The induction of Modi into the Order of Zayed shows the importance the UAE places on India, the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil. India is home to a rapidly growing consumer market and labor pool that the federation of sheikhdoms relies on for its own economy.
Activists, however, decried the UAE bestowing the award on Modi as he pursues a clampdown on the Himalayan region, saying it only gives cover to India amid the Kashmir crackdown.
“With several Gulf states in an ever-tightening embrace with Modi, human rights have been discarded in favour of economic opportunities,” wrote Samah Hadid, a Beirut-based human rights advocate.
“India has not only escaped international condemnation for its actions, it is even shoring up support from Muslim allies,” said Hadid. “The plight of Kashmiris will not only be silenced by India’s clampdown but also the apathy of those who long claimed to speak for them.”
