Pratidin
International relations24 September 2026The Hindu, Page 11

India rejects the OIC contact group's remarks on Kashmir

Why India engages Gulf states one by one but dismisses the OIC as a bloc.

Published 24 September 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work

India categorically rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint communique of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, which met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. India said the OIC has no locus standi on matters internal to India and that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country.

This is a long-running pattern. India has rejected OIC statements on Kashmir after the Council of Foreign Ministers meetings in Abidjan (2017), Niamey (2020) and Istanbul (2025), the Makkah summit (2019), and statements marking the anniversary of the 2019 changes to Jammu and Kashmir's status. It has repeatedly said that the grouping allows itself to be used by Pakistan and ignores cross-border terrorism.

India's strategy is to bypass the OIC as a bloc while building strong bilateral economic and security ties with Gulf and Arab states such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The OIC, founded in 1969 and headquartered in Jeddah, has 57 member states; India is not a member, though it was invited as 'guest of honour' to the OIC foreign ministers' meeting in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

Practise this in the app: flashcards, quiz and a timed answer
Prelims

Prelims facts

  • The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has 57 member states and is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  • India is not a member; it was invited as guest of honour to the OIC foreign ministers' meeting in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
  • India maintains strong bilateral ties with Gulf states such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia despite OIC statements.

Quick recall

Where is the OIC headquartered?
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
How many members does the OIC have?
57 member states.
When was the OIC founded?
In 1969.
Is India a member of the OIC?
No. It was invited as guest of honour to the OIC foreign ministers' meeting in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
What is India's standard response to OIC statements on Kashmir?
That the OIC has no locus standi on matters internal to India.
What is India's strategy towards the OIC?
Bypass it as a bloc while building strong bilateral ties with Gulf and Arab states.
Where did the OIC Contact Group on J&K meet in September 2026?
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Name two OIC meetings whose Kashmir references India rejected.
The Niamey Council of Foreign Ministers (2020) and the Istanbul Council of Foreign Ministers (2025).

Prelims practice question

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is headquartered in:

  1. Riyadh
  2. Jeddah
  3. Cairo
  4. Istanbul
Show answer

Answer: (b) Jeddah. The OIC's secretariat is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions

Recurring theme: India's relations with West Asia and the Gulf

  1. 2025 · GS2 · 15 marksCovers one partUse it in the example

    "Energy security constitutes the dominant kingpin of India's foreign policy, and is linked with India's overarching influence in Middle Eastern countries." How would you integrate energy security with India's foreign policy trajectories in the coming years?

    How to use this

    Shows India keeping energy and economic ties with Gulf states insulated from OIC criticism on Kashmir.

    • India rejected the OIC Contact Group's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, saying the OIC has no locus standi, while building bilateral ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
    • The Gulf supplies much of India's oil and hosts nearly 9 million Indians who send large remittances.
    • India engages the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman directly on trade, energy, investment and security, bypassing the OIC as a bloc.
  2. 2017 · GS2 · 15 marksCovers one partUse it in the example

    The question of India's Energy Security constitutes the most important part of India's economic progress. Analyze India's energy policy cooperation with West Asian Countries.

    How to use this

    Shows how India separates energy-driven bilateral cooperation with West Asian states from the OIC's positions on Kashmir.

    • The OIC has 57 members and is headquartered in Jeddah; India is not a member but was guest of honour at its 2019 Abu Dhabi foreign ministers' meeting.
    • The Gulf supplies much of India's oil, and India works directly with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman on trade, energy, investment and security.
    • Argue that Gulf states separate symbolic OIC positions from national interests, citing UAE investments in India.
Also asked on this theme
  1. 2022 · GS2 · 15 marks

    How will I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE and USA) grouping transform India's position in global politics?

    Minilateral partnerships with Gulf states such as the UAE help explain why OIC criticism on Kashmir has limited effect on India's regional standing.

Mains practice question

India rejects OIC statements on Kashmir yet enjoys close ties with most OIC members. Explain this paradox. (150 words)

Model answer

The OIC, with 57 members, often issues statements on Kashmir, largely driven by Pakistan. India rejects them as interference in internal affairs.

Why ties with members stay strong

  • Bilateralism: India engages the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman directly on trade, energy, investment and security.
  • Economic interdependence: the Gulf supplies much of India's oil and hosts nearly 9 million Indians who send large remittances.
  • Shared concerns: counter-terrorism and maritime security.
  • Pragmatism of Gulf states: they separate symbolic OIC positions from national interests, as shown by the UAE's investments and the 2019 guest-of-honour invitation.

Limits

  • OIC statements still shape opinion in some forums and embolden Pakistan's narrative.

India's approach of dismissing the bloc while deepening bilateral ties has kept OIC statements largely symbolic.

The basics

Why this matters

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation periodically issues statements on Jammu and Kashmir, which India rejects. Yet India's ties with the Gulf, the OIC's most influential members, have never been stronger. This contrast shows how India separates multilateral rhetoric from bilateral interests.

57
Member states of the OIC
Founded in 1969, headquartered in Jeddah; India is not a member.

What happened

In September 2026, the OIC's Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and issued a communique. India rejected it, saying the OIC has no locus standi on India's internal matters.

A familiar pattern
  1. 1OIC meetingA statement refers to Jammu and Kashmir.
  2. 2MEA rejectsSays the OIC has no locus standi.
  3. 3Bilateral ties continueTrade and energy links with members grow.

Two tracks

India's approach runs on two tracks.

OIC versus bilateral ties
OIC as a bloc
  • Statements often driven by Pakistan
  • India rejects them
  • Limited practical effect
vs
Bilateral Gulf ties
  • Energy and trade partners
  • Large Indian diaspora
  • Investment and security cooperation

How we got here

India has rejected OIC statements repeatedly.

India and the OIC
  1. 1969OIC founded
  2. 2019India guest of honour in Abu Dhabi; changes to Article 370
  3. 2020India rejects Niamey CFM references
  4. 2025India rejects Istanbul CFM references
  5. 2026India rejects Contact Group communique

Why bilateral ties matter more

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are among India's largest trading partners and energy suppliers. The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the Indian diaspora in the Gulf tie the region to India's economy, which is why India-Gulf relations have deepened even as OIC statements continue. The 2019 changes to Article 370 triggered many recent statements.

You now know

  • The OIC has 57 members, was founded in 1969 and is based in Jeddah.
  • India rejects OIC statements on Kashmir, saying it has no locus standi.
  • India was guest of honour at the OIC meeting in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
  • India prioritises bilateral ties with Gulf states over the OIC as a bloc.

Go deeper

In one line: India rejects the OIC's statements on Kashmir as having no standing, while keeping close ties with most of its member states.

Why it matters for UPSC

GS2 asks about India's relations with West Asia and international groupings. The OIC shows how India separates multilateral rhetoric from bilateral interests.

The core idea

The OIC is a grouping of 57 mainly Muslim-majority countries. Its statements on Kashmir are largely driven by Pakistan. India's answer has been consistent: the OIC has no locus standi on Indian internal matters. At the same time, India's partnerships with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states on energy, trade and diaspora have deepened, which shows that member states themselves separate symbolic OIC positions from national interests.

Numbers and dates to remember

  • 1969: OIC founded; Jeddah headquarters.
  • 57 member states; India is not a member.
  • 2019: India guest of honour in Abu Dhabi.

Where to go next

In one line: India treats OIC statements as symbolic and invests instead in strong bilateral relationships with its members.

Why Pakistan uses the OIC

The OIC offers Pakistan a multilateral platform to raise Kashmir. Contact Group statements rarely lead to action.

Why members separate the tracks

Gulf states depend on India as a major energy buyer and source of labour and food, and see India as a growing market and investment destination.

India's tools

Limits

Public opinion in some member states and issues affecting Indian Muslims can still create friction, so India's outreach includes cultural and religious diplomacy. India-Gulf relations remain resilient despite such episodes.

The Kashmir angle

Since the 2019 changes to Article 370, India's position is that the matter is internal and settled.

Where to go next

India-Gulf relations

The bilateral ties that matter more

In one line: India's ties with Gulf states rest on energy, trade, diaspora and increasingly security and investment.

Energy

The Gulf supplies a large share of India's crude oil and LPG.

Trade and investment

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are among India's top trading partners, and Gulf sovereign funds invest in Indian infrastructure.

Diaspora

Millions of Indians work in the Gulf, sending large remittances.

Connectivity

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, announced in 2023, aims to link India to Europe through the Gulf.

Where to go next

Article 370

The 2019 change behind recent OIC statements

In one line: Article 370 gave Jammu and Kashmir special status; it was made inoperative in August 2019.

What changed in 2019

A Presidential Order applied the whole Constitution to J&K, and the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 created two Union Territories, J&K and Ladakh, from 31 October 2019.

Supreme Court

In December 2023, a Constitution Bench upheld the abrogation and directed restoration of statehood at the earliest and elections to the J&K Assembly.

International reaction

OIC statements since 2019 refer to these changes, which India calls internal.

Where to go next

India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

Trade beyond the OIC

In one line: The India-UAE CEPA, in force since 1 May 2022, was India's first comprehensive trade agreement in over a decade.

Key features

Tariff cuts on most goods, services and investment provisions, and a target to raise non-oil trade substantially.

Related steps

Rupee-dirham trade settlement, linking UPI with the UAE's payment system, and a bilateral investment treaty.

Significance

It shows India's shift towards bilateral trade deals with key partners.

Where to go next

Indian diaspora in the Gulf

Remittances and influence

In one line: Millions of Indians live and work in the Gulf states, forming one of the largest diaspora groups in the region.

Economic role

They send a large share of India's inward remittances, supporting households, especially in Kerala and other southern and northern States.

Welfare issues

Labour rights, the kafala sponsorship system, wage theft and evacuation during crises.

Diplomatic role

Their presence gives India a direct stake in Gulf stability and strengthens people-to-people ties.

Where to go next

Take the 24 September 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers

Syllabus

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