India’s Stance on SCO Summit in Pakistan
Robinder Sachdev’s Insights
Foreign Affairs expert Robinder Sachdev shared his views on India’s approach to the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided not to attend, indicating a reduced level of India’s engagement. Instead, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation, ensuring India’s position is clearly communicated.
Sachdev noted, “I believe we can expect Jaishankar to be his usual, assertive self. India will firmly present its views. While this is a meeting of heads of state, the Prime Minister’s absence reflects a deliberate downgrading. It’s significant that Jaishankar is attending, but it’s clear that we haven’t accorded the event the same priority, considering Pakistan’s behaviour.”
He emphasized the importance of safeguarding India’s interests within the SCO, stating, “The SCO is a valuable and crucial mechanism. We cannot reduce our role in it simply due to Pakistan. We must remain engaged and protect our interests. India cannot have normal relations with Pakistan until it ceases terror activities. While this is a serious participation, it is not at the level of heads of state.”
Sachdev pointed out Pakistan’s failure to meet India’s demands concerning terrorism, asking, “India has made several demands regarding terrorists over whom the Pakistani government has direct influence. When Pakistan does nothing about them, what can we expect regarding figures like Zakir Naik?”
He further explained that Pakistan spreads anti-India propaganda to divert attention from its domestic issues, saying, “Whenever possible, Pakistan disseminates propaganda against India, both domestically and internationally. This is to distract its public from its own failures, particularly in areas like the economy and terrorism. It’s something we understand and should largely ignore.”
He concluded by highlighting the divergent perspectives between the two countries: “The problem between India and Pakistan is that those we call terrorists, they regard as freedom fighters, and vice versa.”
Doubts Revealed
SCO Summit -: SCO stands for Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It is a group of countries that work together on security, economic, and cultural issues. India and Pakistan are both members of this group.
Robinder Sachdev -: Robinder Sachdev is an expert in foreign affairs. This means he knows a lot about how countries interact with each other and gives advice or opinions on these matters.
Prime Minister Modi -: Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. He is the leader of the Indian government and makes important decisions for the country.
External Affairs Minister -: The External Affairs Minister is a person in the Indian government who handles India’s relationships with other countries. S. Jaishankar is the current External Affairs Minister of India.
Terrorism -: Terrorism refers to the use of violence and threats to scare people, usually for political reasons. It is a serious issue that affects many countries, including India and Pakistan.
Anti-India propaganda -: Propaganda is information spread to influence people’s opinions. Anti-India propaganda means spreading negative or false information about India to make people think badly of the country.
