Fifty years apart, the story of two OIC fiascos (Why India should not have reached out to OIC)

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  Fifty years apart, the story of two OIC fiascos (Why India should not have reached out to OIC)

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Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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• 1969 and 2019 : In 1969, India unsuccessfully tried to gain entry into the inaugural session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at Rabat, Morocco. India did not get an invitation due to Pakistan's opposition, despite giving the logic that it had the third largest Muslim population in the world.
• It was a wrong move : The author had explained in 1969 why Delhi made a mistake by trying so. India's foundation was secularism, and how could India try to join the OIC whose foundational criterion was shared religious identity!
• The Pakistan case : India's inclusion in OIC would negate Pakistan's logic for existence, and given its strong relations with the Gulf Arab monarchies, it was not going to work out. Pakistan has provided well-trained army soldiers to secure those monarchies.
• CENTO : Pakistan shared membership in Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) with Turkey and Iran also. It was anti-Soviet, and pro-US.
• 2019 similar and different from 1969 : As a goodwill gesture, the OIC Foreign Ministers summit called MEA India as a guest of honour. That shows - 

1. India's growing economic stature, and
2. Desire to benefit from India's expanding economy.

• But what is similar? Many events after Ms Swaraj's speech denouncing Pakistani terror neutralised its impact.

1. Abu Dhabi declaration did not even thank India for the speech (at the plenary session).
2. It spoke of Pak PM Imran Khan positively, stating that it is good of him to have handed over the Indian pilot back. There was no contextual reference to the terror attack at Pulwama!
3. Kashmir resolution was appalling! It spoke of "Indian terrorism in Kashmir" and "human rights violations".The OIC leopard has not changed its spots.

• Should India have attended at all? Given the history of the OIC to have spoken ill of India about Kashmir, India could have given it a second thought.
• Summary : India may not have benefitted from participating in the OIC summit at Abu Dhabi in 2019, as the leopard has not changed its spots.

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