Latest news with #SJaishankar
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Dealing with China: Lessons from Galwan clash, five years on
Just over five years ago, the Galwan clash between India and China saw 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers killed. This year is also the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The bilateral relationship has been full of surprises and turmoil. It appears that India and China, two of the largest countries, economies and militaries, who share a disputed and unresolved border, do not understand each other. The violent clash of June 2020 was the first such incident since 1975. Peace was maintained on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for almost four decades with the help of confidence-building mechanisms (CBMs). These were achieved after long and painstaking discussions, primarily to avoid any violence on the LAC. However, in the words of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, 'So there was a clash, and a number of troops died on either side, and that has since, in a sense, overshadowed the relationship. So until we can restore peace and tranquillity on the border and ensure the agreements signed up to are adhered to, it's obviously difficult to carry on with the rest of the relationship'. But can India trust China to adhere to any agreements now? The long freeze between the neighbours after the 1962 war was revisited in 1988 with the 'normalisation' of ties and efforts were put in place to avoid a similar challenge. During Rajiv Gandhi's visit that year to Beijing, Deng Xiaoping said, 'We have both made mistakes and we can learn from each other. Why can't we share our experiences, our successes and failures? There is much we can achieve together. We can achieve nothing by being antagonists'. There was positive momentum after the visit and both sides engaged in an increased economic relationship (bilateral trade stands at around $118 billion). There was a lot of talk about cooperation. However, what has continued to be the driving factor is mistrust. Since 1988, there have been multiple stand-offs at the border, the most intense being in Doklam in 2017 — both armies stood eye to eye for 73 intense days. What complicates the situation further is that both countries are nuclear powerhouses and have advanced militaries. And both are vying to grow their global influence. The Galwan clash underscored the fragility of the relationship. It took almost four-and-a-half years and multiple rounds of bilateral talks at various levels to achieve a breakthrough. In October 2024, it was announced that India and China have agreed on patrolling rights in the Ladakh region. Foreign Vikram Misri said: 'Agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020 and we will be taking the next steps on this.' However, it appears that disengagement will be a long process. China appears keen to discuss restarting the people-to-people and economic engagement. After Galwan, India banned several Chinese apps and stopped major Chinese investments and direct flights. After the thaw, China has been keen to restart direct flights. It has issued around 85,000 visas and has resumed the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for Indians. On the other hand, India has continued to reiterate that no significant developments can be achieved if the border issue is unresolved. Galwan is a major recent reminder of what the border is capable of doing. It can push the countries as well as the region into uncertainty. India has continued to focus on building capabilities in the border region and developing infrastructure that can help in the proper management and movement of troops and equipment. The most prominent of these is the all-weather Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh. Even after years of positive statements and shows of bonhomie, the neighbours appear to be just talking at each other. The talks of people-to-people interaction by China and the fact that India continues to reiterate the centrality of the border for a genuine stable relationship to exist shows the gap in perception and understanding. This gap needs to be bridged sooner rather than later. For Beijing, when it comes to its relations with New Delhi, it is economic dynamics that matter. New Delhi, however, should not forget the lessons from Galwan and ignore the fragility of diplomatic measures, which can clearly be ignored and trampled by China. The writer is associate professor, OP Jindal Global University
India.com
15 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
Within 45 minutes of Operation Sindoor, THIS Muslim country called Pakistan 25 times and asked if..., the country is...
Within 45 minutes of Operation Sindoor, THIS Muslim country called Pakistan 25 times and asked if..., the country is... Operation Sindoor: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has admitted in an interview that India had destroyed their airbase. However, he also said that when the Indian Army started the attack, within the next 45 minutes, a leader from a Muslim country spoke to him and asked if he should talk to India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and appeal to him to stop the attack and inform him that Pakistan is ready to stop. Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman also said that he is aware of Pakistan's counterpart conversation with US Defense Minister Marco Rubio. Ishaq Dar said that Faisal bin Salman called him 20-25 times and told him that he had spoken to Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. What Ishaq Dar said Ishaq Dar's recent statement in an interview to Geo News clearly shows how the condition of Pakistan deteriorated during Operation Sindoor. Before US, a Muslim country came forward to help them and offered to normalize the situation. Apart from this, Ishaq Dar also said that his government had also appealed to US to stop the attack being carried out by India. India destroyed many of their airbases in response to the Pakistani attack, in which Brahmos missiles were fired targeting many areas including Rawalpindi airport. This has been revealed by Ishaq Dar himself. Evidence found through satellite images During Operation Sindoor, India had targeted terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the night of May 7. 100 terrorists were confirmed killed in the attack. In response to this attack, the Pakistani army violated the ceasefire and started an attack across the border. After this, the Indian Army intensified the attack and targeted many airbases of Pakistan, in which the neighboring country suffered a lot of damage. Evidence of this was also given through satellite images.
India Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Evacuation of Indian students from conflict-hit Iran,
Samba (Jammu and Kashmir), June 19 (ANI): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that evacuating Indian nationals, including hundreds of students from Jammu and Kashmir, from conflict-affected regions of Iran is a collective responsibility, and he has spoken to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about the same. Speaking to reporters in Samba, Abdullah revealed that he had initiated discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar days ago to devise a strategy. 'It is our responsibility. Our children had gone there to get education. Now the situation has worsened and their parents would definitely be worried. If I were in their place, I would also be worried and the children would also want to be evacuated from there. So, a few days ago, I spoke to Minister Jaishankar and we prepared a plan,' he said. 'Under that plan, now these children are being brought back. Today around 400 students are being evacuated. According to our information, there are about 1300 children from Jammu and Kashmir in Iran, in total, there are about 6000-8000 from our country,' he added. Earlier in the day, Omar Abdullah's office informed that he had taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J-K. 'The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,' the chief minister's office said in a post on X. Students who have been evacuated under Operation Sindhu from conflict-affected Iran raised issues about the buses that the J&K government is providing for them to travel to their home state. 'The buses that have been provided are in such bad condition that even animals will not travel in them. We can't go in such buses, and our safety could have been compromised. We are here (in Delhi) and for that we are thankful to the central government as they have evacuated us smoothly, we faced no problem till here, but we are having a problem here now,' a student told ANI. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran, given the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. An Indian student, Sheikh Afsa, on board the flight carrying 110 nationals under Operation Sindhu, praised the government's efforts to ensure a safe evacuation upon returning to Delhi, saying that the government evacuated them 'from their dormitory'. 'We are happy to return here, but we are also worried about our studies. The situation there (Iran) is bad, and people are scared. We even received calls from people in Iran, who said the situation in Iran is very critical. The (Indian) government evacuated us from our dormitory, from our doors; we didn't even expect this much. They helped us at every step; no one faced any problem, and we are grateful to the central government for the role they played in evacuating us,' she told ANI. (ANI)
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Flight carrying 110 Indian students, evacuated to Armenia from war-torn Iran, lands in Delhi
The first flight carrying over 100 students, who were evacuated to Armenia from war-torn Iran, landed in Delhi in the early hours on Thursday. Amid escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Indian students in Tehran were moved out of the city, 110 of them crossing the border into Armenia, through arrangements made by the Indian Embassy on Tuesday under 'Operation Sindhu'. The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for launching the evacuation effort. 'We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon,' the association said in a statement. Parents of some students were seen anxiously waiting outside the airport for their children. Haider Ali, father of 21-year-old Maaz Haider, an MBBS student in Iran, thanked the Indian government for the rescue efforts. 'We are really happy. The students have been brought back home safely. We thank the Indian government for this. But we are sad that students, who are stuck in Tehran, have not been rescued,' he told PTI, and urged the authorities to evacuate students still stranded in Tehran. Parvez Alam, father of Sameer Alam, was also seen waiting for his son at the airport. 'It has been two years since he has been studying in Urmia. Everything was fine but recently the situation deteriorated. We were under a lot of stress. But the Indian government evacuated students to Armenia where they were kept in good hotels. We are thankful to the Indian government,' the Bulandshahr resident told PTI. Mir Khalif, an MBBS student who landed in Delhi, said it was a tense situation in Iran. 'We could see missiles. There was a war going on. Our neighbourhood was bombed. We were very afraid of the situation. I hope we will never see those days again,' he told reporters. Khalif thanked the Indian government for evacuating them first to Armenia and then bringing them back home. 'There are students still stuck in Iran. They are being relocated to safer places. We hope they will also be airlifted to India soon,' he added. Ali Akbar, another Indian student, said while they were travelling in a bus towards Armenia, they saw a missile and a drone falling. 'The situation that has been shown in the news is correct. It is extremely bad. Tehran has been destroyed,' the student from Delhi said.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
First flight carrying Indian students moved from Iran to Armenia lands in Delhi under Operation Sindhu
An aircraft carrying over Indian 100 students, who were evacuated to Armenia from Iran amid conflict with Israel, landed in Delhi in the early hours of Thursday under India's 'Operation Sindhu'. The 110 students crossed the border from Iran's Tehran to Armenia through arrangements made by the Indian embassy under 'Operation Sindhu' amid widening conflict between Iran and Israel. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for safety reasons through arrangements made by the Indian Embassy. Other residents who are self-sufficient in terms of transport have also been advised to move out of the city in view of the developing situation, the MEA had said. Separately, some Indians have been facilitated to leave Iran through the border with Armenia, the MEA said, adding that further advisories may be issued given the fluid situation. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, 110 Indian students from Urmia Medical University, 90 of them from the Kashmir Valley, have safely crossed the border into Armenia, PTI news agency reported. The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for launching the evacuation effort. "We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon," the association said in a statement. Haider Ali, father of 21-year-old Maaz Haider, an MBBS student in Iran, thanked the government of India for the rescue efforts. "We are really happy. The students have been brought back home safely. We thank the Indian government for this. But we are sad that students, who are stuck in Tehran, have not been rescued," PTI quoted as saying Ali, who urged the authorities to evacuate students still stranded in Tehran. Mir Khalif, an MBBS student who landed in Delhi, said situation is tense in Iran, appealing to the government to rescue those still there. "We could see missiles. There was a war going on. Our neighbourhood was bombed. We were very afraid of the situation. I hope we will never see those days again," he said. "There are students still stuck in Iran. They are being relocated to safer places. We hope they will also be airlifted to India soon," he added. Khalif thanked the Indian government for evacuating them first to Armenia and then bringing them back home.
