Politics
Mint Explainer: Decoding India's reaction to Qatar's death sentence to 8 Indians
Summary
- India's restrained approach suggests it's cautious about affecting its economic and energy ties with Qatar
India’s strong, if unremarkable, relationship with Qatar may be in for a rough spell after a court in the Arab country sentenced eight Indian naval veterans to death. While Qatar has not made the charges public, media reports indicate that the men were held for espionage. Mint looks at the case and its implications for India-Qatar ties.
Case background
In August 2022, eight former naval veterans were arrested by Qatar and held in solitary confinement. No clear charges or reasons for their arrest were made public. The men were employees of Al Dahra, a consulting firm working with Qatar’s military. Media reports, citing government and intelligence sources, say that the eight men were arrested on charges of espionage. The trial began in March this year and on Thursday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that a Qatari court had sentenced the eight men to death.
India-Qatar relations: A snapshot
Historically, India and Qatar have enjoyed a favourable relationship. Energy, especially liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Qatar to India, is a significant component of their trade relationship, which was valued at $5 billion in 2021-22. Investment avenues have always been open, with Qatar investing $1 billion in Reliance Retail and its FDI in India growing five times since 2020. Defence is another key area, marked by India offering training to Qatari forces and a defence cooperation agreement signed in 2008. Qatar is also home to 844,499 Indian workers. High-level visits from leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, vice presidents Dhankar and Naidu, and external affairs minister S Jaishankar further emphasize the closeness.
India's reaction
India's response to the verdict has been measured. The country’s leadership has refrained from publicizing the issue or criticizing Qatar overtly. New Delhi has consistently stressed the importance of the well-being of the detained men, ensuring it doesn't appear as intervention in Qatar’s legal affairs. The Indian Foreign Ministry’s official response has been subdued, saying that they will continue liaising with Qatari officials and support the affected families. Some experts suggest that India might work towards a governmental resolution for the detainees. It's been noted that earlier attempts by Indian intelligence to convince Qatari security about the detainees' innocence weren't successful.
Potential impact on bilateral relations
It's uncertain how this will influence India-Qatar ties. India's restrained approach suggests it's cautious about affecting its economic and energy ties with Qatar. However, this stance might be tested if there's a significant domestic uproar in India over the issue. A significant twist, as reported by ThePrint, claims the detained men were suspected of relaying information about Qatar’s classified submarine project to Israel. This revelation, if true, could complicate matters, especially considering concerns that Qatar might share its submarine tech with Pakistan, a close ally.
