look news india
Israel–Hezbollah conflict: Tension is increasing between Israel and Lebanon. On the other hand, India is keeping a close watch on its 600 troops deployed along the 120 km long Blue Lane on the Israel-Lebanon border, who have been deployed under the 'United Nations Peacekeeping Mission'. Although India cannot withdraw its troops unilaterally, maintaining talks with it amid rising tensions is the top priority at the moment.
Emphasizing the importance of the safety of soldiers, Major General Ashok Kumar (Retd), Director General, Center for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), said that the safety of our soldiers is of paramount importance. India cannot take a unilateral decision to withdraw its troops from that area, but is in constant touch with its deployed troops to ensure their interests.
He further said that relations with Israel are important but if Iran gets involved in the war then it could complicate the matter. 'India's strategic interests in West Asia are multidimensional.' Although our relations with Israel are important, especially on defence, any involvement of Iran in the war could complicate matters for India. Iran is important for our connectivity projects, especially the Chabahar port.
Major General Kumar expressed concern over the potential impact on India's economy, especially oil supplies and trade, amid rising tensions in the Middle East. He said that if this war disrupts the oil supply, it can have a direct impact on our economic development. Moreover, if the situation worsens, the well-being of 90 lakh Indians working in the Gulf could be at risk.
However, he assured that India's efforts to diversify its trade, especially in fertilizer from Lebanon, have mitigated these risks. To mitigate potential disruptions, India has increased domestic production and increased imports from other sources such as Russia. But he cautioned that India must remain diplomatically proactive to meet any challenges arising from the war.
India has successfully balanced relations between major powers like the US and Russia. A similar approach here will be important to protect our strategic interests in West Asia.