Regional formation cannot remain ambivalent
The Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit, which begins in Goa on October 15, has a multi-layered agenda, but the issue of terrorism will be a key one. There is no doubt that India on its part will draw the member countries' attention to the scourge of global and regional terror and the role played by certain nations who use terrorism as a state policy. This is not surprising, since the summit is being held in the backdrop of the recent terrorist attacks on an Indian Army camp in Jammu & Kashmir's Uri and earlier on an Air Force base in Pathankot, by militants who came from across the border. New Delhi's resolve to not take such attacks lying down was evident in the surgical strikes the Indian Armed Forces conducted late last month deep into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Addressing a meeting in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the commitment when he said that, while India will walk the path of peace, it will not shy away from battles if national interest so demanded. Effective and unapologetic retaliation is thus the new normal. Brics members are in no doubt about the Modi Government's position, and they cannot avoid discussing the issue. They cannot also ignore the support India received from south Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri lanka, leading to the cancellation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) meet scheduled to be held in Pakistan this November. Nearly all of these nations roundly condemned Pakistan for fomenting terrorism in the neighbourhood and refused to attend the meet.
The responses from Russia and China at the Brics meet will be especially interesting on the issue of state-sponsored terrorism. While it's true that Moscow had issued a strongly-worded condemnation of the Uri attack and had even referred to Pakistan, it had still had gone ahead and conducted joint military exercises with Pakistan, annoying New Delhi. As India's close friend of decades, it ought to have refrained from sending a wrong message. It is now known that New Delhi has politely told Moscow that the latter’s tango with Pakistan dismayed India. Russia has also recently upped its defence engagement with Islamabad. Being a key global power, Russia must stand shoulder to shoulder with India on terrorism.
As for China, let's be clear: It will continue to support its “only real ally” despite any amount of evidence India presents on Pakistan backing terrorists and terror organisations that continue to target the neighbourhood. It has not relented on the demand to have UN sanctions against Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, and it will not. It will continue to sing Pakistan's tune of ‘where is the evidenceIJ' And so, in the Brics meet, it is likely to dilute criticism of Pakistan. Globally, it's just China that backs Pakistan on this issue. While we must continue to engage with Beijing, we mustn't hope for much. India will have reason to cheer if the other two members, Brazil and South Africa, endorse India's position. The summit's goal of “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions (BRICS)”, as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has underlined, cannot be achieved without commonality on the threat of terrorism.