A Diplomatic Victory for India

The release of eight ex-Indian Navy personnel is a big diplomatic victory for India. It has indeed shown that India can safeguard its citizens and the national interests at all costs wherever they are. These former Navy personnel were accused of spying for Israel by Qatar and sentenced to death in December last year. But due to the concerted efforts of the External Affairs Ministry and the Indian agencies it was reduced to imprisonment. These personnel were serving in a Doha based company  Dahra Global  and were taken into custody  in August 2022.The ex-Indian Navy personnel who  faced the charges of spying included Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh.In December 2023  the appellate court in Qatar  commuted their death sentence and reducing it to imprisonment ranging  between three years and 25 years. This decision to release the ex-Indian Navy personnel comes at a stage when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to arrive in  UAE  on Tuesday to strengthen the relations between the two countries. He is scheduled to inaugurate  the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Modi has been reaching out  to the Arab countries and developing the economic ties. The release of the ex-Navy personnel has surprised many that includes their family members who have termed their  release as unexpected. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi  had met the Amir  of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin  Hamad  Al  Thani  in December 2023in Dubai  during the COP 28 meeting. It had developed the chemistry between the two leaders and led to the strengthening of the ties .It is believed that Modi had asked the Amir about the welfare of the Indian citizens in Qatar. It was a diplomatic masterstroke. Though he did not refer to the case of the ex-Indian Navy personnel who were in the custody of Qatar. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has been monitoring the release of these personnel with absolute precision. National Security Advisor(NSA), Ajit Doval has been dealing with this case himself and in order to secure their  release he has visited Qatar six times  to diffuse the tension between the two nations. Out of eight personnel only seven have arrived in India and received a warm welcome. Commander Purnendu Tiwari has not arrived yet. Though he has been released. He is hoped to arrive soon. Qatar has not publicised the charges in detail except the initial allegations that these personnel were spying for Israel. At the end of the day. All is well that ends well. One thing is clear that the Modi government has proved that it can swing the international opinion in its favour and safeguard its citizens in crisis situations. The series of events that include the domestic achievements  have proved that Narendra Modi is in full control of the situation. It includes the strong foreign policy, thriving economy, retaining the traditional voters and above all he knows the political pulse of the nation. He has deftly played to keep his political fortress well-guarded. Now the nation wants the same approach as has been adopted for the release of the ex-Indian Navy personnel in Qatar for those Indian who are under the Pakistani custody for years. It includes the case of Kulushan Jadhav who was picked up by Pakistani agencies in 2016.They claim that he was picked up from Balochistan. He was accused of subversive activities in Balochistan and Karachi. India has refuted this claim and maintained that he was abducted from Iran from where was pursuing his business interests .In order to make the Indian nationals feel safe outside. India must build upon the momentum generated by the approach adopted for the release of ex-Indian Navy personnel from Qatar. So that Indians abroad can feel safe and build confidence in the Indian community working across the world.