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Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
India has done well by not signing the SCO joint statement
By not signing a tendentious joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet, India has made it clear that it will never allow Pakistan and its supporters to peddle their narrative at international forums. The draft statement did not have any reference to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocent lives were lost, but it did mention the Jaffar Express hijacking in Pakistan in March. Addressing the SCO gathering, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke about the Pahalgam attack and the ensuing Operation Sindoor. He articulated Delhi's stand on terrorism in unambiguous terms: 'Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action... Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations.' The double standards continue because China, the wannabe superpower, keeps supporting and abetting Pakistan to chafe and fret India by whatever means possible, including jihad. Over the decades, China has provided Pakistan with military hardware, financial bailouts, nuclear assistance, and diplomatic cover on the world stage. This is not born out of altruism or ideological affinity—neither exists—but of a deliberate maneuver to keep India perpetually engaged in regional skirmishes, border tensions, and security concerns, thereby slowing down its strategic and economic ascent. Beijing's strategy is part of a broader geopolitical playbook often referred to as the 'String of Pearls' or the policy of 'encirclement.' Through this approach, China seeks to establish strong strategic footholds around India's periphery. This includes developing port infrastructure in countries like Sri Lanka (Hambantota), Pakistan (Gwadar) and Myanmar (Kyaukpyu), effectively tightening a strategic noose around India. By nurturing these relationships, China ensures that India's attention remains divided between defending its immediate borders and countering Beijing's increasing influence in the Indian Ocean region. Beijing's tacit and, at times, overt support for Pakistan's use of asymmetric warfare, including the indirect promotion of jihadist elements targeting India, is a particularly dangerous aspect of this strategy. While China officially distances itself from terrorism, it has repeatedly shielded Pakistan from international scrutiny, especially at forums like the UN Security Council, where Beijing has vetoed or stalled resolutions against Pakistan-based terrorists. This not only emboldens Pakistan but also sends signals to New Delhi that it must constantly remain on guard against cross-border terrorism and hybrid warfare tactics. By abetting Pakistan's antagonistic posture towards India, China ensures that a significant portion of India's resources—both financial and military—are tied up in managing regional conflicts, internal security threats, and defence preparedness against a two-front war scenario. This, in turn, diverts India's focus from economic reforms, infrastructure development, and global diplomatic initiatives that would otherwise propel it to great power status. Ultimately, China's aim is not necessarily to provoke a full-scale war, but to strategically annoy and frustrate India, keeping it politically and militarily overstretched. By exploiting Pakistan's historical animosity towards India and weaving it into its grand strategy, China hopes to slow down India's rise and consolidate its dominance in Asia. India's refusal to sign the statement will not make Islamabad or Beijing mend their ways, but it will make it difficult for them to sell their narrative.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
No mention of Pak terror: Rajnath refuses to sign SCO joint statement
New Delhi: The perpetrators and sponsors of terrorism must be held accountable, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Thursday, even as he chose not to sign a communique by the bloc for not explicitly addressing India's concerns over Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism. The SCO operates under the framework of consensus, and Singh's refusal to endorse the document resulted in the SCO defence ministers' conclave ending without a joint communique, people familiar with the matter said. There was no clear-cut approach to combating terrorism, including cross-border terrorist activities, they said. The Opposition launched a scathing attack, accusing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of failing diplomatically to rally international support against terrorism and to hold Pakistan accountable. In his address, Singh said there should be "no double standards" in combating terrorism and urged the SCO member nations to condemn the menace with unity. Besides India and China, the SCO comprises Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In an oblique reference to Pakistan, Singh said some countries are using cross-border terrorism as an "instrument of policy" to provide shelter to terrorists. "The biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security and trust-deficit," he said. "And the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism." Singh said peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. "Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action, and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security," he said.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"India's concern on terrorism was not acceptable to one country": MEA on Rajnath Singh's refusal to sign SCO joint statement
New Delhi [India], June 26 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said India refused to sign the joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in China as its concerns on terrorism were not included in the document, a proposal that was 'not acceptable to one particular country', preventing the consensus required for adoption. Addressing a press briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated India's firm stance against terrorism during his address, urging member countries to fight terrorism in 'all its forms and manifestations.' 'The Defence Minister participated in the defence ministers' meeting of the SCO. This meeting happened over two days and has concluded. They could not adopt a joint statement. Certain member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues, and hence, the document could not be finalised. India wanted concerns and terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement could not be adopted,' Randhir Jaiswal said. 'The Defence Minister, in his address, called upon these 11 countries to come together to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations... He also reiterated the need to uphold that the perpetrators, organisers, financers, sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, need to be held accountable and brought to justice,' he added. India's decision not to sign the declaration was also influenced by the fact that it did not mention the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, but included references to incidents in Pakistan. Speaking at the SCO meeting in China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said there should be no double standards on terrorism and that countries supporting such acts must be called out. Without naming Pakistan directly, he said terrorism and peace cannot exist together. 'I believe that the biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security and trust deficit. And the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism, he said. He also warned about the danger of terror groups gaining access to weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), saying, 'Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action, and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security.' (ANI)
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"India's concern on terrorism was not acceptable to one country': MEA on Rajnath Singh refusal to sign SCO joint statement
New Delhi [India], June 26 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said India refused to sign the joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in China as its concerns on terrorism were not included in the document, a proposal that was 'not acceptable to one particular country', preventing the consensus required for adoption. Addressing a press briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated India's firm stance against terrorism during his address, urging member countries to fight terrorism in 'all its forms and manifestations.' 'The Defence Minister participated in the defence ministers' meeting of the SCO. This meeting happened over two days and has concluded. They could not adopt a joint statement. Certain member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues, and hence, the document could not be finalised. India wanted concerns and terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement could not be adopted,' Randhir Jaiswal said. 'The Defence Minister, in his address, called upon these 11 countries to come together to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations... He also reiterated the need to uphold that the perpetrators, organisers, financers, sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, need to be held accountable and brought to justice,' he added. India's decision not to sign the declaration was also influenced by the fact that it did not mention the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, but included references to incidents in Pakistan. Speaking at the SCO meeting in China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said there should be no double standards on terrorism and that countries supporting such acts must be called out. Without naming Pakistan directly, he said terrorism and peace cannot exist together. 'I believe that the biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security and trust deficit. And the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism, he said. He also warned about the danger of terror groups gaining access to weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), saying, 'Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action, and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security.' (ANI)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'One particular country objected...': MEA explains why India refused to sign SCO defence declaration
India declined to sign the joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' meeting in China after its proposals to include strong references to terrorism were not accepted. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that consensus was blocked by 'one particular country.' 'India wanted concerns and terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement could not be adopted,' MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at a press briefing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Articles Vally Undo Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , who represented India at the two-day meet, used his address to underline India's firm position on terrorism and the need for collective action among SCO members. 'The Defence Minister, in his address, called upon these 11 countries to come together to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations... He also reiterated the need to uphold that the perpetrators, organisers, financers, sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, need to be held accountable and brought to justice,' Jaiswal added. Live Events India's decision also stemmed from the document's failure to mention the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, while it did include references to incidents in Pakistan. Officials said this selective framing was unacceptable to New Delhi. At the SCO meet... At the meeting, Singh warned that terrorism and peace cannot co-exist, and called out countries that shield or support extremist groups. Without naming Pakistan, he said, 'I believe that the biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security and trust deficit. And the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism.' 'Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action, and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security,' Singh added. The SCO meeting concluded without the adoption of a joint declaration due to the lack of unanimity on terrorism language, despite India's push to include clear references to cross-border threats and the need for accountability.
