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The recent capital punishment of former Indian Naval Officers has shocked the world as a whole, and the Indian community in particular, as it can foreshadow potential volatility in the substantive and active relations between India and Qatar. This incident has strained the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. India, being one of the first countries to recognize Qatar in 1971, initiated its commercial ties with the latter in 1973. Since then, both countries have engaged in multiple fields.
India-Qatar relations have been on several dimensions and platforms including political, economic, and collaboration in the sphere of energy. Indian population working in Qatar also plays a pivotal role in bolstering India’s economy by sending millions of dollars as remittances. Moreover, India’s adoption of an energy security policy in recent years has made it more reliant on states with steady energy sources, one of which is Qatar. Qatar, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas LNG, struck agreements with India in 1990 and again in 2015, making the Indian economy reliant on Qatar’s LNG, with 70% of its needs fulfilled by imports from Qatar. Despite such robust bilateral economic dependence, Qatar courts didn’t scruple in handing down the death penalty verdict for eight Indian Naval personnel.
The eight naval personnel were deemed to be spying for Israel on Qatar’s secret submarine development, therefore they were imprisoned in August 2022. Because of the seriousness of the charges, their bail was rejected. After nearly a year, India was granted consular access, and on October 1, 2023, the ambassadors met with the inmates in person. During October, Israel and Hamas were at odds. Several civilians have been killed as a result of bombings on hospitals and residential areas during this time, causing outrage in Islamic states. As an active member of the OIC, Qatar attempted to mediate between the disputing parties as and backer of the Muslim Brotherhood. On October 26th, 2023, information circulated that the personals were sentenced to death, hinting that some exchanges occurred during Qatar’s participation in mediating the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consulting Services in Qatar is a company that is assisting in a Qatari initiative to obtain sophisticated Italian-made submarines that can avoid radar detection, which is cutting-edge technology that Israel does not want any of its Arab rivals to get their hands on because it has the potential to undermine Tel Aviv’s military superiority. According to the current circumstances, the Indian government can be involved because Israel and India have strong links and have signed numerous intelligence cooperation agreements too.
India would not sit idly by as it has eight citizens, particularly naval personnel, who have been sentenced. It is a great shame for them globally, but it would of course not admit it and would devise ways to save its officers from this sentence. A few of the strategies they can adopt include the transfer of sentenced persons to India to complete their remaining sentence in India, as Qatar and India already signed such an agreement in 2015. It can also use the defense cooperation agreement to protect and relieve its personnel. Now, in Indian media, they are mentioning deft diplomacy as a last resort, having political interventions in the matter at the highest level such as the prime minister’s office. But a question arises here would this diplomacy be acceptable for Qatari officials given that India is Israel’s biggest ally and openly supports every step of genocide against the Palestinian people? Another way out can be filing legal appeals by referring the case to the International Court of Justice, as was done in the case of Kalboshan Yadev.
There is a history of serving and retired Indian personnel contributing to espionage efforts in various states around the world. In the UAE, two Indians were detained in 2014 for a similar event, leaking vital UAE information to Indian intelligence. Similarly, a couple was discovered patronizing Sikhs and Kashmiris in Germany. Both individuals accepted a connection with RAW and were thus convicted by a German court. In addition, Pakistani officials arrested a serving navy officer, Kalboshen Yadhev, on espionage accusations.
In the case of Qatar, the Indian authorities have referred to it as a high-priority issue, while Qatar may opt to reassess its connection with India. The former has stringent laws against national security, espionage, and the revelation of national secrets, all of which are punishable by death. If the Indian government is involved, this may potentially lead to diplomatic problems and heightened scrutiny of Indian engagement in Qatar. In terms of international humiliation, India is in for it.
Finally, the verdict’s implications go beyond legal bounds, as it will taint the robust relationships between the two states to varying degrees. As a result, careful policies should be formulated to protect India from worldwide humiliation as well as its connections with Qatar, its key energy supply. It is also critical for both states to adopt a balanced strategy that promotes fairness while maintaining diplomatic relationships.
The writer is a student of Peace and Conflict Studies.
