April 16, 2024

Justice Dalveer Bhandari’s election to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was full of drama. His opponent, Justice Greenwood of United Kingdom, withdrew from the race as the deadlock over the difference in voting pattern in the General Assembly and the Security Council could not be broken even after several rounds of voting. Reflecting India’s growing clout in world community, Justice Bhandari received more than two-thirds of the vote in the General Assembly. In contrast, Greenwood got 9 votes in the Security Council against the 5 received by Bhandari. To be elected to the ICJ, an applicant must win in both the chambers. Ultimately, the UK side decided to withdraw Greenwood’s candidature, leaving the field open for Bhandari.

This is a big win for India. It shows that recent diplomatic efforts have borne fruit and more and more nations are voting for Indian representatives in most important international bodies. It also proves that despite her illness, Sushma Swaraj is the most efficient minister in the Modi cabinet. Some of what she does gets leaked in the media (like airlifting stranded Indians from trouble spots around the world or providing urgent visas for Pakistanis needing surgery not available in their country), but that is not all she does. As Bhandari’s election proves, the MEA under Swaraj is a different unit altogether. It works untiringly to put India’s representatives on the high table in world bodies. It goes without saying that the support India receives is both a result of the efforts of MEA and the new respect with which India is being viewed nowadays.