Bharat has decided not to ban Hamas

In India too, there is a demand to declare Hamas as a terrorist organization and ban it. On this, India says that it will not ban Hamas yet.

Home Ministry sources told Dainik Bhaskar the reason for India's move. Sources say that at present Hamas is not active in India, hence the question of banning it does not arise. If the government does this, it may spoil India's relations with Arab countries. The decision to ban any organization is taken by the Home Ministry under the UAPA law.

As of February 2023, the UAPA list included 44 organizations, which India considers terrorist organizations. India last declared ISIS a terrorist organization in 2015. Putting an organization on this list is a long process. It is possible that India may take a decision regarding Hamas in the future, but nothing like this is happening right now.

Why is India not banning Hamas and why are relations with Arab countries important for India?

India's two statements, which do not mention Hamas, on condemning the attack on Israel

PM Modi's statement immediately after the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023
When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also among the leaders who criticized it. He had written- India strongly condemns all types of terrorism. India stands with Israel in its time of trouble. Prime Minister Modi did not mention Hamas anywhere in this entire statement.

Indian government's first statement on Palestine 7 days after the attack
On October 14, the Foreign Ministry described the Hamas attack as a terrorist attack. However, he did not say anything on Hamas and reiterated India's demand for Palestine to be a separate country. According to experts, India's stand has always been for a separate and independent Palestine.

It is still intact. This is a big reason due to which India is not declaring Hamas as a terrorist organization. By declaring Hamas as a terrorist organization, India will be seen standing with those countries which are against Palestine.

However, India did not participate in the voting regarding ceasefire in Gaza. On this, JNU Professor Dr. Rajan Kumar said – We cannot blindly support Israel. Our support to Israel is conditional. We also do not support Israel killing the people of Gaza. This is why we have sent relief material there.

Dr. Rajan said- India has always been in favor of a separate country of Palestine. India does not want to anger Israel and its partner countries, but our stand is justified. India does not support the violent steps taken by Hamas for independence.

3 reasons due to which India does not want to spoil relations with Arab countries

1. Arab countries are big oil suppliers to India.
Among the 22 countries of the Middle East (Arab countries), Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iraq are major oil suppliers to India. India did trade worth $90 billion in 2020-21 with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (which includes Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and UAE). Apart from this, India gets a major part of its foreign reserves from here.

Out of the top 5 countries supplying oil to India, 3 are Muslim countries.

2. India's big trade with Gulf countries
The Union Commerce Ministry has stated in its report that the United Arab Emirates i.e. UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the top trading partners of India. Not only this, UAE is also the second largest trade destination for India after America.

In 2020-21, there was a business of Rs 5.66 lakh crore between India and UAE. In this, India exported goods worth Rs 2.20 lakh crore to UAE. Apart from this, Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest trading partner of India. India has a trade worth Rs 3.33 lakh crore with Saudi Arabia.

3. Gulf countries are also ahead in money coming to India from abroad.
One reason for not angering Muslim countries is the money coming from there. Before the Corona period, in 2019-20, Indians living in Gulf countries had sent more than Rs 6.38 lakh crore to the country. Of this, 53% money came to India from only 5 Gulf countries – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. One reason for this is that more than 65 lakh people of India live in only two Arab countries.