India Shines Brightly At Recent SCO Summit At Bishkek
By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
The 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit has just been concluded. It was Modi’s first multilateral engagement as PM of NDA2. While most focused on the cold shoulder given to Imran Khan by Modi, the US administration watched with anticipation the outcome of Modi’s meetings with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This meeting between the leaders of World’s Second Economy and Third Economy was of natural importance to the World’s First Economy especially because of its own behaviour.
Doklam crisis nearly two years back clearly indicated that India is no more worried about the PLA and that lots of water has flown down the Brahamputra between 1962 and 2019. Modi and Xi Jinping had interacted at Wuhan and there after the Chinese played there Checkers, as usual, to test Modi at Doklam. Chinese learnt their lesson quite well but India cannot let down its guard even when playing Bhai Bhai.
Similar was PM Modi’s meeting with Putin in view of the Trump’s tantrums on purchase of S400 missiles and other defence wares by India from Russia. The deep friendship between the two countries once again has shown two fingers to those frowning upon it.
The SCO summit was to discuss trade but they discussed Terrorism too and Modi minced no words on Pakistan giving Imran khan and Xi Jinping just one choice –either Pakistan dumps terrorism as a State Policy or Pakistan may not remain a State for long.
Now the Chinese too are slowly understanding that New Delhi is willing to take tough actions on terrorism and that it will no longer try to convince Beijing or Moscow or Washington before hitting out.
China had to albeit reluctantly, withdrawn its veto on the designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations. Soon it will have to respect New Delhi’s objections on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through the illegally held territory of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
Unless China heeds India, its prestigious CPEC, which passes through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, and is vital for its plans to make an entry into Indian Ocean through Gwadar will simply implode in the foreseeable future. Both POK and Baluchistan problems will one day cause the break up of Pakistan. The strategic and trade agenda of China is best served by friendship with India.
The summit also has taken place when there is increased friction between the US and China on trade and several other issues concerning both tariff issues and the quest for global supremacy. India’s role as the balancing power is being watched by the rest of the world. In case India supports China – Russia and that will isolate USA and vice versa. However as shown to the world earlier, India will charter its own path, we are no camp followers.
Unlike with China or the USA, other countries do not find India aggressive. No wonder India has friendly or good relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran, Israel and Palestine and so on. India is a stable and reliable partner for all those seek friendly relations with it. India’s growing economic and Scientific prowess also makes it an attractive partner for not only to SAARC, BIMSTEC, African Countries but also to SCO member states and observers. Every SCO members would welcome New Delhi as an equal match to Beijing’s proactive approach.
India too needs to secure and diversify its energy supplies from as many sources as possible. Be it oil, gas or uranium. We need to look both Westwards and Eastwards at the same time. After all the Indian Ocean Region is as the name suggests India’s Ocean.
