On%20the%20Ides%20of%20March%20%2815th%20March%29%2C%20India%27s%20External%20Affairs%20Minister%20S%20Jaishankar%20made%20a%20strong%20statement%20in%20the%20Indian%20Parliament%20which%20set%20the%20tone%20for%20the%20ensuing%20period%20of%20Indo-UK%20relations.%26nbsp%3BJaishankar%27s%20statement%20came%20after%20a%20question%20about%20racism%20in%20the%20UK%20by%20an%20MP%20Ashwini%20Vaishnaw%20who%26nbsp%3Balleged%20that%20Rashmi%20Samant%2C%20a%20student%20from%20Karnataka%20and%20the%20former%20president-elect%20of%20the%20Oxford%20University%20Student%20Union%2C%20was%20%22cyberbullied%20to%20the%20point%20that%20she%20had%20to%20resign%20%28from%20the%20post%29.%22%20Jaishankar%20said%20in%20his%20reply%3A%26nbsp%3B%22As%20the%20land%20of%20Mahatma%20Gandhi%2C%20we%20can%20never%20ever%20turn%20our%20eyes%20away%20from%20racism%20wherever%20it%20is.%20Particularly%20so%20when%20it%20is%20in%20a%20country%20where%20we%20have%20such%20a%20large%20diaspora.%22%26nbsp%3B
Through%20this%20statement%2C%20the%20Indian%20government%20sent%20out%20a%20message%26nbsp%3Bthat%20if%20the%20British%20parliament%20can%20debate%20India%u2019s%20internal%20affairs%2C%20so%20can%20the%20Indian%20parliament%20debate%20the%20internal%20affairs%20of%20Britain.%26nbsp%3BThus%2C%20the%26nbsp%3Bclear%20message%20sent%20by%20New%20Delhi%20to%20London%20is%20that%20the%20trend%20being%20witnessed%20in%20Britain%20to%20interfere%20in%20India%27s%20internal%20affairs%20must%20be%20brought%20to%20an%20end%26nbsp%3Bor%20else%20it%20will%20adversely%26nbsp%3Baffect%20the%20growth%26nbsp%3Bof%20bilateral%20ties.
Also%20Read%7C%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/finally-pakistanis-to-get-vaccinated-by-india%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinally%2C%20Pakistanis%20to%20get%20vaccinated%20by%20India%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
It%20is%20indeed%20a%20cause%20of%20some%20concern%20that%26nbsp%3Bsome%20mischievous%2C%20anti-India%20elements%20in%20the%20UK%20have%20an%20unambiguous%20agenda%20of%26nbsp%3Bpushing%20their%20country%27s%20relationship%20with%20India%20on%20a%20downward%20spiral.%20These%20include%20Khalistan%20supporters%20and%20Kashmiri%20activists%20who%20have%20the%20backing%20of%20Pakistan%27s%20ISI.%26nbsp%3B%20A%20series%20of%20unfortunate%20developments%20engineered%20by%20such%20elements%20have%20been%20threatening%20to%20derail%20the%20bilateral%20relationship.%26nbsp%3B
A%20quick%20review%20of%20recent%20events%20is%20needed%20to%20put%20matters%20in%20the%20correct%20perspective.%20Tension%20has%20slowly%20built%20up%20between%20some%20British%20political%20groups%20and%20the%20Indian%20Government%20in%20regard%20to%20the%20farmers%20protests%20in%20India.%20When%20British%20PM%20Boris%20Johnson%20was%20slated%20to%20come%20to%20India%20in%20January%20this%20year%20as%20the%20Chief%20Guest%20for%20the%20Republic%20Day%20celebrations%2C%20more%20than%20a%20hundred%20members%20of%20the%20British%20Parliament%20had%20signed%20a%20letter%20asking%20him%20to%26nbsp%3Braise%20the%20concerns%20of%20India%27s%20protesting%20farmers%20in%20his%20discussions%20with%20Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%2C%26nbsp%3Bas%20also%20the%20%u201Cbrute%20force%u201D%20employed%20against%20them.%26nbsp%3BHowever%2C%20Johnson%20had%20to%20cancel%20his%20visit%20due%20to%20the%20surge%20in%20the%26nbsp%3BCoronavirus%26nbsp%3Bcases%20in%20the%20UK.
Also%20Read%7C%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/indo-us-strategic-partnership-sticking-it-to-china%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EStrategic%20partnership%20with%20India%3A%20Is%20the%20US%20sticking%20it%20to%20China%3F%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
%26nbsp%3BLater%2C%20as%20a%20follow%20up%20of%20a%20petition%20which%20was%20started%20by%20a%20UK%20Sikh%20activist%20Gurch%20Singh%20and%20signed%20by%20more%20than%201%20lakh%20persons%2C%26nbsp%3Bthe%20House%20of%20Commons%20had%20assigned%2090%20minutes%20for%20a%20debate%20on%20March%26nbsp%3B8%2C%202021%20on%20matters%20relating%20to%20the%20farmers%27%20protests%20in%20India.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDuring%20this%20debate%2C%20several%20MPs%20from%20the%20Liberal%20Democrats%2C%20Labour%20Party%20and%20the%20Scottish%20National%20Party%20expressed%20concern%20about%20the%20safety%20of%20the%20farmers%20protesting%20against%20the%20agricultural%20laws%20on%20Delhi%u2019s%20borders%20and%20the%20targeting%20of%20journalists%20covering%20the%20agitation.%20They%20made%20adverse%20comments%20against%20India%26nbsp%3Bover%20press%20freedom%2C%20freedom%20of%20speech%20and%20domestic%20values.
The%20Indian%20High%20Commission%20in%20London%20issued%20a%20strong%20statement%20against%20these%20British%20Parliamentarians%20over%20their%20comments.%26nbsp%3BThe%20High%20Commission%20said%20that%26nbsp%3Bit%20would%20%22normally%20refrain%20from%20commenting%20on%20an%20internal%20discussion%20involving%20a%20small%20group%20of%20Parliamentarians%20in%20a%20limited%20quorum.%20However%2C%20when%20aspersions%20are%20cast%20against%20India%20by%20anyone%2C%20there%27s%20a%20need%20to%20set%20the%20record%20straight.%22%26nbsp%3B
Also%20Read%7C%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/from-covid-19-to-galwan-valley-clash-chinas-lies-damned-lies-and-statistics%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EChina%27s%20lies%2C%20damned%20lies%20and%20statistics%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
To%20further%20underline%20India%27s%20displeasure%2C%20Foreign%20Secretary%20Harsh%20Shringla%20summoned%20the%20British%20High%20Commissioner%20and%20conveyed%20strong%20opposition%20to%20the%20unwarranted%20and%20tendentious%20discussion%20on%20India%27s%20agricultural%20reforms%20in%20the%20British%20Parliament.%20The%20Foreign%20Secretary%20made%20it%20clear%20that%20this%20represented%20a%20gross%20interference%20in%20the%20politics%20of%20another%20democratic%20country.%20He%20advised%20that%20the%20British%20MPs%20should%20refrain%20from%20practising%20vote%20bank%20politics%20by%20misrepresenting%20events%2C%20especially%20in%20relation%20to%20another%20fellow%20democracy.%26nbsp%3B
Thus%20Jaishankar%27s%20%27Ides%20of%20March%27%26nbsp%3Bstatement%26nbsp%3Bin%20Parliament%20was%20a%20firm%20signal%20that%20the%20demarche%26nbsp%3Bmade%20recently%20by%20the%20Foreign%20Secretary%20with%26nbsp%3Bthe%20UK%20high%20commissioner%20last%20week%20was%20more%20than%20just%20a%20passing%20phenomenon.%26nbsp%3BHowever%2C%20Jaishankar%20went%20on%20to%20say%20during%20the%20very%20same%20statement%20that%26nbsp%3B%22as%20a%20friend%20of%20the%20UK%2C%20we%20also%20have%20concerns%20about%20its%20reputational%20impact%2C%22%20adding%26nbsp%3B%22What%20I%20do%20want%20to%20say%20is%20that%20we%20have%20strong%20ties%20with%20the%20UK%20%28and%29%20we%20will%20take%20up%20such%20matters%20with%20great%20candour%20when%20required.%22%20The%20use%20of%20the%20expressions%20%27a%20friend%20of%20the%20UK%27%20and%20%27strong%20ties%20with%20the%20UK%27%20indicates%20that%26nbsp%3Bhaving%20made%20known%20his%20displeasure%2C%20he%20perhaps%20signalled%26nbsp%3B%20the%20Indian%20Government%27s%20willingness%20to%20put%26nbsp%3B%20the%20relationship%20back%20on%20track.
%26nbsp%3BNotably%2C%20within%20a%20few%20hours%20of%20making%20his%20statement%20in%20Parliament%20yesterday%2C%20Minister%20Jaishankar%20and%20Foreign%20Secretary%20Harsh%20Shringla%20held%20talks%26nbsp%3Bcovering%20bilateral%20ties%20and%20global%20cooperation%26nbsp%3Bwith%20Lord%20Tariq%20Ahmad%2C%20the%20visiting%20UK%20Minister%20of%20State%20for%20South%20Asia.%20The%20talks%20assume%20a%20great%20deal%20of%20significance%20in%20view%20of%20the%20fact%20that%20British%20Prime%20Minister%20Boris%20Johnson%20will%20visit%20India%20at%20the%20end%20of%20next%20month%20in%20what%20will%20be%20his%20first%20major%20international%20trip%20after%20Britain%27s%20exit%20from%20the%20European%20Union%20and%20will%20be%20part%20of%20his%20efforts%20to%20boost%20the%20UK%27s%20opportunities%20in%20the%20Indo-Pacific%20region.
It%20is%20a%20truism%20that%20in%20diplomacy%2C%20overcoming%20the%20main%20threats%20to%20national%20interests%20must%20always%20override%20other%20concerns.%20India%27s%20national%20interests%20are%20threatened%20by%20serious%20challenges%20such%20as%20the%20ongoing%20stand-off%20with%26nbsp%3BChina%2C%20the%20unending%20tension%20with%20Pakistan%20and%20the%20Covid-19%20pandemic%20with%20its%20resultant%20slowing-down%20of%20the%20economy.%20No%20doubt%2C%20at%20this%20critical%20juncture%2C%20India%20can%20ill-afford%20a%20deterioration%20in%20its%20relationship%20with%20the%20UK%2C%20but%20the%20latter%20must%20also%20realise%20that%20the%20reverse%20is%20equally%20true.%26nbsp%3BHopefully%2C%20the%26nbsp%3Bcombination%20of%20tough%20posturing%20and%20deft%20diplomacy%20by%20India%20will%20perhaps%20be%20able%20to%20put%20things%20back%20on%20track.
%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23India%22%20data-user-id%3D%22Bq4MmUPrXF8p%22%20href%3D%22/topic/india%22%3E%23India%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UK%22%20data-user-id%3D%22rBpj9Yi57Sni%22%20href%3D%22/topic/uk%22%3E%23UK%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23SJaishankar%22%20data-user-id%3D%22fbEPsZNUWS02%22%20href%3D%22/topic/sjaishankar%22%3E%23SJaishankar%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BorisJohnson%22%20data-user-id%3D%22WjDr7Jisvlg3%22%20href%3D%22/topic/borisjohnson%22%3E%23BorisJohnson%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23OxfordUniversity%22%20data-user-id%3D%22vxuUO3YPfNZR%22%20href%3D%22/topic/oxford-university%22%3E%23OxfordUniversity%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B
