Reports have surfaced that the Chinese delegation prevented attempts by Indian security personnel to 'check the bag, allegedly containing some equipment', for 12 hours before agreeing to take the bag to the Chinese embassy.
The simple question is why? Members in Parliament should press for a detailed statement on the same either from Home Minister Amit Shah or External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar during the Special Session beginning Sept 18.
According to a report in Times of India, initially, the security personnel permitted the baggage to proceed, adhering to diplomatic protocols as the baggage was marked as diplomatic. However, while conducting a room inspection, a staff member at the hotel raised concerns about suspicious equipment within the bag, quickly escalating the situation as the message reached higher authorities.
The senior authorities present in the hotel subsequently instructed the Chinese diplomatic delegation to subject the luggage to a thorough scanning process.
Sources within the security operations at the Hotel Taj Palace confirmed that Chinese security personnel resisted the request for equipment inspection, while the Indian security team remained steadfast in their insistence on the check. “A three-member security team stood guard outside the room for approximately 12 hours, after which a Chinese security official indicated they would transport the bags to their embassy,” a source revealed.
In regard to the equipment, senior officials stated that it could not be definitively ascertained whether they were surveillance devices as there was no opportunity to inspect the equipment.
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| Blogger and Great Wall of China: 2019 |
The visiting Chinese delegation made another unusual request, seeking a private network instead of using the hotel’s internet connection, which was subsequently denied by the hotel staff.
The mystery surrounding the Chinese suitcase persisted until the resolution, with hotel sources confirming that Chinese security officials agreed to remove the item from the hotel premises and transport it to their embassy. Notably, the President of Brazil, who will host the next G20 summit, was also staying at the same hotel.
India’s Presidency highlighted cooperative federalism and took up key development projects such as Loktak lake in Manipur
Of course, Manipur was in news in calendar year 2023 from May month ostensibly due to wrong reasons.
But many may not know, how Loktak lake was restored in related to holding G20 events locally.
In Manipur, state and central government authorities worked in coordination for the development of INA (Indian National Army) headquarters during the World War –II at Moirang Konjengbam Leikai.
Restoration works were carried out at Loktak Lake, INA Memorial Complex, Keibul Lamjao National Park – the only floating national park in the world and home to the Sangai deer in Bishnupur district.
The Indian government had taken over the house at Moirang Konjengbam Leikai where INA used as its headquarters during the war time and is currently developing as a world class tourism spot.
It may be highlighted that India’s G20 Presidency highlighted the nation’s distinct model of cooperative federalism. The States and Union Territories have competed with each other and coordinated among themselves and with the centre to welcome G20 delegates, generate local and regional enthusiasm.
The respective traditions, strengths of each states/provinces and achievements were also highlighted. In many cases, this has provided an occasion to carry out development initiatives that has contributed to such projection.
Besides restoration of Loktak Lake in Manipur, urban sanitation campaigns in Mumbai, or infrastructure enhancements in Lucknow were also carried out.
With approximately 220 meetings spanning 60 cities, nearly 30,000 delegates in G20 meetings , over 100,000 participants in their side events as well as involvement of citizens from all corners of the nation, the G20 engaged with the people in myriad ways.
Various line ministries diligently spurred active participation. The Ministry of Education orchestrated Jan Bhagidari events, witnessing enthusiastic involvement from diverse stakeholders including students, teachers, parents, and the community at large. Organized at levels ranging from state and district to block, panchayat, and school, these events cultivated awareness about the G20, the National Education Policy, and Foundational Learning and Numeracy – priorities central to India’s Presidency.
These events collectively drew over 23.3 cr participants, encompassing 15.7 cr students, 25.5 lakh teachers, and 51.1 lakh community members.
Yet, the essence of Jan Bhagidari extends beyond participation numbers. An array of engaging activities – ranging from the enlightening G20 University Connect lecture series to interactive Model G20 meetings, Special G20 sessions in educational institutions, G20 Pavilions at prominent festivals, quiz contests, selfie competitions, and the captivating #G20India stories – played a pivotal role in nurturing widespread and enthusiastic engagement.
The Working Groups displayed innovative means to enhance public involvement. Notably, the G20 Infrastructure Working Group initiated a G20 cyclothon and a motorbike rally on National Youth Day.
The Presidency has not been limited to the highest echelons of the Government. Through active participation from people across different states and UTs, India’s G20 has truly been a People’s G20.
India’s G20 Presidency has proven itself to be unique in different ways. It has focused on the priorities and key concerns of developing nations, amplified the voice of the Global South and raised ambition in areas like climate action and finance, energy transitions, SDG implementation and technological transformation.
What has further added to making India an extraordinary G20 Presidency is the extensive participation of people or ‘Jan Bhagidari’ from across the nation in various G20 related events and activities.
Experts say, the G20 – an elitist plurilateral forum – was born in the midst of a global crisis of 2008 and helped to ameliorate it considerably while facing criticism of hijacking global economic and financial governance agenda away from truly universal multilateral forum.
Over the years, the G20 has proven its utility but now it has to address the gravest polycrisis ever – simultaneous, overlapping and interlinked, from climate change and environmental degradation, cascading socioeconomic ravages of Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine war, rising geopolitical tensions, food, fertiliser, fuel and financial crisis, supply chain insecurity – severely affecting the global south.
This at a time when the multilaterals institutions – the UN, the World Bank, IMF and the WTO, among others – are, as UN secretary general Gutierrez admitted, “gridlocked in colossal dysfunction”.
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| Blogger |
The 18th G20 has lived up to PM Modi’s promise to the global south – “Your voice is India’s voice, your priorities are India’s priorities” – in impactful and substantive ways.
India marked a milestone in inclusivity and democratisation of global governance by admitting into the G20, the 54-country African Union – second largest, resource-rich continent, with 1.466 billion people struggling to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), according to Lakshmi Puri, former ambassador of India and assistant secretary general of the UN.
Importantly yet again, G20 Delhi Summit vowed to reinvigorate and reform the UN and International Financial Institutions, to deliver bigger, better and more effective multilateral development banks, to make a quantum jump from billions to trillions in development finance including an ambitious IDA 21 replenishment and IMF governance quota reform were affirmed to be concluded by December 2023.
Addressing the unprecedented $9 trillion developing country debt the G20 called for more effective implementation of the debt suspension initiative of G20 and agreed to go beyond it. Progress was made on international taxation system – globally fair, sustainable and modern for the 21st century – and on international terrorism and money laundering.
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