Book Review

Review of the following work: Christian Aspalter. (2023). Ten Worlds of Welfare Capitalism: A Global Data Analysis. Singapore: Springer, 236 p. ISBN: 13-978-9811978623 (HB).

The Arab Spring could be characterized as one of the most defining events of the 21st century in the Middle East; although a decade had passed since the initial trigger when Mohammed Bouazizi self-immolated in Tunisia, its story is still unfolding without having achieved a sense of "completion" Over the last decade, a corpus of literature has emerged on Arab Spring, examining its political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions. However, what remains sorely lacking is the response and actions of key countries like India that held an important position at the United Nations while having significant stakes in the region as waves of protests swept through various Arab countries. In such context, Prasanta Kumar Pradhan's India and the Arab Unrest: Challenges, Dilemmas, and Engagements is a noteworthy addition. The book traces India's response to the unfolding events and puts into perspective the extent of India's interests in the broader Middle East and North Africa region.
The book starts by mapping India's varied regional interests, including diaspora, trade, energy relations, and security, before highlighting the difficulties in managing and understanding the relationships with regional actors. As part of its "extended neighborhood," the region is vital for safeguarding India's economic, energy, security, and strategic interests. Hence, India sought a "balanced approach" as it treaded with "extreme caution" and pleaded with the Arab regimes to understand the "winds of change" and to "accommodate" people's aspirations (p. xv). The author concludes that India's overall approach toward the region can be characterized by "non-intervention in the domestic and regional affairs" with a simultaneous opposition to "external military intervention" (p. xvi). Such flexibility is illustrated in the approach India took while confronting the crises in different countries.
In Tunisia and Egypt, the Indian response was "total silence." The crises in Libya and Syria proved more challenging since India was a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during 2011-2012. At the UNSC, India implored a "non-military solution" (p. 96) while opposing any external military intervention. The book not only traces facets of India's bilateral engagements with various countries but also recounts the multilateral diplomacy that India carried out in the wake of the Arab uprisings. In addition, the book charts Indian engagement with regional organizations, such as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League, and African Union, and multilateral forums such as the IBSA and BRICS.
Following the uprisings, India had to contend with regional tensions, particularly the Saudi-Iran rivalry, Qatar crisis, and the unfolding tension between Iran and Israel. India's ability to foster good relations with all the parties meant that it had to walk a tightrope on regional issues. In addition, the book examines Indian engagement with three non-Arab countries-Iran, Israel, and Turkeyover a wider gamut of issues, including terrorism and threat emanating from the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq or Da'esh. For this, the book dedicates a separate chapter to the threat of Da'esh to India in the aftermath of the Arab unrest and touches on different "reactions and responses" that India took. Furthermore, the book draws attention to the role of non-state actors in the region and how they fared vis-à-vis India.
Regarding non-Arab countries, the book concludes that India's relations with Israel have flourished across defense and security sectors, while relations with Turkey have deteriorated. The author also highlights the negative role that sanctions have played in Indo-Iran relations that have "oscillated from limited engagement to active-engagement" (p. xviii). For India, protecting and promoting its "interests" have been the "key driver" in its engagement with non-Arab countries (Ibid). The book effectively dwells on different sides of domestic arguments over India's role during the Arab uprisings. Pradhan argues that despite facing criticisms, the "basic principles" of India's approach to the region since the outbreak of Arab Spring remained "unchanged." The book is remarkable in providing a framework for a historical analysis of Indian foreign policymaking, especially since there is a dearth of literature. It also highlights the piecemeal nature of Indian policy toward the Middle East, the MEA's rather tepid response to unfolding events, and the limited number of options available. Scholarly literature like this could help understand the ad-hoc nature of Indian foreign policy by engaging in vigorous debate about India's responses. To that end, the book can serve as a springboard for meaningful selfreflection on the Indian foreign policy.
The book is limited by the narrow scholarly debate. For one thing, the book focuses on governmental actions during the Arab Spring, and this severely limits its scope forcing readers to think about India's role in the region through a narrower lens. While it is natural to examine the MEA's actions as the unit of analysis, the book emphasizes the danger of hyperbole and cryptic governmental rhetoric spilling over into objective foreign policy analysis. To that end, the book attempted to answer some key questions about the subject. What was missing was an examination of India's stated ambitions and whether India's response to the unfolding crisis matched the rhetoric peddled by the foreign policy establishment and in strategic circles. The book also seems to hint at India's "strong" standing in the Middle East but leaves a lot to be desired in explaining what constitutes "strength" in this context.
In terms of structure, the book is neatly separated into eight chapters alongside an incisive introduction. Various tables and detailed bibliography fittingly complement the content of the book. In a nutshell, Prasanta Kumar Pradhan's India and the Arab Unrest: Challenges, Dilemmas and Engagements must be lauded for its attempt to expand scholarship on a subject that occasionally witnesses serious attention. It provides a specific context under which long-held Indian foreign policy principles are operationalized as it enables a glimpse into Indian responses and decision-making during a tumultuous period in the Middle East and North Africa region. To that end, this book will be helpful to not just scholars of area studies but also to scholars of international relations and statebased crisis management.