'I doubt Mr. Modi's advisors are even aware of it': Jairam Ramesh recalls India's historic role in Cyprus' independence
Congress leader
Jairam Ramesh
on Monday highlighted India's pivotal role in supporting Cypriot independence in the 1950s under Jawaharlal Nehru, which he said he doubted
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
's "advisors are even aware of."
The Congress leader's remarks in a social media post come amid the ongoing visit of PM Modi to Cyprus.
Ramesh recalled India's leadership at the Afro-Asian Bandung Conference, the close ties between Nehru and Archbishop Makarios III.
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In a post on X, Jairam questioned whether the current government is even aware of this shared legacy, emphasising the strategic and historical importance of
Indo-Cypriot relations
.
— Jairam_Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh)
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"The Prime Minister is in Cyprus on his way to Canada. Of course, He would have us believe that it is a pure coincidence that a key figure in the
Modscam
has Cypriot citizenship. The Cyprus-based fund New Leaina has reportedly about $420 million in Adani companies. The 'ultimate beneficial owners' of this fund are linked to Amicorp, which is believed to have set up at least seven Adani promoter entities, seventeen offshore shell companies linked to Mr. Vinod Adani, and three Mauritius-based offshore investors in
Adani Group
stock. All these transactions are part of the ongoing SEBI investigations which have been hampered by lack of sharing of financial information by these and other tax-haven countries and lack of pressure by India," he said.
He recalled that Cyprus gained independence from British rule on August 16, 1960. In the 1950s, India spearheaded the international campaign for the full decolonisation of the island.
"Nehru had, in fact, ensured the participation of the Cypriot leader and freedom fighter Archbishop Makarios III at the historic Afro-Asian Bandung Conference held in Indonesia in late April 1955. Makarios was the only European to attend that summit. Two years later VK Krishna Menon had created a stir at the United Nations in New York by introducing a resolution on Cyprus and by his impassioned speech. Page 1 of the New York Times had carried news of this resolution prominently," Jairam said.
The Congress leader also mentioned that the "charismatic Archbishop", who became the first President of the Cypriot Republic, himself was to visit New Delhi in November 1962.
"He spent two weeks in India. When Nehru died, a public holiday and a day of mourning was announced on May 27, 1964. In the early 1980s, a busy and scenic road in the Golf Links locality of our capital came to be named after the Archbishop although the signage splits the two words!" he said.
Jairam Ramesh also mentioned that the three distinguished Indian army men--Lt. Gen P. S. Gyani, the legendary Gen K. S. Thimayya, and Lt. Gen Dewan Prem Chand--headed the United Nations Force In Cyprus (UNFICYP) between 1964 and 1974.
"Two scholars have just written a fine piece on the UNFICYP that also brings out India's key role in the emergence of the Republic of Cyprus. I doubt that Mr. Modi's advisors are even aware of it," Jairam Ramesh added.
"In the context of today's geopolitics it is worthwhile to recall that India's championing of the independence of Cyprus in the 1950s and thereafter became a sore point in our bilateral relations with Turkey," the Congress leader said.
In a significant diplomatic outreach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Cyprus on Sunday afternoon (local time), marking the first-ever visit by an Indian PM to the island nation. The visit is seen as an important stopover ahead of the G7 Summit in Canada and a reflection of India's renewed focus on strengthening ties with European partners.
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