India and the World | India Writes

India to Pakistan: Peace or peace talks, decide….

May 19, 2017November 19, 2020 - by India Writes Network

A day after an international court stayed the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer accused of spying, India signalled its wariness with Pakistan by stressing that asking for peace talks are an excuse for avoiding real peace and reflect a position that “may be hypocritical.”
“When anyone asks for peace talks, it does not necessarily mean that that country is asking for peace. And one has to measure that difference very carefully,” Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar said in the Indian capital New Delhi after launching a pioneering journal on international affairs, entitled “India and World” on May 19.
“Do you want peace or do you want peace talks as an excuse for a position that may be hypocritical? And our reaction will be based on the larger assessment of what you mean,” said the minister, without naming Pakistan. Published by India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) and edited by Manish Chand, a well-known foreign affairs analyst and author of “Journeys Across Continents: A New India on the Global Stage,” India and World seeks to present India’s viewpoints on pressing international issues and debates amid shifting global equations and a mutating world order. The birth of a new publication on global affairs is a cause for celebrations at a time when India’s engagement with the world is steadily expanding, said Mr Akbar.

Triumph of Justice: India rejoices over ICJ’s stay of Jadhav’s execution

May 18, 2017 - by India Writes Network

In a diplomatic triumph and victory of justice over duplicity, the International Court of Justice has stayed the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian naval officer accused of espionage by Pakistan, and upheld India’s right to consular access to him. The judge’s verdict was unambiguous: “Pakistan should not executive Jadhav till proceedings are on in this court.”
The ICJ’s verdict triggered rejoicing in India, with the external affairs ministry’s spokesperson Gopal Bagley underlining that the provisional relief provided by the ICJ is the first step in ensuring justice to Jadhav. “We hope it will help remedy egregious violations of Jadhav’s rights & violations of international convention by Pakistan,” said Mr Bagley.
“We hope concerned authorities in Pakistan have heard, ICJ said that this order creates legally binding international obligation,” he said.
The verdict came as a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government had made it clear that it will do everything possible to save Mr Jadhav from the gallows and deceitful snare of Pakistan. “I assure the nation that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi we will leave no stone unturned to save Kulbhushan Jadhav,” said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Ms Swaraj stressed that the order comes as “a great relief to the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav and people of India.”

India plays balancing game again: Why Palestinian President was in Delhi

May 18, 2017May 18, 2017 - by India Writes Network

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s four-day state visit took place at a time when the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is breaking new grounds in the realm of country’s foreign policy.
Modi reconfirmed to Abbas after talks India’s unwavering support to the Palestinian cause. India hopes “to see the realization of a sovereign, independent, united and viable Palestine, co-existing peacefully with Israel”, the prime minister said in his statement.
The two leaders agreed that India and Palestine, through practical cooperation, will work together to build Palestine’s economy and contribute to improving the lives of its people. “We will continue to support the skill development and capacity-building efforts of Palestine”, Modi said.
Five agreements, including in the area of information technology, electronics, agriculture, health,youth affairs and sports, including Yoga,were signed between two sides in the presence of two leaders.

Belt & Road: China’s Xi pitches for open trade and shared prosperity, pledges &100 billion more

May 15, 2017May 15, 2017 - by India Writes Network

Unveiling his vision of “One Belt, and One Road,” a grand trans-regional connectivity project that seeks to link the four continents and encompass over 65 countries, China’s President Xi Jinping has made a robust pitch in the Chinese capital to the world to cooperate in his dream of shared prosperity.
Addressing the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on May 14, the Chinese president pledged around US$113 billion in extra funding for OBOR. He said that China’s Silk Road Fund will increase funding by 100 billion yuan, Chinese banks will extend 300 billion yuan in overseas capital, the China Development Bank will pledge 250 billion yuan, and the Export and Import Bank of China will add 130 billion yuan in special loans to Belt and Road projects.

Belt and Road initiative “a project of the century”: Xi Jinping

May 14, 2017May 18, 2017 - by India Writes Network

Chinese President Xi Jinping
said Belt and Road initiative focuses on the Asian, European and African countries,
In his opening address outlining China’s vision, Xi referred to ancient Silk Road and spoke about significance of various civilisations, including the “Indus and Ganges civilisations”. Without referring to India’s objections to the China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor (CPEC), Xi said, “all countries should respect each other’s sovereignty, dignity and territorial integrity, each other’s development paths and social systems, and each other’s core interests and major concerns.”
Xi said the Belt and Road initiative is “a project of the century” that will benefit people across the world. Denying any attempts to form a “small group” of nations taking part in the Belt and Road initiative of which CPEC is a part, Xi said China plans to build it as a road to peace and link his country to much of Asia, Europe and Africa

Ways And Means to Choke Maoist Finances

May 11, 2017May 11, 2017 - by India Writes Network

“Effective choking of fund flow to LWE [Left Wing Extremist] groups”, also known as Naxalites, and especially to the Communist Party of India (Maoist), or Maoists in short, was reportedly discussed and emphasised at a review meeting on LWE/Naxalite affected States chaired by the Union Home Minister in New Delhi on May 8, 2017.

It is estimated that the Maoists might be extorting anywhere between Rs 140 to Rs 160 crore annually from a variety of sources. These sources include government works and schemes, industry and businesses, social institutions, infrastructure, people, membership fees, supporters/sympathizers, revolutionary taxes in cash and kind, etc.

Through a consultative process involving various levels, the Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist) fixes the annual amount to be collected at the all-India level. The Zonal Committee appears to be the basic unit responsible for conveying the decision on the amount to be collected from each source. In effect, money is collected at all levels beginning with the Area Committee. In Jharkhand, there have been instances where the source has been informed of the amount to be paid, money left at the source itself, and collected at a later date, as and when the need arose. The Armed Squad need not necessarily go to collect the money. Usually, an over-ground member of the outfit is deputed for this purpose. These could be a member of the Krantikari Kisan Committee, Krantikari Mahila Committee, a contractor or an NGO, or any other designated person. At each level, there is a designated person who may be called treasurer in-charge.

A Defining Moment for France and Europe

May 9, 2017May 9, 2017 - by India Writes Network

The future of the French Republic and that of Europe in its present form as the European Union (EU) were at stake in the recent French presidential election. Emmanuel Macron and his movement (not a party as yet) have won. With a voter turnout of 75 per cent, Macron gained about 66.6 per cent of the vote in the second round of this election and his rival, Marine Le Pen, got the remainder.
But figures do not tell us the acute anxiety the French people felt at the time of the election. They felt that it was the future of their republic which was at stake. They voted in fair majority for Macron because they thought he stood for the values on which the republic was founded. Some, about 36 per cent, voted for Marine Le Pen because they thought that she stood for the French Nation whose security was threatened by Muslim immigrants settled in France and their ally, the Islamic jihadists.

South Asia Satellite takes off: Linking region via space

May 5, 2017 - by Shweta Chand

In a defining step to promote regional solidarity and cooperation, India has launched the South Asia Satellite, a pioneering initiative that will touch and transform the lives of people of seven countries in the region.
The South Asia Satellite, a dream that was birthed less than three years ago and a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was successfully launched today by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) from Sriharikota on May 5.
The leaders of seven South Asian countries, including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, and Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena joined India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an unprecedented video-conference held to mark the launch.
The launch of South Asia Satellite marks the fulfilment of India’s commitment and also the beginning of the journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership, said Mr Modi at this historic occasion. “With its position high in the sky, this symbol of South Asian cooperation would meet the aspirations of economic progress of more than one-and-a-half billion people in our region. And, extend our close links into Outer Space,” he said.
The South Asia Satellite demonstrated that “our collective choices for our citizens will bring us together for cooperation, not conflict; development, not destruction; and prosperity not poverty,” he said.

Indian soldiers’ killing by Pakistani troops sparks call for revenge

May 2, 2017June 27, 2017 - by India Writes Network

The audacious killing of two Indian security men and mutilation of their bodies by Pakistani troops along the de facto border between the two countries in India’s Jammu and Kashmir state has sparked outrage and challenged New Delhi to walk its tough talk against cross-border terror.

In Kashmir shadow, India & Turkey join hands against terror, step up trade

May 2, 2017May 2, 2017 - by India Writes Network

India and Turkey, the two G20 economies, have raised the bar for their economic partnership and agreed to intensify their counter-terror cooperation despite differences over issues like the Kashmir dispute.
As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrapped up his two-day visit to India on May 1, there was a clear-cut resolve to build on convergences, especially in the economic arena, and find ways to bridge differences through sustained dialogue.
Mr Erdogan held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the shadow of discords in the political relationship between the two countries when the Indian media splashed remarks by the Turkish leader in an interview to a TV channel in which he favoured a multilateral dialogue on the Kashmir issue that went against New Delhi’s consistent stand that the issue can only be resolved bilaterally with Islamabad. In response, India conveyed to Turkey that it is ready to resolve all bilateral issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir, said India’s Ministryof External Affairs spokesman Gopal Bagley when asked to comment on Mr Erdogan’s suggestion of a multilateral dialogue. The spokesperson added that India conveyed its position on Kashmir and stressed that it is essentially a terrorism issue.