emerges as a global powerhouse, undeterred by tariff hurdles. Modi's adept diplomacy yields notable successes. Contrast this with Nehru's era: wedded to Non-Aligned Movement, he watched NAM member China seize vast Ladakh territory in war. Today, Modi's government signals clearly, India honors friends, spares no foes. Abandoning non-alignment, it embraces multi-alignment: respecting sovereignties while prioritizing human welfare and progress. The world shifts from unipolar or bipolar to multipolar dynamics.   Modi's policy hallmark is that India seal defense deals like the S-400 and others with Russia yet sustains US friendship. America bestows Legion of Merit; Russia, its highest civilian honor, Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. India nurtures ties with Israel, Palestine, Iran via bilateral talks. Saudi Arabia stands shoulder-to-shoulder across fronts; UAE trade exceeds $80 billion. UN's top environment award, UNEP Champions of the Earth, graces India, unlike past when foreign nations campaigned against us on ecological pretexts.   This policy's triumph roots in economic empowerment. India now ranks the world's fourth-largest economy, poised for third in 1-2 years. The 2000s dubbed it 'fragile'; then-PM economist Dr. Manmohan Singh led. Yet  'Modinomics'  prevailed. As COVID crippled supply chains, recession loomed, inflation soared and growth plunged in developed countries,  Modinomics  made India the 'bright star.' Inflation stayed controlled, growth above 6.2 per cent. IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas praised it, advising the world to learn from India.

‘Kafala was sugar-coated slavery’

Mumbai dental consultant shares his experience on the now abolished system

Mumbai: Amid hectic discussion regarding the impact of the end of Saudi Arabia’s Kafala system, Mumbai based Dental consultant and oral oncologist Dr. John Paul who has spent 27 years in Saudi Arabia said, "Kafala system was a sugar-coated slavery."


Paul who was born and brought up in Mumbai left for Saudi Arabia in 1990 at the age of 32 years to earn enough money to be able to buy a bigger house in Mumbai, a dream that is unthinkable for most middle-class citizens. While his wife Sandra Paul strongly raised their two daughters at home in Mumbai’s Dahisar suburb, Paul was navigating all odds to provide everything he could to the family.


From Kafala system, to religious bias to memories that changed his perspective towards life for ever— Paul has a pool of experiences to share. “Kafala system was a sugar-coated slavery. I was educated, yet my passport was held by my Kafeel (sponsor). However, I was slightly in better position because my Kafeel was the Ministry of Health. My only challenge under the Kafala system was that I had no freedom or independence to travel back to India on short notice even in an emergency situation. It all depended on the sponsor,” said Paul.


Paul visited India once a year. However, it couldn’t be planned on a short notice, and required a lengthy procedure to be followed. He highlighted that the condition of the unskilled migrant workers like the masons, plumbers etc, was worse who couldn’t visit their country even once in five years because they were under an individual sponsor and he could exploit them as per his will. “I was never tortured as such. I was given my dues on time. I did not face any harassment. However, I faced physical harassment outside of my job. In case of individual Kafeels, the workers were completely at the mercy of the employer and faced a lot of atrocities and inhuman conditions. Registering a complaint for a human rights abuse was not a viable option due to a lot of reasons,” added Paul.


Motivating reasons

Paul cites a lot of reasons that still motivate him to visit Saudi on a visitor’s visa in future like the state-of the art roads, picturesque sites, cheap petrol, and most importantly, improving gender-equality of balance, and religious tolerance which was not a case when he lived in Saudi.


Paul who bid adieu to Saudi Arabia in 2017 cited, “Women were not allowed to drive. Being a bachelor, I faced a lot of hard ships. I could not sit in gardens or go for shopping. My wife and I were continuously being insisted to embrace Islam. We were targeted, we were addressed as Kafirs. People have also urinated in font of our door, calling us Kafirs.”


These incidents motivated Paul to study his identity and research in the area of religion. These experiences of religious targeting motivated Paul to understand religion more, the quest of which made him complete his PHD in Theology.


Experts highlight that not only Indians, but migrants from other parts of the world too have been going to Saudi for job prospects, however, they do not wish to do the jobs which the South Asian migrants would agree to do. Sources claimed of migrants from Western countries never ended up taking up the unskilled jobs, and even if they did, they were paid much more than the Asian migrants for the same job.


Even as the quashing of Kafala system has come as a welcome move for 2.5 million Indians that are in Saudi, and other immigrants the implementation gap is still a matter of concern. Experts believe that the development could be a mirage and may turn out to be a strategic move of the Crown Prince to upgrade the image of the Kingdom on a global platform in bid to portray his country to be a progressive one to boost global investments.

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