Hyderabad: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that relations with China will not be normal until the issue of the face-off that happened at the beginning of the COVID lockdown is resolved. While addressing the Forum For Nationalist Thinkers, Hyderabad Chapter Talk On ‘India’s G20 Presidency’ in Hyderabad on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the relations with China will not improve until the issue of the face-off that happened at the beginning of the COVID lockdown is resolved. Notably, the lockdown during the COVID pandemic began in 2020 and the Galwan face-off between India and China took place in 2020. The EAM said that today the world is taking notice of the change with which India addresses its issues. While addressing the issues with China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that happened in 2020, the EAM said that we must not forget that it happened when our lockdown had just started. “We were completely preoccupied with the COVID challenge. Please appreciate the anonymity of what Prime Minister Modi did. He deployed forces at this great height in very difficult conditions in the middle of COVID. And then took this challenge head-on,” he added. He further said while assuring,” I can tell you the entire world has taken notice of this. They have also noted that since then we have stood firm. We have made it very clear that until there is a resolution to this issue, our relations with China will not be normal.” “The world takes note of that resolve and determination,” he added. Recalling some similar incidents, Jaishankar said, “We were not so effective and determined before, we had occasions when we sent them unprepared. But now, whoever is sent is fully equipped and supported.” He also spoke on how the infrastructure near the border areas has changed, he said that there is a challenge of infrastructure near the borders because it was neglected for a long time. “Our roads in northern areas have doubled, and tunnelling has tripled,” he added. “People today say that economy and infrastructure don’t matter. Let me tell you, it matters to the soldiers on the field. If we don’t provide them infrastructure, we are not doing them justice,” the EAM said. The world is also noticing how India is dealing with the issue of terrorism. “Terrorism has troubled us for a long time. But the rest of the world compares how we reacted to 26/11, and how we reacted to Uri and Balakot. They see the difference,” Jaishankar said. Speaking on how the world is taking note of India’s actions, EAM also addressed the “leakage problem” on a lighter note. “I discovered many other countries also had a leakage problem. They asked us how did we fix it. We told them first we fixed the problem by having a different party in power. We then fixed it by applying technology also,” he added.
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Household surveys needed in border areas in J&K: DGP Dilbag Singh
DGP Dilbag Singh has underlined the need to conduct detailed household surveys in border areas and use technology to strengthen the anti-infiltration grid, an official spokesperson said. – File photo
DGP Dilbag Singh has underlined the need to conduct detailed household surveys in border areas and use technology to strengthen the anti-infiltration grid, an official spokesperson said. Singh said this while chairing a meeting of the Border Management Task Force, which was attended by various senior officers of police, Army, BSF and civil administration here on Friday.
The meeting covered various border management issues like better inter-agency coordination, problems faced by civilians residing in these areas and identification of gaps in the implementation of decisions taken in previous meetings, the spokesperson said. Addressing the meeting, the DGP outlined the objectives of the Border Management Task Force, which was constituted with the aim of enhancing coordination and synergy amongst various stakeholders, especially in the context of present and emerging challenges.
Singh stressed the importance of smooth sharing of information and the use of technology for better surveillance as well as for strengthening the anti-infiltration grid.
He also underlined the importance of civic action programmes and other community engagement activities in the border areas. Vulnerability mapping, keeping previous terror incidents in mind, etc., was also flagged by the DGP, the spokesperson said.
For some time after Modi’s now-famous remark to Putin that ‘now is not a time for war’, India gingerly explored a peacemaking role, but concluded that such efforts had little scope for success. China has greater leverage than India in pushing its ceasefire plan because of its proactive Ukraine policy, including a speculated military role.
US President Joe Biden’s trip to Ukraine was not the only time the US and Russia were in communication directly or indirectly with each other to prevent ‘deconfliction’ during the Ukraine war, which entered its second year on February 24. Deconfliction occurs during manoeuvres between groups or the military in areas where overlapping operations are taking place in order to reduce the risk of accidents or incidents, according to the most standard dictionary definition.
A few months ago, the Russian media published close-up photographs of Americans travelling in Ukraine, standing on Humvees, the US Army’s trademark four-wheeled, all-terrain military vehicles. On board the Humvees, the Americans wore their equally trademark dark sunglasses and other paraphernalia, sported usually to demonstrate overwhelming power and send chills down the spines of their adversaries. In some photos, they appeared to be in combat gear, the presumption being they were US military personnel. If the Russians could photograph these US personnel up-close, they could also have shot them dead, but they did not. Russia uses its controlled media to send out unambiguous messages and this was one example. By publishing these pictures, Moscow was warning Washington to keep off Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, the four administrative regions in Ukraine, which Russia annexed after conducting referendums, which have not been recognised as acceptable legal process by most countries.
Since the publication of Russian media pictures, there have been no subsequent reports of any American presence in these regions. No doubt, there are US personnel training and equipping the Ukraine’s military, but they are confined to Ukrainian territory, which is beyond the scope of any dispute — they are not in areas that Moscow now claims as its own.
Nor are they too close to project any direct threat to Russia’s security by their presence. On the day Biden was in Kyiv, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield categorically said in a conference call with mediapersons that “the US does not have a military presence on the ground in Ukraine.” This was further acknowledged by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan during the same conference call that it was unprecedented for an American President to “visit the capital of a country at war where the US military does not control the critical infrastructure.” In Moscow, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded: “Biden did not dare to visit Kyiv without informing Russia and without asking the Russian side to ensure his safety.”
As the world watched the first anniversary of the Ukraine conflict, its most remarkable features are the restraint by Russia and the US, the caution exercised by both countries to ensure that there are no accidents which could trigger an escalation on the battlefield, and most of all, an entire year of confining nuclear threats to words, or at their worst, abrogating some confidence-building nuclear treaties.
The Ukraine war has brought forth immense suffering and its fallout has been a global food crisis, a catastrophic energy shortage and an economic slowdown worldwide. But unlike in the periods immediately before two world wars, the international community has watched the two big powers act responsibly. That is the most remarkable one-year legacy of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The other aftermath of this war is the pervasive extent to which deal-making now passes for conventional diplomacy. China has abstained on important resolutions against Russia at the United Nations — and not voted against those — as part of the deals struck with the West, including last week’s General Assembly resolution to mark the first anniversary of the war. This has had special significance in the Security Council, where a ‘no’ vote by China would have amounted to a veto, while an abstention constituted a moral victory for the US and Europe, sponsors of those resolutions.
Deals have also been rife in oil transactions, but, most notably, in arms transfers to all parties to the conflict. India has not been approached for deals by the West except in the initial months of the war when it was thought that the Narendra Modi government could be persuaded to end its neutrality. Besides, India had no veto when it was a member of the Security Council, unlike China. Now that India’s term in the council has ended, it is less likely to be tempted into diplomatic deal-making. However, India is a lucrative target for trade-offs in commercial transactions, especially in energy, food and fertilisers. Deals have been part of diplomacy throughout history, but, until now, they were limited in scope and geography. Iraq’s ‘oil-for-food’ proposition was the most notorious of such deal-making, but that too was regional, unlike the global deals in the last one year, which have pushed conventional diplomatic practices to the back seat.
The first anniversary resolution in the UN General Assembly demonstrated that support for Russia has not fallen in the international community although the US and Europe have left no stone unturned in the previous 12 months in their efforts to diplomatically isolate Russia and cut the ground from under Moscow’s feet. When a similar resolution was put to vote in the General Assembly soon after the war started, the number of countries which voted against Russia was 141 — exactly the same number that voted the same way last week.
The only other similar resolution that received marginally higher support in the General Assembly was the one against Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian ‘oblasts’ (regions) in September.
As the war continues into its second year, one country whose diplomacy needs to be put under the microscope is China. Beijing marked the first anniversary of the war by offering a peace plan. In India, that plan has been trashed in public discourse following a familiar pattern of running down everything China does without logic or reason. This is a mistake. Indians should particularly note that China came up with its peace plan after India vacated that presumptive role.
For some time after Modi’s now-famous remark to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “now is not a time for war”, India gingerly explored a peacemaking role, but concluded that peace efforts had little scope for success. China has greater leverage than India in pushing its ceasefire plan because of its proactive Ukraine policy, including a speculated military role. Beijing’s moves need close watching.
BSF shoots down China-made drone near International Border in Amritsar Sector
The Border Security Force has shot down a drone that had entered Indian airspace in the Amritsar Sector during the wee hours of Sunday.
“On February 26 at about 2.11 am, BSF troops deployed at the border heard a buzzing sound of a suspected drone entering from Pakistan into Indian territory in the area near Shahjada village of Amritsar district,” a BSF officer said.
“As per the laid down drill, troops acted to intercept the drone by firing at it. The whole area was cordoned and the police and concerned sister agencies were alerted about the incident,” he added.
During initial search, BSF recovered a black coloured drone identified as a Chinese made DJI Matrice, in a partially damaged condition, laying near the Dhussi bundh in the vicinity of the village.
A through search of the area is in progress to ascertain whether the drone had dropped any contraband, the officer said.
There have been a number of incidents in the western theatre during this month where the BSF had shot down drones along the International Border and recovered large caches of narcotics, weapons and ammunition.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday airlifted 388 passengers from Jammu to the Union Territory of Ladakh, a defence spokesman said. The passengers had been stranded in Jammu.
2 IL-76 aircrafts were pressed into service from Jammu Air Force Station under Operation Sadbhavana.
2 BSF jawans injured in attack by Bangladeshi villagers along international border in West Bengal
Two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were seriously injured and their weapons snatched after more than a hundred Bangladeshi villagers attacked them with sharp-edged weapons in a field along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal on Sunday, officials said.
“BSF jawans of border outpost Nirmalchar were on duty when they stopped Bangladeshi farmers from bringing their cattle to the fields of Indian farmers.
“Immediately, more than a hundred villagers and miscreants from Bangladesh entered the Indian side and attacked the jawans with sticks and sharp-edged weapons (Dahs),” a BSF spokesperson for South Bengal frontier headquartered in Kolkata said.
Two jawans were seriously injured in the attack that took place under the Berhampore sector in Murshidabad district, he said.
Photos shared by the BSF showed deep gashes on the heads of the jawans and their uniforms soaked in blood.
The spokesperson said the attackers fled to Bangladesh after snatching the weapons of the troops.
The BSF later called for a flag meeting with its counterpart Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) so that the weapons of the jawans could be recovered and a repeat of such incidents could be prevented, the spokesperson said.
The BSF accused the BGB of taking “no concrete action” to stop such incidents despite them being informed about “many incidents” of Indian farmers’ crops being destroyed as Bangladeshis forcibly brought their cattle for grazing on Indian land.
BSF jawans have been attacked several times in the past by “miscreants and their accomplices” in a planned manner, but the jawans did not let their plans succeed, the spokesperson said.
Officials said the area of Nirmalchar is very difficult and despite the lack of facilities, BSF jawans guard the border day and night.
The spokesperson said Indian farmers have been complaining about the theft and damage done to their crops by Bangladeshi villagers and hence the BSF has set a forward post to protect them while working in their fields.
The BSF has lodged an FIR against the unidentified Bangladeshi attackers at Ranitala police station in Murshidabad.
Border Roads Organisation told to clear snow from Amarnath routes
As part of its preparations for the annual Amarnath Yatra, authorities in J&K have directed the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to clear snow from the twin routes leading to the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine before the end of April. The yatra usually starts in June or July from the traditional 48-km long Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag district and 14-km shorter Baltal in Ganderbal district, depending on the clearance of tracks and weather conditions.
Chairing the 12th high-level committee meeting of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) here, Chief Secretary AK Mehta stressed on marking the disaster prone areas on both the routes and ensure that utilities are not established in such areas, an official spokesperson said. Mehta directed officials to take necessary assistance from the National Disaster Response Force in this regard so that they could certify that no utility has been erected in such zones, the official said.Powered By
The BRO was directed to clear the snow from the roads on both the axis of Chandanwadi and Baltal before the end of April so that other departments are able to carry out their activities smoothly, the spokesperson said.
Speaking to The Telegraph, a former lieutenant general said the external affairs minister’s statement was shocking and a sort of ‘unconditional surrender’
Several military veterans have castigated foreign minister S. Jaishankar’s statement that India cannot pick a fight with China because the neighbour has a bigger economy, questioning the “muscular” nationalism of the Narendra Modi government and the “56-inch chest” claim.
Reacting to Jaishankar’s statement, former navy chief and 1971 war hero Arun Prakash tweeted: “If relative size of economies is seen as arbiter of int’l relations, how come nations like Cuba, N Korea & Iran thumb their noses at the USA or Vietnam at China? India, as a democracy, nuclear weapon state & significant economic & mil power must stand firm against hegemony.”Advertisement
Major General Shail Jha (retired) tweeted: “Mr Jaishankar should know that its not India but China which is picking the fight.”
The veteran added: “Economy or no economy, if we bow down to a bully, we are abandoning our self-respect. Is it acceptable? What a shame. And the guy is being hailed as the greatest FM. It’s cowardice.”
Anil Duhoon, who retired as a lieutenant colonel, said in a tweet: “China is a bigger economy, we cannot go to war with China. That’s why @narendramodi gave clean chit to China? Na koi ghusa hai….. 56 inch and LalAnkh?? Surrendered.”
In an interview with ANI, Jaishankar had said on Wednesday: “Look, they (China) are the bigger economy. What am I going to do? As a smaller economy, I am going to pick up a fight with the bigger economy? It is not a question of being reactionary, it’s a question of common sense….”
“What happened to the so-called muscular nationalism that this government projects in election speeches? Modi’s self-declared muscular nationalism has now capitulated to Chinese aggression and bullying.”
The Chinese army, he said, has been sitting well inside Indian territory at multiple transgression points since May 2020 and “we are calling it disengagement”. “Instead of asking the Chinese troops to retreat to their side of the Line of Actual Control, the New India under Modiji agreed to create buffer zones within Indian territories in eastern Ladakh as part of the disengagement agreement, thus ceding further territory to China,” he said.
A retired colonel said Jaishankar’s defeatist statement spoke volumes about Modi’s China policy. “Where is Mr 56-inch Modi’s muscular nationalism when it comes to China?” the former colonel asked.
