Still unexplained
The hunt for the origins of Covid-19 has for the past four years been a tangled web of politics, power struggles, and international finger-pointing.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday reiterated that relations with China can’t normalise until the ongoing military stand-off in eastern Ladakh is resolved peacefully.
At an event in Nagpur, Jaishankar said that he has made it clear to his Chinese counterpart in no uncertain terms that unless a breakthrough is made with regard to the border row, Beijing should not expect normalisation of ties with India.
The minister pointed out that the relationship with China has not been good over the past few years since Beijing violated agreements between the two countries aimed at maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
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Jaishankar said China violated bilateral agreements by deploying troops along the LAC in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. This transgression resulted in the Galwan Valley incident in June 2020 that led to skirmishes between the Indian and Chinese troops, resulting in the loss of 15 Indian soldiers and an unspecified casualties on the Chinese side. Even today, the forces on the two sides are deployed face-to-face, he added.
To a query regarding a permanent seat for India at the UNSC, Jaishankar said: “With each passing year, there is a growing global sentiment for India’s presence in the top UN body, and I can sense that support. The world does not give things easily and generously…sometimes you have to assert your right.”
He said the UN used to be a relevant body in the 1950s and 1960s when the “self-selected choudharys” of the UNSC (its five permanent members) dominated smaller countries. But things have changed now and other nations have also gained confidence. He said the limitations of the UN system became evident during the Covid pandemic as nobody expected the world body to offer any help.
On India’s growing role in global affairs, he said: “Hardly any significant global issue is now addressed without holding consultations with India. Our perspectives have evolved and that of the world’s perception regarding us too has changed.”
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