Brij Nath Betab
Congratulations. For ‘we the people of India’, this is yet another event that makes us feel proud. Today once again we raise our heads high in esteem and sing collectively ‘Glory to our motherland Bharat’. One of the original members of United Nations, India stands elected as a non permanent member to the Security Council for the eighth term. One of the basic signatories to the 1944 Declarations, to establish the United Nations, India has got a non-permanent seat at the world body. The two year term starts from January 1st 2021.
India’s unopposed election was ensured last year when the 55 member Asia- Pacific group unanimously endorsed its candidature. The final unopposed election could not have come at a better time as our neighbour China is trying to flex its muscles and our brave hearts have exhibited their valour and country’s resolve to defend the nation’s borders. It is here that not only the timing but also the manner in which India got elected unopposed, wining 184 votes out of a total of 192 assumes significance.
That India’s emphatic win is momentous can easily be gauged by the reaction of our two rival neighbouring countries China and Pakistan. How unnerved Pakistan felt was visible even before the voting took place. The disquieted foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi used the phrase ‘heavens will not fall’, to react to India’s election. (I prefer to call him wazir-e- Khat-o-Kitabat, the minister for correspondence as on every second issue he dashes a letter to United Nation). In a bid to calm the apparent anguish within his self and the unhappiness within the political classes in his politically failed and economically devastated country, Qureshi, as usual tried to rake up Kashmir issue. However he had to immediately face the ire of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’s so called PM, Farooq Haider, who ‘took strong exception to his statement’ and asked the foreign minister to explain, admitting that ‘India’s election had a bearing’. The problem with Haider is that he wants to become more loyal than the king to protect his fraudulently acquired political position in the occupied territory. Both these statements show how frustrated Pakistan is about India joining the 15 member composition yet again. The frustration stems from the fact that during India’s tenure, Pakistan cannot hoodwink the world with its false and baseless propaganda about Kashmir. India would be well positioned to make the world further understand the factual, legal and constitutional position with regard to Kashmir and that is bound to further alienate Pakistan and expose her falsehood.
This time India’s election follows another significant global event that is very important in terms of international diplomacy. The event is India’s election as chairman of the World Health Organization’s 34 member Executive Board. Both these elections are certainly not to the liking of China, who has been cornered for export of Covid-19 and is being held responsible for the deaths caused throughout the world by this virus.
Coming only few days after the faceoff between the two armies, China’s frustration over India’s emphatic win is understood. It was here at the Security Council that its efforts to corner India on Kashmir, to appease Pakistan, miserably failed. This frustration was visible when Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, while reacting to India’s win did not mention India by name; ‘India’s win had his throat dried up’.
Thus far India’s role in world peace and its consistent efforts to foster friendly relations among different nations have always been hailed by the international community, but entering the Security Council at this juncture is bound to help India in enhancing further her prestige as a global partner to promote peace and security, as mandated by the United Nation’s Charter. India’s reputation as a peace loving nation is second to none. That among other things makes it eligible to become a permanent member.
For those countries who always feel threatened with emergence of India as a power , present election with overwhelming majority is a step closer to its permanent seat at the Security Council. This implies failure of their tactics to delay expansion/reform of the Security Council in which India becomes a permanent member. China is one such country and it has been using its clout as a permanent member to create hurdles.
Though the demand to expand the Council has been steadily gaining momentum, yet the real expansion may be little far away with some permanent members showing willingness but not keenness. Four out of the five permanent members have several times openly backed India’s candidature.
Now that China stands isolated after the Covid -19 spread, and India’s relations with many prominent countries have enormously enhanced, it would be interesting to watch how the other four permanent members of the Security Council, namely United States Of America, United kingdom, France and Russia help India to occupy a permanent seat. Next two years would be interesting to watch as to how the reforms at the world body are envisaged as some experts believe that all the permanent members with veto power must agree to a reform while some are of the opinion that reforms can be achieved with ‘agreement of at least two- thirds of the U N member states in a vote in the general assembly that must be ratified by two-thirds of the member states’.
With India bagging 184 votes in this election, one can only hope that the country is well set to get its due. However much depends upon the four permanent members and a few other prominent members of the council like Germany, Japan and of course Brazil, who also is a candidate and believes, like India, that the issue is not of the expansion of the council but of ‘a greater degree of participation’ in the decision making process that reflects the reality of modern world. It was with this aim of jointly pushing India and Brazil’s candidature that G 4 comprising Brazil, Germany Japan and India had come into existance to support each other to secure a permanent seat at the Security Council. . However after the spread of Covid -19 relations between Brazil and its number one partner China have also come under stress. China’s relations with Germany and Japan are also strained as Japan has joined the group of 62 countries that have moved a proposal to identify the source of Covid 19. Russia and France are also in this group. At the face of it, it is very evident that China stands isolated globally. So when it comes to the expansion of the Security Council, its say may not matter much.
India on its part has moved much closer to many countries including America, France, Germany, and Russia other than the some major Gulf countries. We may have to wait to see how they will help India become a permanent member. However time to test their solidarity with India may have approached with China making untenable claims with respect to Gulwan Valley. Russia is our time tested friend and may be the defence minister who is visiting to participate in Victory Day Parade also discusses China.
With regard to America, it gets clear when U S secretary of state Mike Pompeo tears into China calling Communist Party a rogue actor. I am sure when the time approaches Pakistan’s failed foreign policy would have come full circle. In 1971, USA had ordered its 7th fleet to move to Bay of Bengal to ‘threaten India’, this time seven American navy fleets may move to make India stronger. Only time will test India’s friendly countries. This is so despite the fact that India, on its own today, can make the enemy lick the dust.
(The writer is a senior broadcaster/ journalist, retired from PBBCI)
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