NEW DELHI – It might be cited as an object lesson in how not to win friendsand influence people. Old friends have suddenly turned into critics or keptan icy silence.
The trigger was the Hindu-Muslim riots in North East Delhi where the policeare perceived to have taken sides. That has come after a string of moveslike the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the abolition of Article 370 andAssam’s National Citizenship Register.
The countries that have shown displeasure with India in different formsinclude Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Turkey and, ofcourse, Pakistan in our neighbourhood. Then there’s Britain, whereparliamentarians criticised India in a lengthy debate, and the US whereIndian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal is pushing a resolutionasking India to lift all restrictions in Kashmir.
The government has reacted to former Malaysian Prime Minister MahathirMohamad’s statement by cutting back on buying palm oil from them andpurchasing more from Indonesia.
But last week, the Indonesian government called in the Indian Ambassador“to discuss the riots that have claimed dozens of lives” in Delhi.
India-Indonesia relations have traditionally been close. There’s thestartling effort by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights which hasattempted to intervene in the Supreme Court CAA case.
The government’s trying to shrug off these reactions and Foreign Minister SJaishankar, when asked about Iran said: “Maybe we are getting to know whoour friends really are.”
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But it’s not so easy to dismiss this welter of criticism. Jayapal’sresolution before the House Foreign Affairs Committee has 49 co-sponsors.
And the Afghan government was already upset about the CAA and protestedthat it has taken steps to protect minorities.
The Delhi riots triggered anti-Indian demonstrations in Kabul and Herat.Commented Anand Arni, former special secretary, R&AW on the Afghandemonstrations:
“The one place where we could proudly call ourselves Indian and look whatwe have wrought.” – Hindustan Business Line
