The flag of  Kyrgyz Republic used for representational purpose only.

The Embassy of India in the central Asian republic of Kyrgyz Republic has advised Indian students to stay indoors, amidst reports of mob attacks against students from Pakistan.

“We are in touch with our students. The situation is presently calm but students are advised to stay indoors for the moment and get in touch with the Embassy in case of any issue. Our 24×7 contact number of 0555710041,” the Indian embassy announced on X/Twitter on Saturday, May 18, 2024.

The announcement was followed by dozens of messages from social media handles purportedly belonging to Indian students in capital Bishkek who urged the Indian authorities to assist them. It is understood that the frenzied attacks are fuelled by social media rumours which started after a skirmish between local Kyrgyz residents and foreign students in one of the hostels for foreign students.

Kyrgyz Republic along with other central Asian republics hosts a large number of foreign students especially students from South and West Asia. The central Asian republics are renowned for their medical and engineering institutes that have been hosting foreign students for decades.

Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma. Photo: www.hciottawa.gov.in

Amidst the diplomatic strain in India-Canada relations, India’s envoy here has warned that the Sikh separatist groups in Canada were crossing “a big red line” that New Delhi sees as a matter of national security and of the country’s territorial integrity.

Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said this on May 7 in his first public remarks since three Indian nationals accused of killing Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year were arrested and produced before a court by Canadian police.

Mr. Verma seemed to link the case to domestic crime, CTV News reported.

He also warned that Sikh groups in Canada who call for the separation of their homeland from India are crossing “a big red line” that New Delhi sees as a matter of national security.

“Indians will decide the fate of India, not the foreigners,” Mr. Verma told the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations, a prominent think-tank.

He also told the Council that relations between India and Canada are positive overall despite “a lot of noise”.

Mr. Verma also said that the two countries are “trying to resolve this issue”. “We are ready to sit down at the table any day, and we are doing that,” he said.

Mr. Verma said the deeper problems underneath the recent “negative” developments have to do with Canada’s misunderstanding of “decades-old issues,” which he blames Canadians of Indian origin for resurfacing.

He said his chief concern is “national-security threats emanating from the land of Canada”, noting that India does not recognise dual nationality, so anyone who emigrates is considered a foreigner.

“Foreigners having, if I can call it, [an] evil eye on the territorial integrity of India — that is a big red line for us,” he said.

He did not specify whether he was referring to foreigners being involved in the Nijjar case or the issue of Sikh separatism more broadly, the report said.

On May 7, India told Canada that celebration and glorification of violence should not be a part of any civilised society. Democratic countries which respect the rule of law should not allow intimidation by radical elements in the name of freedom of expression.

“We continue to remain concerned about the security of our diplomatic representatives in Canada and expect the Government of Canada to ensure that they are able to carry out their responsibilities without fear,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement in response to the violent imagery being used by extremist elements in Canada against India’s political leadership.

“We again call upon the Government of Canada to stop providing criminal and secessionist elements a safe haven and political space in Canada,” the MEA spokesperson said in New Delhi.

Earlier on May 7, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly stood by allegations that the Indian government was complicit in the slaying of Nijjar last year.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.

The killing sparked a wave of protests, with some Sikh groups circulating posters that threatened Indian diplomats in Canada by name.

Ms. Joly said her goal is still to conduct diplomacy with India in private.

She said she would let the police investigate instead of providing any new commentary on the case.

“We stand by the allegations that a Canadian was killed on Canadian soil by Indian agents,” Ms. Joly said on Parliament Hill.

“The investigation by the RCMP is being done. I won’t further comment and no other officials from our government will further comment,” she said, referring to the ongoing probe by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Meanwhile, Mr. Verma also mentioned “so many positive things” happening in the relationship between India and Canada.

He noted the annual value of two-way trade is 26 billion Canadian dollars, and in the past 11 months, there has been a 75% jump in Canadian lentil exports and a 21% increase in Indian-prepared medicines reaching Canada.

On May 7, the group Sikhs for Justice called for Mr. Verma’s speech to be cancelled, citing the Nijjar case and allegations of foreign interference by India.

Avani Dias, chief of bureau of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. File
| Photo Credit: X/@AvaniDias

Australian authorities on Thursday acknowledged that India had granted visa to Avani Dias, chief of bureau of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), though she had “chosen” to leave India by that time. They expressed satisfaction at the handling of the case by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Ms. Dias claimed last week that she had to leave India “abruptly” as she was told that her “visa extension would be denied”. 

“The Australian government has been working with the Indian government and the ABC and Australia appreciates the MEA’s assistance and cooperation. Australia is pleased that the Indian government granted a visa for the journalist though by that time she had chosen to leave India. ABC coverage of India, particularly during the election period is important to Australians and the Australian government,” a source from the Australian High Commission here said in response to a question from The Hindu.

The Australian version was corroborated by Indian sources, who said that Ms. Dias was told nearly two weeks before she left India that her visa application was being processed and that the document would be delivered to her. They said that Ms. Diaz did receive the visa though she decided to leave.

Ms. Dias had said that the Indian authorities were upset over her reporting on pro-Khalistan activists in Punjab and that she was told that her reporting had “crossed a line”.

It is understood that the Indian side was surprised at the accusations by Ms. Dias.

The Indian sources added that following the grant of visa, her requirements for covering the Indian election was also being looked into positively and that it could have been arranged despite previous disagreements over her coverage of Punjab.

Official sources had told The Hindu on Wednesday that Ms. Dias’s “contention that she was not allowed to cover elections and was compelled to leave the country was not correct, misleading and mischievous”.

Ms. Dias gained prominence after a report on the ABC on the Khalistan issue was watched globally. Subsequently, the programme, “Sikhs, Spies and Murder: Investigating India’s alleged hit on foreign soil”, was blocked by YouTube in India.

In an email to the ABC, YouTube said it had received an order from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting over the reportage under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

A crew of the ABC had visited the Punjab family home of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the pro-Khalistan activist who was slain by unknown assassins in Canada last year.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged that Nijjar was killed by Indian agents. 

United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
| Photo Credit: AP

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the world body “hopes” that in India and any country that is having elections, people’s “political and civil rights” are “protected” and everyone is able to vote in a “free and fair” atmosphere.

Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric made these remarks on March 28 while he was responding to a question on the “political unrest” in India ahead of the upcoming national elections in the wake of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the freezing of the opposition Congress Party’s bank accounts.

“What we very much hope that in India, as in any country that is having elections, that everyone’s rights are protected, including political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair,” Mr. Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on March 28.

The response from the United Nations comes a day after the U.S. also reacted to a similar question on Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest and freezing of the Congress party’s bank accounts.

On March 27, hours after India summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to protest remarks on Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest, Washington reiterated that it encourages fair, transparent, timely legal processes.

On the U.S. diplomat being summoned in Delhi, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said “I’m not going to talk about any private diplomatic conversations. But of course what we have said publicly is what I just said from here, that we encourage fair, transparent, timely legal processes. We don’t think anyone should object to that, and we’ll make the same thing clear privately.” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials summoned Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena to their office in South Block in the Indian capital. The meeting lasted for more than 30 minutes.

On March 28, India said the U.S. State Department’s recent remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are “unwarranted” and asserted the country is “proud of its independent and robust democratic institutions” and committed to protecting them from any form of undue external influences.

Any “external imputation” on India’s electoral and legal processes is “completely unacceptable”, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi during his weekly press briefing.

In India, legal processes are driven “only by the rule of law”, Mr. Jaiswal said on March 28.

Earlier on March 27, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement that India took strong objection to the remarks of the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department about certain legal proceedings in India.

“India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted,” the MEA had said. The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy ‘scam’.

The case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped.

Taliban Afghan Foreign Affairs in-charge Amir Khan Muttaqi. File
| Photo Credit: AP

A senior Indian diplomat has met with ‘Afghan authorities’ in Kabul, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Friday. The development came months after the embassy of Afghanistan here that was earlier run by officials with affiliation to the pre-Taliban government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was shut down and the consular responsibilities were taken over by Afghan officials who are considered to be pro-Taliban.

“An Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary (PAI), Ministry of External Affairs is on a visit to Afghanistan…During the visit, the delegation held meetings with senior members of the Afghan authorities. The delegation held discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and also discussed use of Chabahar port by Afghan traders,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. J.P. Singh, the official in-charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran — PAI-related issues, met Taliban’s foreign affairs in charge Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday.

Mr. Singh had visited Kabul in 2022 as India had begun making the first moves to reconnect with Afghanistan, after the violent overthrow of the Ashraf Ghani government in August 2021. That visit was followed by renewed delivery of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. On Thursday, Taliban’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi was the first to announce that Mr. Singh had met with the ‘foreign minister’ of the Taliban set-up.

“Mr. Muttaqi also expressed gratitude for the recent Indian humanitarian and medical assistance to Afghanistan, stressing the resumption of projects by India, their diplomatic presence in Afghanisstan and the provision of consular services to Afghans, particularly to Afghan students and patients,” Mr. Balkhi had stated in a social media post that was accompanied with a photograph showing Mr. Singh with Mr. Muttaqi.

Marked by ambiguity

The present shape of relations between India and Afghanistan is marked by ambiguity as India maintains a technical team in the Indian embassy in Kabul and the Afghan embassy in New Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad are functioning under officials who adhere to “Afghan people” without expressly propagating the cause of the Taliban and its brand of politics. India has been critical of Taliban’s human rights record and has been calling upon the grouping to restore education for young girls and women in Afghanistan.

Officials here have been arguing that the consular relation needs to be maintained to avoid a humanitarian crisis as many Afghan students, patients, refugees and businesspersons frequent India and a total snapping of relations would have hurt these vulnerable communities. Mr. Singh also met former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, one of the few politicians with links to the previous regimes, officials from the UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan), as well as members of the Afghan business community. Taliban’s relation in recent months with eastern neighbour Pakistan has nosedived because of terror strikes from Afghan soil that are reportedly targeting Pakistani facilities. That apart, Sher Mohammed Stanekzai, Taliban’s ‘deputy foreign minister’, has also been in news for his comments asserting Afghan rights over Pakistan’s northwest frontier. These verbal skirmishes, coupled with Pakistan’s current problems with Iran which is the host country of the Chabahar port, has opened a strategic window for India as far as the Taliban is concerned. Officials are noncommittal about the scope of the emerging interaction with Taliban but have indicated that India is trying to ‘safeguard’ its interests, especially in the domain of strategic concerns like counter-terrorism and infrastructure projects that remain incomplete on the ground of Afghanistan.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishnkar with Denmark Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen during a meeting on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2024, in New Delhi, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

European Ministers gathered for the Ministry of External Affairs’ Raisina Dialogue here urged India to reconsider trade and ties with Russia, and to press the case for Ukraine’s sovereignty ahead of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that falls on February 24. The ministers, that made up a large majority, numbering 15 of the 21 Foreign Ministers speaking at the annual conference, have been meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar separately since Wednesday, as well as during a lunch hosted by him for some of them for the India-Nordic-Baltic forum on Thursday.  In particular, they urged India to join a “Peace Conference” in Switzerland, set to be held shortly, at the request of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to sources, Mr. Jaishankar also discussed this with the Swiss Foreign Minister recently.

“What we have been arguing is that the war of Russia in Ukraine is not only about Ukraine, but also about one country violating the sovereign borders of another country, and that undermines international law and the UN Charter,” Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš told The Hindu after the lunch meeting. “We think that as European countries and India, as democracies, what we have inherently in common is the understanding that the rule of law must be upheld,” he added, urging New Delhi to express more support for Ukraine, where tens of thousands are believed to have been killed, and more than 14 million people displaced (of which 6 million live as refugees outside the country). 

Since February 2022, the Modi government has abstained from all United Nations resolutions on Ukraine, maintained ties with Russia while sending aid to Ukraine, and has increased India’s intake of Russian oil multi-fold, making it the source for a third of India’s oil imports. 

Echoing the message given by other European countries during the conference, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said those neighbouring Ukraine are particularly worried about a loss for Ukraine in the conflict. Speaking to The Hindu, he said that Baltic countries believe that as the Russian forces grow more entrenched in Ukraine’s east, Russia could attempt to annex more territory in other countries. In an interview to a U.S. journalist last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin had said that any further “territorial claims” were “absolutely out of the question”. 

‘Mobilising troops’

“Russia has diverted all of its resources towards the war effort, and our information is it will be mobilising about 4,00,000 additional troops, making it the largest standing army in Europe, reminiscent of cold war times,” said Mr. Landsbergis, speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue, that is organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). He added that he had “good conversations” with Indian officials, and had made the case that “funding Russia’s budget with oil purchases” would help Russia “produce bullets that will take Ukrainian lives,” although he added that he wouldn’t tell India what to do.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, German Minister of State in the Federal Foreign Office Tobias Lindner said that he sees India’s position shifting in terms of diversifying its military hardware procurement from Russia to other countries like the U.S. and Germany.

“The lesson we have to learn is that we need to diversify our supply chain. I believe India has come to the same conclusion with respect to China, not be too dependent on one country. That’s what I would say about [dependence on] Russia too,” Mr. Lindner said in response to a question about his response to Mr. Jaishankar’s statement that Russia has “never hurt India’s interests”.  He also called on India to participate in the upcoming Peace Conference in Switzerland, and to “have its voice heard” on the issue.

The European ministerial contingent at the Raisina Dialogue is by far the largest, while no ministerial-level representation from Russia, China or other P-5 countries U.S., U.K. and France is present at this year’s conference. Foreign Ministers of most G-20 countries were attending the G-20’s First Plenary in Rio De Janeiro held on February 21-22 that clashed with the Raisina Dialogue dates. Apart from 15 European countries including Greece, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary, Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia, Latvia and Lithuania, other Foreign Ministers attending the conference are from Panama, Ghana, Tanzania, Mauritius, Bhutan and Nepal.

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will begin a eight-day visit to India on November 3, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said the visit would provide an opportunity to both sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and further advance the “exemplary” partnership.

The King of Bhutan will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is expected to deliberate on various aspects of close India-Bhutan ties.

“External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior officials of the government will call on the King of Bhutan,” the MEA said on November 2.

“The King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, accompanied by senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan, will be on an official visit to India from November 3 to 10,” it said in a statement. The King will also visit the States of Assam and Maharashtra.

“India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterised by understanding and mutual trust,” the MEA said.

“The visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and to further advance the exemplary bilateral partnership, across diverse sectors,” it said.

Indian students evacuated from Israel arrive at Delhi airport, in New Delhi, India, on October 13, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Glad to be home and traumatised by what they had seen in the last few days, the first batch of around 200 Indians returned from Israel on October 13 with the sound of air raid sirens, rocket fire and screams ringing loud in their ears.

Israel witnessed a surprise and unprecedented attack by Hamas in its southern parts on Saturday morning. At least 700 people have been killed and more than 2,100 injured in Israel — the deadliest day for the country in at least 50 years.

“We woke up to sounds of air raid sirens. We stay in central Israel and I don’t know what shape this conflict will take,” said Shashwat Singh soon after landing at Delhi airport along with his wife.

The post-doctoral researcher in agriculture, who has been staying in Israel since 2019, said the sound of those sirens and the nightmarish experience of the past few days still haunt him.

The evacuation of Indians is a “praiseworthy step”, Mr. Singh said soon after the flight landed. “We hope peace will be restored and we will return to work… The Indian government got in touch with us via email. We are thankful to Prime Minister Modi and the Indian Embassy in Israel.” India has launched Operation Ajay to facilitate the return of those who wish to come back home as a series of brazen attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas militants over the weekend triggered fresh tension in the region.

Many students who returned home recalled the fateful night of Saturday and how they had to rush to shelters multiple times in the wake of rocket attacks by Hamas.

Suparno Ghosh, a West Bengal native and a first-year Ph.D student of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev at Beersheba in Israel, was also among the group of Indians who reached Delhi on the special flight.

“We could not know what happened. On Saturday, some rockets were launched. But, we were safe in shelters… the good thing is that the Israeli government has made shelters everywhere, so we were safe,” he said.

Several women students also recounted the grim situation they faced when the attacks happened. “It was a panic situation. We are not citizens there, we are just students. So, for us whenever the sirens go on, it’s a panic situation for us,” Jaipur native Mini Sharma told PTI.

Asked when she received the information about the rescue flight, she replied, “Just a day before.” “We packed our bags yesterday morning after receiving a message from the Indian Embassy. They were very helpful. We were able to get in touch with them round the clock,” Ms. Sharma said.

Deepak, another student, said, “We heard sirens on Saturday. We could also hear the sound of the attack. Israeli authorities were instructing us (to take safety measures). I am happy to return home but at the same time sad that our friends are there (in Israel).” “The evacuation process was very smooth,” the student told reporters.

Duti Banerjee, another West Bengal native who was also among the first batch of Indians evacuated from Israel, said the situation in Israel was “pretty messy and unsettled”.

“Normal life has been paused. People are scared and angry. Even when I was leaving, I heard sirens and had to go to a shelter,” she said. Soni, another student, thanked the government of India and Israel for “taking such good care of us”.

“I booked two flights as I was not sure when would the Indian government evacuate us. But, I am glad to be back… many Indians still in Israel,” she said.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on October 12 said around 18,000 Indians are currently residing in Israel while about a dozen people are in the West Bank and three to four are in Gaza.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed the passengers at the Delhi airport as they streamed into the lounge area from the tarmac side. He greeted them with folded hands and also shook hands with many of them saying, “Welcome home”.