– Arpan Pathane, Nagpur.
Why India aspires for UNSC if not ready for any initiatives ?
Nagpur – Being neutral doesn’t mean being unaffected, as far as India’s stand on the ongoing Ukraine Russia conflict is concerned. Russia is going to stuck up in Ukraine and will never be able to control Ukrainians just the way they and America failed in Afghanistan. The results are eventually going to overturn the geopolitics of world and India, says Siddharth Varadarajan, the founding editor of ‘The Wire’. Varadarajan was delivering his discourse on the topic ‘Ukraine conflict : It’s impact on India, the world and media’. The occasion was the state-level journalism awards distribution ceremony of Lokmat Group where he was speaking as the chief speaker.
Even war has some sort of rules that needs to be followed. Russia has not only imposed and illegitimate war on Ukraine but also committed severely inhuman war atrocities. Trying to sabotage a sovereign nation and attacking civilians on failing with other quirks is something to be condemned unanimously. But the roots of this conflict need to be studied while doing the need of the moment.
Varadarajan uses the vibrant example of Yugoslavia to explain this tragedy. Yugoslavia was a nation of diversity just like Ukraine and also India for that matter. Serbian domination and non-willingness of the state to incorporate the diversity resulted in the vanishing of this nation from the world map. State observes diversity as weakness rather than strength and here starts the roots of conflict growing in. When State respects and conserves its diversity as an asset, diversity adds to the enrichment of the nation. Varadarajan hailed the Vajpayee government for going out of the way to condemn the NATO and USA for intervention in Yugoslavia. Delhi has JB Tito Marg as a memoir of the good old Yugoslavia, Ukraine will be remembered in war stories which coming generations will see in archives of media coverage.
America, United Nations and NATO will have to regret their share in leading this tragedy and India’s take too is not appreciable, says Varadarajan. After WW2 concluded, NATO was supposed to be dissolved. America made it remain with a promise to Russia that NATO would not expand further, especially in East Europe. Russia agreed to this on the account that European powers like Germany and France will not gain the authority to lead Europe’s security plans ; this was a threat to Russia in those days. America’s eagerness to control Europe and suppress Russian influence slowly changed everything and here the world has arrived in the current situation. India could have played the role of a mature friend for Russia like Turkey and Israel by criticizing in soft words. It would have projected India as a nation with integrity to work for peace which at least recognizes a fair stand while keeping the national interests protected. Varadarajan makes a strong statement that why India aspires for UNSC if not ready for any initiatives.
What the future holds further ? US and Europe’s security and economic relations are going to be strong like never before. Russian progression in Ukraine doesn’t appear to end up like Crimea. Arms race is going to pace up. Will nuclear test bans continue ?The answer is a big no. Arms race would not be only within US and Russia. China is also a player in this evil race. Here comes the fire to our door. Till when we would be able to be non-aligned and is it sufficient ? Even though the answer is ambiguous, the negative effect on the Indian economy is certain for sure.
Siddharth Varadarajan appreciated the organizers for taking the initiative to support investigative journalism and boosting the work of public interest by these awards. Distinguished Journalists were felicitated for their quality work in such domains by the chief guest of the ceremony Sanjay Raut, Varadarajan and Divisional Commissioner Prajakta Lavangare. The ceremony was honored with the presence of District Collector R Vimala, MP KrupalTumane and other dignitaries. Students of different faculties were present to hear Siddharth Varadarajan
