The accusations against them had not been disclosed by either the Indian Ministry of External Affairs or Qatar. The families of the eight menu2014seven of whom retired from the Navy at a top ranku2014are distressed and confused as a result of the unsightly rumours that they were accused of espionage for a third nation.
Source: Civils Daily
The government’s shock at the decision suggests that it was taken by surprise by the ruling or that it went against any guarantees Qatar may have provided. For the Modi administration, this is a novel scenario. In hindsight, the Kulbhushan Jadhav case from 2016 offered simpler options because India was dealing with Pakistan.
India may brush off Islamabad’s accusations that Jadhav was an Indian intelligence agent attempting to incite terrorism in Pakistan as a ludicrous outburst from an adversary. In the present instance, with Qatar, with whom India has diligently fostered amicable relations over the past few years, such an alternative is not accessible. India and Qatar enjoy strong economic ties, with annual bilateral commerce of approximately 15 billion dollars, almost all of which is made up of Indian imports. Up to 42% of India’s LNG needs are met by Qatar, the country’s main gas supplier.
Strong defence ties exist between the two nations as well, particularly between their navies. With around eight lakh members, the Indian diaspora is the largest expatriate community in that country, making up more than 25% of the 2.7 million people. Many medical professionals are part of this community. Given its influence with many of the major players, including Washington and Tel Aviv, the little nation punches considerably above its weight, as demonstrated by the mediating role it is playing to obtain the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas in the ongoing Israel-Palestine impasse.
Source: Republic World
To put it plainly, India cannot approach Qatar with the same disrespect that it usually shows Pakistan or the aggressive muscularity that it recently displayed toward Canada. It’s unclear how much of an impact the present crisis will have on this specific case, but it’s crucial to keep the larger picture in mind. Delhi has declared that it will repatriate the soldiers using all possible legal and political channels. Although little is known about the Qatari legal system, it appears to have multiple levels of appeal.
The Emir may also use his pardoning authority. That will necessitate high-level political action from Delhi. Although Qatar’s record on human rights is not the finest, it is positive that in the past 20 years, it has carried out fewer legal executions than India. The families of the men who were found guilty, the military community as a whole, and the Indian diaspora will be looking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to bring the men back in the upcoming days and weeks.
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