Delhi (The Stellar News) Saksham Kalia: Russia is with war against Ukraine and in a bid to hold the control of Ukraine Russia has started full scale invasion. When I am writing this article, Ukraine is witnessing its 9th day of war and Russia has taken control of many significant areas of Ukraine.
Russian President Viladimir Putin has deployed his nuclear armies on alert. Two rounds of Talks had already happen and remain un-conclusive. On the day, when Russia started invasion, many countries were looking for the India stand in this catastrophic situation.
And India in every revolution in every forum decided to abstain to vote and showed his silent support to Russia. But the question arises, why India is supporting Russia in every international forum.
The answer of this question is somewhere in history when Russia stood with India and the whole world was against it. In 1957, Russia used Veto power and supported India on Kashmir Matter, In 1961 Liberation of Goa, 1962 supported for Kashmir, 1971 supported on Kashmir, 2019 supported for article 370.
1957
1957 The USSR first used the veto power for India in 1957 over the Kashmir issue. When Nikita Khrushchev, the then leader of the Soviet Union, visited India in 1955, he said that Moscow was just ‘across the border’ and in case of any trouble in Kashmir, Delhi should just give a shout to the USSR. He stayed true to his words, and when Pakistan proposed the use of a temporary UN force in connection with the demilitarisation and the bilateral issue was close to becoming an international issue, USSR used the veto power in favour of India.
1961
In 1961, Portugal sent a letter to the UNSC concerning Goa. At that time, Goa was still under the power of Portugal and India was trying to liberate the region and make it a part of our nation. Unlike France, Portugal refused to let go of its territories in India and even opened fire on the protesters in Goa. As per reports, Nikita Khrushchev sent a telegram to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in which he said India’s actions “to do away with outposts of colonialism in its territory were absolutely lawful and justified”. Portugal tried to invoke the UN Charter and proposed a resolution that India should withdraw their forces from Goa. The proposal was supported by the United States, the United Kingdom and France. But USSR came to India’s rescue and blew away the proposal by using the veto power. It strengthened India’s cause, and on December 19, 1961, Goa was finally liberated from the rule of Portugal. It is important to note that it was USSR’s 99th veto.
1962
USSR used its 100th veto in 1962, and this time again, in favour of India. An Irish Resolution in the UNSC urged India and Pakistan to directly negotiate with one another to settle the Kashmir issue. Seven UNSC members supported it, and among them were four permanent members – the US, France, UK and China. The Indian delegation refused to accept the resolution and then, the Russian delegate Platon Dmitrievich Morozov used the veto power to make the resolution null and void.
1971
In 1965, after the India-Pakistan War began, the then Pakistani foreign minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto raised the Kashmir issue at the UN, and the Indian delegation walked out in protest. According to reports, Kunwar Natwar Singh, the former Minister of External Affairs termed the walkout as a ‘turning point’ for the UN regarding the Kashmir issue. The Kashmir issue became dormant in the UNSC except in 1971 when resolutions were proposed over the Kashmir issue, but in December 1971, when India was engaged in a war against Pakistan to liberate Bangladesh, the USSR used its veto power thrice for two reasons: To ensure that the issue remains a bilateral one instead of becoming a global concern that could attract interference from third-party nations and that the UN could not pass a resolution in favour of ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
2019
In 2019 India got Clear support from Russia. Russia supported India declaring removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir is the internal matter of constitution of India.
