The Arab Spring and Response from India

Abstract

All indicators have suggested a gradual surge of national economies of the countries of the global south, most prominently Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa (BRICS). Commensurate with their economic clout, there are growing demands and pressure from these countries to play a more important role in the international order by re-engineering many international institutions. However, the Arab Spring proved to be a litmus test for their power and their ability to play a leading role in the Arab world. In Libya, they gave an oversight to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution and couldn’t stop NATO intervention beyond the UNSC’s jurisdiction. In Syria, their regular use of veto power did not prevent massacres of civilians at the hands of the regime and the opposition, nor were they able to introduce any new opportunity for a peaceful resolution of the crisis. In Egypt, they welcomed military intervention far more warmly than they had the historic 25 January revolution that brought down the 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak.