Hang thy colonial 'firangi' mindset
UK's move not to recognise India's vaccination was not only discriminatory, it reflected a virtual superiority complex and "colonialist mindset". The UK has been refusing to recognise 'visitors' as vaccinated unless they received their shots in a handful of select countries.
New Delhi: Tit for Tat. UK's pathetic superior syndrome is being strongly countered.
The Indian Government has finally decided to impose 'reciprocity' on the United Kingdom/British nationals arriving in India from the UK with regard to vaccine and Covid19 protocols.
"Our new regulations will come into effect from October 4," a source said and asserted that the norms will be applicable to "all UK nationals arriving from the UK".
All British citizens arriving in India from Oct 4, Monday will face a mandatory 10-day quarantine irrespective of vaccination status. This is in response to the UK's hugely controversial similar rules for several countries including India.
"From October 4, all UK nationals arriving in India from the UK, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to undertake the following measures:
-Pre-departure Covid-19 RT-PRC test within 72 hours before travel. - Covid-19 RT-PCR test on arrival at airport.
- Covid-19 RT-PCR test on Day 8 after arrival
- "Mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after arrival in India"
• Authorities in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare would be taking steps to implement the new measures, sources said.
New Delhi "not taken into confidence" by US on what Taliban committed at Doha, says Jaishankar
New Delhi:
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said that while there was unanimity on many issues on Afghanistan between India and the US, New Delhi was not taken into confidence on "commitments" made by the Taliban at Doha talks.
"....When I say levels of concern, the commitments which were made by the Taliban at Doha, the US knows it best. We were not taken into confidence on various aspects of that," Dr Jaishankar said speaking virtually at the Leadership summit of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).
"I think we are on similar pages at a principle level on many of these issues, certainly say terrorism," he said and clarified that the use of Afghan soil for terrorism is something both the countries "feel so strongly".
Moreover, he said, this was something which was discussed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden held bilateral talks in Washington recently.
That a career diplomat that he has been, Dr Jaishankar put it in the right and balanced perspective.
"There will be issues on which we (India and US) will agree more, there will be issues on which we will agree less".
He further said in an apparent potshot at Pakistan: "Our experiences in some respects are different from yours (the US). We have been victims of cross-border terrorism ourselves from that region and that has shaped in many ways our view of some of the neighbours of Afghanistan".
Dr Jaishankar described the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue as a grouping that brings together four countries with shared values and a shared vision for the Indo-Pacific.
During a conversation with former American ambassador Frank Wisner on threat perception vis-a-vis developments in Afghanistan, the Minister said, “I think to some degree, we all will be justified in having levels of concern. And to some degree, the jury is still out".
And it was in this context, he said, the commitments made by the Taliban at Doha,
the US would knows the "best".
"We were not taken into confidence on various aspects".
Dr Jaishankar said, "Most importantly, are we going to see an Afghanistan whose soil is not used for terrorism against other states and the rest of the world. I think these are the concerns and these concerns were captured by a UN Security Council resolution in August," he said.
"When we look at what happened in Afghanistan and the region, I think these are going to have very very significant consequences for all of us. And we are so close to the region. There are a set of concerns and issues," he said.
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| Modi and Xi Jinping: Lot to do |
India rejects China’s allegations, flays Beijing’s troop build-up
New Delhi:
Close on the heels of China's allegations against India for pushing a 'forward policy', India on Thursday evening rejected the claims and said on the contrary it has been Beijing that has displayed "provocative behavior and unilateral attempts to alter the status quo" in the borders.
New Delhi has insisted yet again that the Indian side has only made counter deployments in response to China’s “provocative behaviours".
We had already made our position clear a few days back that we reject such statements which have no basis in facts. It was the amassing of a large number of troops by the Chinese side, their provocative behavior and unilateral attempts to alter the status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquility along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh," MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in response to a question.
He said, China continues to deploy a large number of troops and armaments in the border areas.
"It was in response to Chinese actions, that our armed forces had to make appropriate counter deployments in these areas to ensure that India’s security interests are fully protected," he said.
The MEA spokesman said, as emphasized by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar in his meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in September, "it is our expectation that the Chinese side will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols".
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said in a media briefing that the Indian side has long pursued the ‘forward policy’ and crossed the LAC to encroach on China’s territory.
Gogra, or Patrolling Point 17A, was one of the key friction points between India and China.
As the outcome of the 12th round of talks at the level of senior commanders held on July 31, India and China have already pulled back troops from this vital border location in the eastern Ladakh.
"Both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner. The disengagement process was carried out over two days August 4-5, 2021. The troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases," an official release had said.
India and China have been engaged in a military standoff since May 2020 all along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh since New Delhi first detected Chinese intrusions.
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