161Islam and raised their head whenever Muslim rulers sought to covet the
territories of their co-religionists. The differences and customs between
the two are neither new nor insurmountable as they are not different and
distinct faiths. At the same, since the Islamic revolution, the Shia-Sunni
differences took definite political overtones with Iran and Saudi Arabia
clamouring for the leadership of the respective communities. Them being
immediate neighbours and having vital interest in the Gulf made the com-
petition intensely political. The Shia population in some of the Arab
countries—especially in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iraq—became the
casualties and some of the religious restrictions facing them can be directly
linked to the Iranian revolution and the desire of the Iranian ayatollahs to
‘export’ and revolutionize the Arab monarchies.
In short, India is seeking closer ties with Israel and Saudi Arabia as they
are vehemently opposed to Iran and its regional aspirations beyond its
borders. While New Delhi has successfully managed the India- Israel- Iran
triangle, India-Saudi Arabia-Iran triangle is more complex and challeng-
ing. While both are energy powers, the Kingdom is also home to over
three million Indian expatriate labourers. So long as it is not forced to
choose, India would be happy to maintain close ties with both the Gulf
powers. At the same time, driven by its regional ambitions, Iran is not an
easy partner to deal with and has been cantankerous at times. It is notori-
ous for its desire to meddle in the affairs of other countries and has been
interfering in the domestic affairs of a host of countries in the region,
including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and
Palestine. In some cases, it endorses rival factions in a foreign country,
thereby contributing to its domestic instability.
The Shia-Sunni rivalry is also a domestic challenge for India. With an
estimated population of 20–25 million India has the third largest Shia
population in the world after Iran and Pakistan (PEW Research Center
2009 ). This figured prominently during the nuclear controversy and
Indian leaders argued that New Delhi would not be able to ignore the
domestic sympathy for Iran while deciding the official position (Karthikeya
2010 ). In other words, India would not be able to take sides in the Saudi-
Iranian tension without precipitating in a domestic backlash.
Arab Spring Protests Since the self-immolation of Bouazizi sparked off
the upheaval in Tunisia, various Arab countries witnessed popular pro-
tests against the rulers. Issues such as good governance, youth unem-
ployment, empowerment and economic betterment have been their
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