Sir — This refers to the article, “Peace-keepers are rarely left in peace” (April 17) by Ashok K Mehta. It would be foolhardy to expect that our country will get a seat at the UNSC’s permanent table merely by playing a greater role in peace-keeping missions. The nature of the world is not about rewarding contributions. It is about demanding a seat at the high table.
The UN itself is a faulty organisation, having been formed in the wake of the Second World War and being at first only a European Union that expanded to include other nations.
The Chinese have shown no gratitude for being granted a UN seat by Jawaharlal Nehru. Now, Beijing can justify the position by virtue of its overwhelming economic and military weight. But this was not so when the seat was granted. China was a poor nation, with persistent and sometimes violent social tensions and upheavals, and widespread deprivation. Our country aspires to influence, but it does not know how to achieve it. Our leaders are only dawdling in silly and foolish sentimentalities.