Understanding Arab Spring: The relative material deprivation combined with a perceived sense of injustice of the regime as reflected

in the form of high corruption, growing Americanization of Arab world after 9/ and its moral!political ban"ruptc# on the $alestinian issue has ignited the long wounded Arabs on the street% The flight of &en Ali, the reclusive dictator of Tunisia, in view of small scale protests lifted the fear of Arab autocratic regimes and provided a big moral solace to the people to come out in the street against the regime% 'dward Thompson(s conception of )the moral econom# of poor( has direct relevance for understanding this )discontent( in contemporar# Arab world% According to Thompson, food protests are not merel# )rebellions of the bell#( or responses to economic hardship b# the wor"ing class, but e*pressions of loss of the right to livelihood and economic justice, which had been hitherto partl# legitimated b# states seen as paternalistic% Significance +iddle 'ast , home to five million -ndian citizens and most of -ndia(s energ# supplies% Historic opportunity: To pla# a greater role geopolitical decisionma"ing%After all, the non. interventionist tradition is a relic of the time when -ndia was wea" and poor% -t seems ill.fitted to the foreign polic# of a countr# increasingl# strong and prosperous% Growing global role: /iven its status as the world(s largest democrac#, -ndia can pla# a uni0ue role in supporting the democratic forces% $resents a wor"ing democratic model in a sociocultural environment far closer to the /ulf(s than 1estern democracies are2and with none of the political baggage of the latter% 3iscuss 3emocrac# 4s 5on.intervention Democracy: -ndia toda# brands itself on the world stage as )the fastest growing free mar"et democrac#6% Acting on this belief, -ndia alread# has wor"ed to

strengthen democratic institutions in 5epal, Sri 7an"a, &angladesh, &hutan, and, most prominentl#, Afghanistan% -ndia was one of ten founding members of the 8ommunit# of 3emocracies and a leading co.founder of the U5 3emocrac# 9und, dedicated to promoting good governance and human rights around the world% -ndia has participated in the multilateral activities of the 8enter for 3emocratic Transitions, the $artnership for 3emocratic /overnance, and the Asia.$acific 3emocrac# $artnership% AS presents an opportunit# to project 5ew 3elhi(s soft power, which is considerable in the region% National Interest: AS states will need to establish the institutions of good governance, from strong political parties to independent judiciaries% 5ew 3elhi(s advice and assistance would ma"e these countries better homes for -ndian wor"ers, better allies in stabilizing a region of great strategic importance to -ndia(s development, more reliable energ# suppliers, and more prosperous trade and investment partners% Others: The crisis of governance in the Arab world also presents an opportunit# to strengthen US.-ndia ties% 1hether wor"ing together with -ndia or independentl# toward similar ends, the world(s largest democracies bring complementar# strengths to the hard tas" of building a culture of democrac# across the Arab world% 1hat has it done till now 'arlier this #ear, -ndia voted with the other great powers on the U5 Securit# 8ouncil to sanction 7ib#a following 8olonel /addafi(s brutal crac"down% 1hat else can it do Secretar# of State :illar# 8linton has raised the possibilit# of -ndian support for upcoming elections in 'g#pt% 'g#pt(s +uslim &rotherhood, meanwhile, has approached -ndia for help with conducting nationwide elections% /iven -ndia(s remar"able success in regularl# organizing elections for hundreds of millions of its citizens, it(s uni0uel# positioned to provide this e*pertise% 9irst, it is li"el# to result in the realignment of political forces at regional level that will strengthen the forces of )pan!Arabism( against -srael% Under the convulsion of people(s pressure the issue of )Arab pride( with )liberation of $alestine( at its centre is bound to resurface at the regional level in near

future% Therefore -ndia needs to avoid a close identification with -srael% -ndia still has remar"able good will in the region which it might loose if it continues to all# itself too closel# with United States and -srael% -ndia needs to maintain a )strategic autonom#( vis! a vis United States and must reorient her ties with the Arab world as an indispensable component of her strategic autonom# and commercial e*igencies and create a new discourse in line with the evolving norms of Arabism% 1ith Tur"e#(s series of anti!-srael stand and its shifting focus towards normalizing relationship with countries of Arab world and -ran in recent #ears, the )Tur"ish model of democrac#( has gained public attention in the Arab world%-ndia therefore, needs to strengthen its ties with Tur"e#% A strong tie with Tur"e# will help -ndia in protecting its securit#, political and commercial interest in 8entral Asia% -t appears that Tur"e# is more than wiling to e*pand its commercial venture in South and Southeast Asian countries through -ndia, while allowing the -ndian commercial interest in 5orth Africa and 8entral Asia through Tur"e#% The rivalr# for regional leadership between Saudi Arabia and -ran along the line of sectarian identit#!Sunni and Shii is li"el# to increase in coming #ears% /iven that -ndia has heav# sta"e in $ersian /ulf in terms of h#drocarbon, remittances, service, and trade it needs to maintain a delicate diplomatic balance between these two regional rival nations% 9ourth, as the region is pregnant with uncertain future -ndia needs to diversif# its sources of h#drocarbons and must prepare a contingenc# plan to loo" after the si* million diaspora located in the Arab region% 8onclusion Arab publics are clamouring for reform% Supporting them isn(t a polic# of regime change or the imposition of outside values% -t is nothing more than pursuing at once our interests and our values% +an# commentators see this popular outburst as beginning of real democratic transformation of -slamic 1est Asian and 5orth African 8ountries% ;nl# time will testif# this predicament%:owever, it will certainl# lead to some political reform in the region in the direction of greater democratic openness, increased transparenc#, enhanced governance and increased popular

participation% <uestions: :ow can/ shld -ndia pla# a more proactive role in democratic transition==