Resolute Raksha Mantri

While reflecting on the Importance and outcome of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) Defence Ministers Meeting being held in Qingdao, China keeping in view the visit of Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh; The Rising Kashmir had made it clear in its editorial yesterday that the Chinese and the American policy during the recent India-Pakistan conflict in the aftermath of the gruesome Pahalgam carnage has made it vividly clear that India will have to devise its independent foreign policy that makes it clear to the international community-territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation is non –negotiable. Operation Sindoor has proved beyond doubt that any act of terrorism directed to destabilise India will invite Indian wrath and a heavy cost will be imposed. And this time India has shown that it means business and forced Pakistan to fall in line by targeting the terrorist bases and terror centres in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) and Pakistan. Chinese posturing during this conflict made it clear that it has no issues with Pakistan sponsoring terrorism against India. After this posturing it becomes clear that China is using Pakistan to destabilise India and pursue its agenda of encircling India. The United States (US) too acted in a dubious manner by making false claims of brokering a ceasefire that was categorically denied by the Indian Government. One thing is clear that both China and America need Pakistan for different reasons. China needs it to destabilise India to impose its hegemony in Asia. The US needs Pakistan to use it as a show boy of the Muslim world and claim to be the champion of democracy by targeting religious radicalism. Though it has failed to deliver on that. Instead it made an unconventional exit from Afghanistan and left its war on terror incomplete with the Trump 2.0 regime calling the troops back home due to heavy loss of the exchequer. Having two godfathers, Pakistan has emerged as a mercenary state that offers services to the clients who pay it in various forms. But this relationship with Pakistan of these two antagonists who are indulged in a Cold War 2.0 with each other has created a new Frankenstein Monster that is eating the vitals of free society. As all roots of religious terrorism lie in Pakistan. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has done well by refusing to sign the draft statement at the SCO meeting as this document did not include the reference to the Pahalgam terrorist attack on 22nd April but included the Jaffar Express hijacking in Pakistan in March this year. Indian concerns have not been respected in this meeting and thus not included in the draft resolution. This has been stated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. The statement says that India wanted concerns on terrorism to be reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore, the statement was not adopted. The reference is obvious to Pakistan. This makes it clear that China has accommodated the Pakistani concerns and allowed it to hijack the agenda of SCO. This is indeed alarming and must be taken seriously. Rajnath Singh has acted resolutely and not signed the resolution that has undermined the Pakistani terrorist threat to the Indian nation. Earlier speaking at the SCO, Raksha Mantri made it clear that Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir meant to destabilise India cannot be tolerated . Speaking about the 22nd April Pahalgam carnage and the Indian response through Operation Sindoor he said, “During the Pahalgam terror attack, victims were shot after they were profiled on religious identity. The Resistance Front, a proxy of UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed responsibility for the attack. The pattern of Pahalgam attack matches with LeT’s previous terror attacks in India. India’s zero tolerance for terrorism was demonstrated through its actions.” It is abundantly clear that the hosts were made well aware of the Indian stand by Rajnath Singh well before the drafting of the resolution and still Indian concerns on Pakistan sponsored terrorism were not accommodated in the resolution. This speaks volumes about the intentions of the organisers to defend Pakistani nefarious designs and allow the SCO to be used as a platform to defend the Pakistani interests. This must force India to take a holistic view of the SCO and its intentions with respect to India. India must take a call as far as being the member of this body is concerned. Raksha Mantri had been resolutely clear in his speech about the dangers of terrorism and unfortunately, the SCO has missed the bus by not addressing the Indian concerns. This can have an impact on the stability of the SCO and has already cast aspersions on its real agenda. Rajnath Singh highlighting the dangers of terrorism and coming down heavily on those who nurture it as a state policy to impose regression in the present world order said, “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. It is imperative that those who sponsor nurture and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences. 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.” It is indeed a clear message to Pakistan to shun terrorism as a state policy and urging the SCO to take terror sponsoring nations head on to save humanity. Raksha Mantri not signing the SCO draft document has an added significance and has led to the non-issuance of the joint statement for this year’s meeting. Rajnath Singh has given a resolute message that India cannot be taken for a ride and there will be no compromise of terrorism and Pakistan will not be allowed to go unpunished for inflicting genocidal attrition in Jammu and Kashmir. The nation salutes the Raksha Mantri for his firm and bold decision by not signing the subversive document to bail out Pakistan for using terrorism as the state policy to destabilise India and inflict genocide on people in Jammu and Kashmir by using radical mercenaries.