ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION (OIC)
India has condemned the “motivated and misleading statement” made by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which expressed concerns over what it called “continued attacks on Muslims in India” and called upon the international community to take necessary measures.
Significance
- Cooperation: India has good relations with most OIC member nations. Ties with UAE and Saudi Arabia, in particular, have improved significantly in recent years.
- Multisectoral cooperation: The OIC includes two of India’s close neighbors, Bangladesh and Maldives.
- Interference in India’s internal matters: The OIC had asked India to reverse its decision of scrapping Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, during the 76th UN General Assembly. India responded by saying that internal issues in India are addressed according to its constitutional framework, democratic ethos, and polity.
Status of India’s relationship with OIC
- Membership: India was invited to the founding conference in 1969, but was humiliated at Pakistan’s behest.
- India’s reluctance: India stayed away because it is a secular country and did not want to join an organization founded on the religious identity of nations.
- Opposition by Pakistan: While the OIC is mainly controlled by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan has had a powerful say in the organization due to its nuclear weapons status.
- Can afford to ignore OIC: India has strong relations with nearly all OIC members and can afford to ignore the group’s collective statements.
- Diplomatic victory: In 2019, India made its maiden appearance at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting as a “guest of honour.”
Criticism of the OIC
- Position on Kashmir: OIC has been generally supportive of Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir and has issued statements criticizing the alleged Indian “atrocities” in the state.
- Interference in India’s internal matters: OIC has criticized the Government of India over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Babri Masjid verdict of the Supreme Court.
- Consensus hampers decision making: All decision-making in the forum requires a quorum defined by the presence of two-thirds of the member states and complete consensus.
- Prioritise Rights of Muslim Minorities: The OIC had become a premise for “window dressing,” more interested in the rights of Muslim minorities in places such as Palestine or Myanmar than the human rights violations of its member states.
- Incompetent at investigating Human Rights Violations: The body lacks power and resources to investigate human rights violations or enforce its decisions through signed treaties and declarations.
- Failed to Establish a Cooperative Venture: The OIC has failed to establish a cooperative venture among its members, who were either capital-rich and labor-scarce countries or capital-scarce.
Arguments in favour of India’s membership at the OIC
- Energy security: Several oil-rich nations are members of OIC, and engagement with it can benefit India in terms of energy security.
- Counter misinformation: Pakistan has been utilizing OIC for spreading false information regarding India on the Kashmir issue. With India’s presence in OIC, it would be easier to counter such misinformation.
- Economic benefits: OIC countries provide employment for nearly 6 million Indians and are a major source of remittances to India.
- Second largest Muslim Community: Though India is not a Muslim-majority state, it hosts the world’s second-largest Muslim community. Countries like Thailand and Russia are observer members despite having significant minority Muslim populations.
- West Asian Diaspora: There are approximately 8 million Indians in West Asia who contribute to these economies and add cultural richness.
Arguments against India joining OIC
- Violate principles of secularism: India is a secular nation, while the OIC focuses on the interests of Muslims worldwide. Joining OIC would contradict India’s secularism and equality principles.
- Discriminatory treatment: Unlike Pakistan, India may not be valued in the OIC due to Pakistan’s closer ties with members like Iran and Turkey.
- Differing Ideology: Pakistan enjoys high leverage with conservative Arab monarchies due to ideological alignment and its military support.
- Presence of Pakistan: Pakistan has consistently opposed India’s entry, asserting that countries with disputes involving OIC members should not be allowed observer status.
- Position on Israel: The OIC condemns Israel’s actions that hinder peace and a two-state solution. India’s deepening ties with Israel, despite traditionally supporting a two-state solution, could be a challenge.
Challenges faced by India in OIC
- Diplomatic humiliation: The Abu Dhabi declaration issued at the end of the summit did not even contain a simple expression of thanks to the external affairs minister of India.
- Blind to India’s concerns: While OIC appreciated PM of Pakistan Imran Khan for handing over the Indian pilot as a sign of goodwill to de-escalate tensions in the region, it didn’t mention Pulwama.
- Stand on Kashmir: A resolution was issued condemning state terrorism in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK).
Way Forward
- Eliminate Pakistan’s apprehension: Pakistan’s apprehension stems from the fear that India’s involvement in the grouping could influence the opinion of other Muslim states, which does not bode well for Pakistan in the Kashmir case.
- Establish the case of no locus standi: India has built close ties with powerful members like UAE and Saudi Arabia and has confidently countered statements from the OIC, underlining that Jammu & Kashmir is an “integral part of India” and that OIC has no locus standi on the issue.
- Elaborating on India’s vast Muslim community: India’s Foreign Minister highlighted the diversity of Muslims in India, who speak various languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Bangla, and Bhojpuri.
- Counter narrative: India finds it necessary to challenge Pakistan’s double-speak, as its narrative on Kashmir has little traction internationally.
- Economic cooperation with member countries: India views the duality of the OIC as untenable, with many OIC countries maintaining strong bilateral ties and suggesting India ignore OIC statements.