Dr. Vedapratap Vaidik
The strong and resounding statement from India on the Ukraine crisis in the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday has certainly elevated our status among the international community. T S Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative at the UN, equivocally condemned the killings of civilians in Bucha and demanded an independent investigation into the merciless massacre. Though the Indian emissary showed wisdom not to take the name of Russia in the gruesome killing, Tirumurti had criticized the atrocities of its Armed forces in the same tone the US and European nations had admonished.
This criticism of India may or may not have any impact on Russia, but our neutrality will no longer be misconstrued as insensitiveness by rest of the world. India might not have supported resolutions against Russia in the international forum, but we never minced words in declaring that every member countries should respect the United Nations’ declarations to protect the security and sovereignty of other nations. India firmly believes that disputes should and must be resolved through dialogues and not war. This was exactly what Tirumurti stressed in his statement in the UNSC, while deliberating on the Bucha massacre.
I believe, our stance would have brought some solace to the US leadership that has been consistently persuading and even pressurizing India to adopt an anti-Russian posture and also impose on Russia the same sanctions enforced by the West. It is more than evident, by no chance India is going to yield to the West, in this issue.
In fact, US did the same in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Vietnam and Korea. Ukrainian President Zhelensky in his address to the UN Security Council had said with frustration that if the United Nations cannot protect Ukraine, why it should not be dissolved. As far as sanctions are concerned, this is utter hypocrisy, as Russian oil and gas is still being purchased in plenty by European countries.
Regarding the ongoing annihilations in Ukraine, even Mussolini’s Italy or Hitler’s Germany did not do what Putin’s Russia is doing today. Russian armed forces are indiscriminately demolishing cities. Over 300 human bodies were found in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. Human souls across the globe are stunned at the dismal visuals aired by TV channels. Houses, shops and offices have been devastated. Putin’s spokesperson says that all these visuals are fabricated and were taken a week after Bucha was evacuated by Russian forces.
Who wouldn’t be agitated at this idiocy of the Russian spokesperson? If the Russian genocide continues like this, the image of Putin and Russia will shrink to nil as happened to Mussolini and Hitler. India’s anxiety on turning Bucha into a butcher house is genuine, but it’s imperative, wisdom dawns on Putin that if such cruelty is not stopped, his all-weather buddies like China and India will also be forced to raise red flag against Russia.
*The author is the President of the Indian Council of Foreign Policy
*Dr. Vaidik is a widely travelled scholar-journalist. He has visited more than 80 countries on diplomatic and educationalmissions. Dr. Vaidik has won more than a dozen National and International awards for academic and journalistic excellence. He has been a member of several Advisory Committees of Government of India.
