There was also massive support for India’s claim for a permanent UNSC seat.
NEW DELHI: “Feedback is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s favourite term.” This was said by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar while he was speaking during a conversation on a book on Narendra Modi’s 20 years in public office in New York. Jaishankar is presently in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and UNSC sessions. These are not simply the words expressed by Jaishankar. He has actually got several “positive feedbacks” at the UN to return to India with. The feedbacks that Jaishankar would be keen to share with the Prime Minister include massive support from various world leaders for India’s claim for a permanent UNSC seat, the global community’s endorsement of India’s views on China’s aggression and Pakistan’s terror nexus, voices from various world quarters seeking PM Modi’s intervention in ending the Ukraine war in what raises India’s stature further on the global forum, appreciation of New Delhi’s balanced approach towards the Ukraine crisis, UK PM Liz Truss wanting an urgent meeting with PM Modi, and what not. Several diplomats who The Sunday Guardian spoke to, described Jaishankar’s diplomatic mission at the UN as a grand success. All the officials and diplomats listed the achievements as well to buttress their claim. One of the most important diplomatic achievements, according to them, was that Mexico Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard at the UNSC referred to the Mexican President’s proposal to establish a committee “which includes India’s PM Modi and Pope to resolve the Russia Ukraine conflict”. “This raises the stature of our Prime Minister all the more on the global platform. It is a great thing that his role in defusing a humanitarian crisis is being sought by the world along with the Pope,” say diplomats. Sources said that Mexican FM’s proposal won approval from various other nations as well.
Secondly, India succeeded in sending out a meaningful and clear message from the UNSC when it slammed China for blocking the blacklisting of terrorists at UNSC and Pakistan for harbouring these terrorists. “This way, India sort of bracketed China with Pakistan in defending and patronising terrorists. China and Pakistan nexus on defending terrorists got exposed,” diplomats say. Third, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s attempt to internationalise the Kashmir issue on the platform of UNSC did not get traction, with most world leaders ignoring him and his Kashmir rant as well, sources said. “Sharif was snubbed by several leaders when he tried to speak to them personally,” sources added.
Fourth, Ukraine President Zelenskyy’s open support for India’s quest for UNSC permanent seat was a significant development. Ukraine President’s call for UNSC reforms was a message for those western countries who were trying to portray India’s Ukraine stand as showing a tilt towards Russia. “The credit goes to PM Modi, who always made it a point to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion and stuck to his stand that violence must stop and problem must be resolved through dialogue,” said a diplomat, adding that PM Modi not criticising Russia for military operation has not angered Ukraine as is evident from President Zelenskyy’s words favouring India at UNSC. This busts the West’s theory that was aimed at creating a wedge between India and Ukraine. Fifth, led by India and St. Vincent and Grenadines, 30 plus countries issued a joint statement calling for reforms of the United Nations Security Council. Obviously, UNSC reform is high on the agenda for S. Jaishankar at UN.
Jaishankar once said that diplomacy was not just about bridging positions through “wordsmithery”, adding “it is equally about bridging societies with projects. It is about connectivity, it’s about contacts and it’s about cooperation.” That’s exactly how Jaishankar carried out his diplomatic campaign during his stay so far in New York.
At the UNSC, Jaishankar hit out at Russia and China on Friday. At the UNSC session on Ukraine, recalling PM’s emphasis to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “this cannot be an era of war”, Jaishankar said: “let me emphasise that even in conflict situations, there can be no justification for violation of human rights or of international law. Where any such acts occur, it is imperative that they are investigated in an objective and independent manner. This was the position we took with regard to the killings in Bucha, and this is the position we take even today. The Council will also recall that we had then supported calls for an independent investigation into the Bucha incident.”
Jaishankar slammed Beijing for its decision to block the listing of terrorists. He said: “The fight against impunity is critical to the larger pursuit of securing peace and justice. The Security Council must send an unambiguous and unequivocal message on this count. Politics should never ever provide cover to evade accountability. Nor indeed to facilitate impunity. Regrettably, we have seen this of late in this very chamber, when it comes to sanctioning of some of the world’s most dreaded terrorists. If egregious attacks committed in broad daylight are left unpunished, this Council must reflect on the signals we are sending on impunity. There must be consistency if we are to ensure credibility.”
Top leaders of the world were present when Jaishankar lambasted China. The session was chaired by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna. It was attended by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly, and foreign ministers of other UNSC members.
Earlier this month, China put a hold on a proposal moved at the United Nations by the US and co-supported by India to designate Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist. China has done so on earlier occasions too. Jaishankar’s message was again for China when he said, “the global order that we all subscribe to, is based on international law, UN Charter and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states.” “These principles too must be upheld, without exception,” he said.
Pakistan was also under a sharp attack by the Indian team. India’s envoy at UN, Mijito Vinito slammed Islamabad for sheltering terrorists behind the horrific Mumbai attack and accused it of sponsoring cross-border terrorism. “It is regrettable that the Pakistan PM chose the platform of the Assembly to make false accusations against India. He has done so to obfuscate misdeeds in his own country, and to justify actions against India,” he said.