oppn parties Ukraine War: India Needs To Use Stronger Words Against Russia

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  • Sensex and Nifty post their strongest single-day gains in months. The Sensex surged 2,008.61 points, or 2.60%, to close at 79,310.01, while the Nifty 50 climbed 576 points, or 2.40%, to 24,536.60. Financial and automobile stocks led the rally, supported by falling crude prices and renewed foreign investor buying
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  • India beat Japan 4-1 to win a record sixth Asian Champions Trophy. India recovered from an early deficit to defeat Japan in the final at Mohali, extending its record as the tournament's most successful men's team
  • The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission on a petition challenging Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which grants the CEC and Election Commissioners protection from legal proceedings for acts performed in their official duties. The petition argues that such blanket immunity could leave citizens without an effective remedy for alleged wrongdoing by the Commission
  • The Supreme Court told voters whose names were deleted from Delhi's draft electoral rolls not to be apprehensive about seeking re-enrolment through Form 6, after the Election Commission assured it that such applicants would not be prosecuted merely because their names had appeared in earlier rolls
  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opened the party's campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections with an Insaaf rally in Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district, accusing the AAP government of failing to control drugs, gangster violence and corruption. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlined six commitments, including a drug-free Punjab, protection of farmers, employment for young people and action against corruption
  • Rahul Gandhi accused the AAP government of running Punjab through a remote control from Delhi and questioned Bhagwant Mann's ability to tackle drug abuse, making personal allegations about the Chief Minister's conduct during their time together in Parliament
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Ukraine War: India Needs To Use Stronger Words Against Russia

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-04-04 04:43:16

About the Author

Sunil Garodia The India Commentary view

India has been consistently abstaining whenever any resolution has been put up for voting at the UN on the ongoing war in Ukraine. India's stand was dictated by a host of factors, not the least being that it is the biggest importer of Russian weapons and historically, Russia has taken India's side on issues that affected the country. The West, while putting pressure on India to condemn the Russian invasion, also made it clear that it understood India's compulsions.

But the discovery of bodies of civilians, including women, and mass graves in Bucha town near Kyiv as Russian troops withdraw and Ukraine recaptures many areas, changes all this. The Russians had invaded Ukraine with the express purpose of 'disarming' the smaller nation in a bid to prevent it from joining Nato. But as in any war, when they faced resistance, their army has been indulging in war crimes. Killing of civilians is condemnable and cannot be condoned even as collateral damage. While India cannot align itself with the Western geopolitical view, it cannot also remain silent on the Russian excesses.

There could not have been any excuse for a war. Yet, the Russians gave many excuses but things did not go according to their plan. The 'disarming' exercise was supposed to be short and swift, targeting military installations and arms depots. Instead, it has become prolonged as Ukraine resisted strongly and civilians are being killed. Russia is being accused of genocide. India will now have to change its stand and even if it does not vote against Russia in the UN, it needs to strongly condemn the Russian action in killing civilians and hitting civilian targets. This is not the time to remain silent, not even to side with a friend.