NEW INDIA INITIATIVE: ADVANCEMENT OF INDIA’S LOOK WEST POLICY

Abstract

During the Cold War era, after the independence of India, India went ahead with a two-point program irst, India politically backed Arab; Second amplified the relations with their leaders who committed with secularism and socialism. India backed the NAM movement for a peaceful resolution between Arab and Isreal clash. Later on, after the Nasser‟s idea of Pan-Arabism failed and it provided cushion for religious extremism in the West Asian region. India realised the significance of the Islamic world. Due to the oil-based relationship between India and Iraq, India wanted to support Iraq during the Iraq-Iran war in 1980. Somehow India adopted the keep-distance approach with Israel during that period. So, during Cold War India espoused heedful approach. After the end of the Cold War, the balance was started to shift from normative flux to realistic flux, and India acknowledged the importance of remittance from its Indian diaspora in the Gulf. Indian commenced providing consultancy in advanced fields like the management, information technology and pharmaceutical sectors rather than old unskilled labour engagement. In 2005 India‟s Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh asserted the West Asia as their xtended neighbourhood. He sought an advanced economic relationship with the West Asain region. After 2014, With a new government at the centre, India extends the previous government Look West Policy and ventured to add more substantial dimensions to the former one. Newly elected Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi acknowledged the importance of engagement with West Asia with more considerable interest. At one hand in India de hyphenated its foreign policy from Israel and Palestine never-ending geopolitical flux, Government showcased a sheer amount of courage by establishing an open relationship with Israel. If one could make an attempt to understand this step through a glass of national interest, it could be considered as a significant step towards India strategic autonomy, while in another hand India grabbed the opportunity to engage more with West Asian countries especially after the turmoil of Shale revolution and oil price crisis. Additionally, he recognised the importance of Indian diaspora as a strategic tool. The Indian policymakers have striven for a delicate balance between Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel while supporting Palestinians. Such strategic autonomy has provided India with ample space to exercise in the region with ease. Indian policymakers assert that India‟s interests in the Gulf Cooperation