India is setting the ground for the post-pandemic world and is&nbsp;slowly but surely stepping into a leadership role. The proofs are the&nbsp;unprecedented visits, cementing of ties, outreach programs, formation of startegic alliances and tapping into opportunities.

In October this year, India's army chief, General MM Naravane&nbsp;was in Myanmar and the next month&nbsp;he was in Nepal. Between the second and the third week of December, General MM Naravane visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The army chief's visit to Saudi Arabia was unprecedented. It came on the heels of Riyadh's deteriorating ties with Islamabad. Pakistan's army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa was not allowed to meet the Saudi crown prince in August but the Indian army chief was welcomed by the top Saudi generals.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-meets-qatari-amir-pm-discusses-economic-and-security-cooperation-353013" hreflang="en">Jaishankar meets Qatari Amir, PM; discusses economic and security cooperation</a>

General's visit also came on the heels of India's External Affairs minister S Jaishankar's visit to the UAE and Bahrain.

As we speak, Jaishankar is in Qatar for a two-day visit. He attended an India-Qatar business roundtable and interacted with the Indian community there. He is also expected to meet the Qatari deputy prime minsiter and foreign minister&nbsp;Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

At least 700,000 Indians live in Qatar. Many Indian workers have benefited from Qatar's recent labour reforms which includes a 25 per cent&nbsp;hike in the minimum wage and dilution of a clause that required workers to take the employer's consent before switching jobs.

In 2019, the bilateral trade between Qatar and India was worth $10.95 billion. The Qatar investment authority has invested $600 million in two Indian firms.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-army-chief-meets-south-koreas-top-military-brass-to-enhance-bilateral-ties-353007" hreflang="en">Indian Army chief meets South Korea's top military brass to enhance bilateral ties</a>

Jaishankar's visit is expected to focus on trade and energy cooperation. You will also see&nbsp;that the visit goes beyond all of this as it&nbsp;has a lot to do with West Asia's shifting sands and an emerging post-pandemic world — one that's being built on strategic alliances.

India views West Asia at its extended neighbourhood. West Asia is putting an end to historical and regional disputes. In the last five months, four Arab countries have formalised ties with Israel: UAE, Sudan, Morocco and Bahrain.

The gulf cooperation council countries recently held talks on ending a rift with Qatar. It is talking about lifting air, land and water blockade of Qatar because the region has a common enemy — Iran.

It just so happens that Iran is getting closer to China. However, another interesting observation is that China is also a country that India has a stand-off with in Ladakh.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/eam-tells-indian-community-in-qatar-economic-confidence-visible-in-india-352884" hreflang="en">EAM tells Indian community in Qatar, economic confidence visible in India</a>

India's ties with West Asia are no longer anchored on just oil, diaspora and remittances. The relationship is now strategic as there are common foes.

West Asia is distancing itself from Pakistan, it is coming together against Iran and both —&nbsp;Iran and Pakistan — are close to China.

The virtual GCC discussion was held this morning at a time when India's foreign affairs minister is in Qatar.

There is another very significant visit that's underway. India's Army Chief is on a three-day visit to South Korea. Seoul has been one of India's major weapon suppliers. It also happens to be a country that is witnessing growing rift with China.

On General Naravane's agenda is bolstering of military cooperation. He will be calling on the Korean defence minister,&nbsp;Army chief,&nbsp;chairman of joint chiefs of staff and Korea's minister of defence aquisition planning administration.

Another point to consider is that South Korea is fighting Chinese aggression at East China sea. It is pushing for maritime rules-based order. There is also an online war as the South Korean band BTS faced a backlash from Chinese state media. The common foe is very clearly visible in these developments.

India is setting the ground for the post-pandemic world and is slowly but surely stepping into a leadership role. The proofs are the unprecedented visits, cementing of ties, outreach programs, formation of startegic alliances and tapping into opportunities.

India is setting the ground for the post-pandemic world and is slowly but surely stepping into a leadership role. The proofs are the unprecedented visits, cementing of ties, outreach programs, formation of startegic alliances and tapping into opportunities. In October this year, India's army chief, General MM Naravane was in Myanmar and the next month he was in Nepal. Between the second and the third week of December, General MM Naravane visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The army chief's visit to Saudi Arabia was unprecedented. It came on the heels of Riyadh's deteriorating ties with Islamabad. Pakistan's army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa was not allowed to meet the Saudi crown prince in August but the Indian army chief was welcomed by the top Saudi generals. Also read| Jaishankar meets Qatari Amir, PM; discusses economic and security cooperation General's visit also came on the heels of India's External Affairs minister S Jaishankar's visit to the UAE and Bahrain. As we speak, Jaishankar is in Qatar for a two-day visit. He attended an India-Qatar business roundtable and interacted with the Indian community there. He is also expected to meet the Qatari deputy prime minsiter and foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. At least 700,000 Indians live in Qatar. Many Indian workers have benefited from Qatar's recent labour reforms which includes a 25 per cent hike in the minimum wage and dilution of a clause that required workers to take the employer's consent before switching jobs. In 2019, the bilateral trade between Qatar and India was worth $10.95 billion. The Qatar investment authority has invested $600 million in two Indian firms. Also read| Indian Army chief meets South Korea's top military brass to enhance bilateral ties Jaishankar's visit is expected to focus on trade and energy cooperation. You will also see that the visit goes beyond all of this as it has a lot to do with West Asia's shifting sands and an emerging post-pandemic world — one that's being built on strategic alliances. India views West Asia at its extended neighbourhood. West Asia is putting an end to historical and regional disputes. In the last five months, four Arab countries have formalised ties with Israel: UAE, Sudan, Morocco and Bahrain. The gulf cooperation council countries recently held talks on ending a rift with Qatar. It is talking about lifting air, land and water blockade of Qatar because the region has a common enemy — Iran. It just so happens that Iran is getting closer to China. However, another interesting observation is that China is also a country that India has a stand-off with in Ladakh. Also read| EAM tells Indian community in Qatar, economic confidence visible in India India's ties with West Asia are no longer anchored on just oil, diaspora and remittances. The relationship is now strategic as there are common foes. West Asia is distancing itself from Pakistan, it is coming together against Iran and both — Iran and Pakistan — are close to China. The virtual GCC discussion was held this morning at a time when India's foreign affairs minister is in Qatar. There is another very significant visit that's underway. India's Army Chief is on a three-day visit to South Korea. Seoul has been one of India's major weapon suppliers. It also happens to be a country that is witnessing growing rift with China. On General Naravane's agenda is bolstering of military cooperation. He will be calling on the Korean defence minister, Army chief, chairman of joint chiefs of staff and Korea's minister of defence aquisition planning administration. Another point to consider is that South Korea is fighting Chinese aggression at East China sea. It is pushing for maritime rules-based order. There is also an online war as the South Korean band BTS faced a backlash from Chinese state media. The common foe is very clearly visible in these developments.

How do India's growing ties with South Korea and Qatar pose a threat to China

<h2 data-reactid=".1.0.1.0.1.2.$tag=2reuters=1com,2016=2newsml_KCN0YS16K=23.1.0.0.0.1" data-text="Qatar reassures India after Modi raises abuse of migrant workers" dir="auto" title="Qatar reassures India after Modi raises abuse of migrant workers">During his&nbsp;official visit to Qatar,&nbsp;Indian Prime Minister&nbsp;Narendra Modi discussed&nbsp;with&nbsp;Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani&nbsp;the plight of the&nbsp;630 thousand&nbsp;Indian nationals working in the&nbsp;country.&nbsp;Many of them work in low paid construction jobs, building stadiums and other infrastructures for the 2022 World Cup. Unions and labour protests are banned, and&nbsp;dissent is punished with jail or deportation. 
 
Qatar declsared to be on&nbsp;its way to implement a labour law which would protect the interest&nbsp;of both skilled and unskilled labour.</h2>

A delegation of workers interacted directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reporting&nbsp;squalid living conditions,&nbsp;cases of salaries&nbsp;witheld for months and&nbsp;passports confiscated by employers.&nbsp; 
 
In March, Amnesty International stated that&nbsp;migrants faced several abuses and&nbsp;in some cases even&nbsp;forced labour. Qatar&#39;s Kafala System, the&nbsp;set of rules&nbsp;under which migrant workers cannot change jobs or leave the country without their employer&#39;s permission,&nbsp;is believed to be at the heart of the problem. 
 
The new&nbsp;law will abolish&nbsp;Kafala&nbsp;and remove&nbsp;restrictions on&nbsp;worker movements. Migrants will no longer be forced to continue a job if there is abuse or exploitation, but domestic workers are excluded from this law. 
 
This will&nbsp;not only impact the community of Indian workers, the largest in the Gulf country,&nbsp;but also many other South Asian workers from Nepal,&nbsp;Bangladesh and Pakistan. 
? 
With bilateral trade in 2014/15 exceeding $15 billion, the &nbsp;Emirate is an important economic partner for Delhi, as well as&nbsp;one of its key sources of crude oil.

<div dir="auto">&nbsp;</div>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed optimism&nbsp;and beside thanking Quatar for its hospitality, he said he believed that the government&nbsp;would respond positively to challenges faced by the Indian community in the country.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;People here are very fond of Indians, they trust Indians, and I am sure&nbsp;they will respond positively,&quot; he said addressing Indian workers. 
(Reuters)

Facing criticism, Qatar briefs Indian Prime Minister on a new labour law meant to stop the miserable conditions of Indian labourers

During his official visit to Qatar, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed with Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani the plight of the 630 thousand Indian nationals working in the country. Many of them work in low paid construction jobs, building stadiums and other infrastructures for the 2022 World Cup. Unions and labour protests are banned, and dissent is punished with jail or deportation. Qatar declsared to be on its way to implement a labour law which would protect the interest of both skilled and unskilled labour. A delegation of workers interacted directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reporting squalid living conditions, cases of salaries witheld for months and passports confiscated by employers. In March, Amnesty International stated that migrants faced several abuses and in some cases even forced labour. Qatar's Kafala System, the set of rules under which migrant workers cannot change jobs or leave the country without their employer's permission, is believed to be at the heart of the problem. The new law will abolish Kafala and remove restrictions on worker movements. Migrants will no longer be forced to continue a job if there is abuse or exploitation, but domestic workers are excluded from this law. This will not only impact the community of Indian workers, the largest in the Gulf country, but also many other South Asian workers from Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. ? With bilateral trade in 2014/15 exceeding $15 billion, the Emirate is an important economic partner for Delhi, as well as one of its key sources of crude oil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed optimism and beside thanking Quatar for its hospitality, he said he believed that the government would respond positively to challenges faced by the Indian community in the country. "People here are very fond of Indians, they trust Indians, and I am sure they will respond positively," he said addressing Indian workers. (Reuters)

Qatar ready to tackle the plight of foreign labourers

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How do India's growing ties with South Korea and Qatar pose a threat to China

Qatar ready to tackle the plight of foreign labourers