Widening gulf

Anti-Muslim hate speech by a few Indian expats threatens to unravel Modi’s diplomatic gains in West Asia

- MANDIRA NAYAR

It has been a week of damage control for the ministry of external affairs after social media posts blaming Muslims for the spread of Covid-19 in India snowballed into a major diplomatic crisis. Princess Hend Al Qassimi, a member of the Sharjah royal family, was the first to criticise an offensive tweet by an Indian national and come out publicly against “Islamophobia” in India as it battles the Covid-19 pandemic. The unprecedented step forced the Narendra Modi government to initiate urgent measures to defuse the crisis.

Maintaining cordial ties with West Asian countries, especially the Gulf monarchies, notwithstanding the BJP’s hardline Hindutva image has been a key achievement of the Modi government. So, the prime minister—who was awarded the Order of Zayed, UAE’s highest civilian award, only eight months ago—appears keen to resolve the crisis at the earliest. Modi wrote on LinkedIn that Covid-19 did not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or border before striking. “Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood. We are in this together,” he wrote.