The abduction of four teachers in Libya by militants is another reminder of the dangers facing Indians working in crisis zones abroad. India was one of the worst-affected by the chaos and instability in the Arab world in recent times. Thousands of Indians who were in countries such as Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen were brought home following civil strife or wars. But a substantial number of them are still there, including in extremely dangerous places such as Sirte, where those abducted last week were working, driven by their need for financial sustenance. India clearly needs to be more proactive in its conflict diplomacy to ensure its citizens’ safety. To be sure, it is not easy to sustain diplomatic and other security channels up and running in such contexts. Libya is a case in point. After Muammar Qadhafi, who was in many ways a unifying force, it is under the hold of different militias. The anti-Qadhafi rebellion in 2011 involved a wide range of them, from secularists to moderate Islamists to hardline Salafists. Once the regime fell, they turned against one another, and no central authority could exercise control. This fractured political landscape makes Libya a dangerous place for both work and diplomacy.
But such chaos should not hold India back from opening and sustaining diplomatic and security channels. In the recent past, India has done a commendable job in evacuating its citizens from conflict-hit countries. But its track record in rescuing its citizens from kidnappers has been a mixed one. While it managed to bring back some 100 nurses who were held by Islamic State in Iraq a year ago, the fate of 39 other Indians abducted by militants in June 2014 from Mosul is still unclear. Two of those taken from the outskirts of Sirte last week are still in captivity. India cannot afford to leave such cases unresolved as many of its citizens will continue to work in conflict zones abroad. It needs to have a contingency plan to deal with such situations. It should frequently and systematically update its citizens working overseas, particularly in West Asia and North Africa (WANA), on the security situation there through advisories. Even while being mindful of the livelihood concerns involved, people living in extremely dangerous areas such as Sirte and Mosul should be persuaded to return, much the same way those who were in Yemen or Syria were brought back. The national security establishment should actively cultivate ties with influential actors in the region, to help solve issues such as kidnappings. More important, New Delhi should prudently stay out of the conflicts in the Arab world. Its stakes are high as millions of Indians are working in the WANA region.
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