It follows concern in Gulf nation over inter-community affairs in India

The government of Kuwait has assured India that it remains committed to friendly bilateral relations, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said on Monday. The assurance came days after a March 2 letter from the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers of Kuwait surfaced in social media urging the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to intervene in India’s domestic affairs. “They also do not support any interference in the internal affairs of India,” said Mr. Srivastava. The official urged bilateral ties should be “accurately recognised and misuse of social media is not given credence”.

Secretary General of the Council of Ministers of Kuwait had written an official letter to Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Naser Al Sabah on March 2 expressing grave concern over the state of inter-community affairs in India and called upon the OIC and the international community “to take urgent necessary measures” to “safeguard the rights of the Muslims” in India. The note written in Arabic went viral in the Indian social media.

The leaking of the letter coincided with the sharp online exchanges between Indian and the Arab Gulf social media users. In an apparent move to control damage to bilateral relations, the Kuwaiti Ambassador issued a statement on Monday highlighting his country’s dedication to the established norms of international diplomacy.

“Kuwait and India share many principles in their foreign policies like respecting UN Charter, non-interference in other countries’ affairs and respecting sovereignty of nations,” the official news agency of Kuwait said citing the comment from Ambassador Jassem Al-Najem. The statement is being interpreted here as a significant development as it reminds both sides of the principle of non-interference in each other’s affairs.

Also read: Kuwait envoy talks of principle of non-interference in internal affairs

The statement also drew the attention to the ongoing cooperation to ensure the well being of the Indian expat blue collar workers who are undergoing treatment in Kuwait. India had earlier sent a team of officials to assist Kuwait deal with the COVID-19 situation. The Ambassador’s comments in support of the principles in the UN Charter came hours after the princess of Sharjah’s Al Qassem clan, Shaikha Hind Al Qassemi wrote a special article for Gulf News highlighting reports of social splintering along community lines in India.

The princess said it was shocking for her to witness the growth in social animosity inside India. “The hate must stop now as it is simply not welcome,” said Shaikha Hind Al Qassemi urging India and the Gulf countries to focus on developmental issues.