India should be wary of conflict spill-over from Iraq

The state of chaos in regions in West Asia has the potential to affect events far beyond those borders. As the sectarian fight between Sunnis and Shias escalates in Iraq and Syria, India has to be wary not just of volatile oil prices but also of the possibility of sectarian passions flaring up in India as well, particularly in the wake of protests in India and attempts to send Shia volunteers to fight in Iraq. Sunnis feel discriminated against — to put it mildly — by the Assad regime in Syria, and the Nouri al-Maliki regime in Iraq. In both cases, resistance against real and perceived oppression took the form of a wider Sunni revolt, which Islamist extremists seek to hijack.

The group called ISIS, for example, is reportedly drawing fighters from Sunni communities as they try to march on Baghdad, and battle Maliki regime forces over major oil facilities.

It is moot whether all of these recruits actually follow ISIS’ brutally hardline Sunni version of history, but what is clear is that ISIS is a danger, just as Nouri al-Maliki is a PM whose rank sectarian form of government was equally big a part of the problem. Now, Maliki has called for US air strikes against ISIS. There is, thus, also the unprecedented possible spectacle of the US and Iran even tacitly going against a common enemy.

But that this sectarianism has the potential to spill over those borders is clear. Witness the protests, and arguments for sending volunteers to fight ISIS made by some Shia organisations in New Delhi. So, while the government must muster all resources it can to rescue abducted Indian workers in Iraq, and to pull out Indians from the war zone, if necessary, it must also remain vigilant against the possibility of sectarian tensions rising in India. That would entail working with community leaders to ease tensions.