News Highlight
At least 24 individuals were killed and 200 were injured in clashes between Moqtada Al-Sadr and the nation’s security forces, which marked a violent turn in the political crisis in Iraq.
Key Takeaway
- Iraq failed to form a government after the 2021 parliamentary elections in which Mr Sadr’s bloc won the most seats.
- Since then, the most prominent Shia parties in the country have been engaged in a brutal power struggle that has further aggravated the country’s crisis and given rise to the present bloodshed.
What triggered the political crisis?
- The present crisis did not happen all of a sudden. However, the tell-tale signs were visible immediately after the October 2021 Iraqi Parliamentary elections, when the power struggle had put the two majoritarian Shia groups against each other.
- While Moqtada al-Sadr controlled one, the other which Iran supports is under the control of ex-Prime Minister Nouri a-Maliki.
Iraq crisis and Challenges for India
- Indian diaspora:
- Iraq has also been home to a large Indian diaspora, but this has been significantly reduced following the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 US invasion.
- However, after the revision of the Indian government’s travel advisory in 2019, Indian workers began shifting to Iraq again. Currently, Iraq is home to around 15,000 to 17,000 Indians.
- A pressing potential challenge to India due to the current protests would be the safety of the diaspora.
- Economic challenges:
- India’s economic ties with Iraq have increased, and trade has been growing. Bilateral trade between India and Iraq in 2018-19 was valued at $24.16 billion.
- Increasing trade has once again made Indian companies eager to enter the Iraqi market, which largely stayed away due to security risks after 2003.
- An effort to this end was made by the Department of Commerce, Trade Promotion Council of India, which led a delegation of Indian exporters to four Iraqi cities in 2018 to rebuild confidence for restarting trade.
- However, the deteriorating security scenario due to the protest could scare Indian companies away and cost significant opportunities, especially in the crude oil, commodities and infrastructure sectors.
- Energy security:
- India is hugely dependent on oil imports, which increased from 82.9 per cent in 2017-2018 to 83.7 per cent in 2018-19.
- Iraq remained one of India’s top crude oil suppliers.
- Iraq supplied 50.10 MMT of crude oil to India during the financial years 2021-22, accounting for 24.54% of India’s total oil imports.
- The current situation in Iraq does not seem to have a significant bearing on the oil supply to India.
- Security challenges:
- The poverty and unemployment among the Iraqi people may attract radicalisation and terrorism. Moreover, the unfriendly neighbours of India and the porous borders in the northwest trigger the infiltration of these people into India. So it may become a challenge for India.
- People-to-people relations:
- In 2021, a total of 15,507 visas of different categories were issued by the mission for medical treatment, tourism, education, and business. India remained a preferred destination for Iraqis to undergo medical treatment and pursue higher education in India. More than 90% of the total visas were medical visas.
- The political unrest in Iraq would adversely affect revenue generation in India through people-to-people contact.
Iraq:
- Iraq is a country in southwestern Asia.
- Iraq is one of the easternmost countries in the Arab world, located at about the same latitude as the southern United States.
- Capital-Baghdad.
- Land border:
- Turkey-North
- Iran-East
- Syria and Jordan-West
- Saudi Arabia and Kuwait-South
- Maritime border:
- The Persian Gulf-South east
Pic Courtesy: CNN
Content Source: The Hindu