Latest news with #ShivshankarMenon
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
1962 war not failure of non-alignment policy but of China policy: Ex-ambassador Shivshankar Menon
New Delhi, The 1962 war with China was not a failure of the non-alignment policy but that of China policy and this can be gauged by the amount of support India received from across the world, irrespective of ideologies, according to former diplomat Shivshankar Menon. 1962 war not failure of non-alignment policy but of China policy: Ex-ambassador Shivshankar Menon He said while speaking at the launch of Swapna Kona Nayudu's book "The Nehru Year: An International History of Non-Alignment" here Friday evening. The Non-Aligned Movement was created and founded during the collapse of the colonial system and the independence struggles of the peoples of Africa, Asia, Latin America and other regions of the world and at the height of the Cold War. Menon said that India received support from a whole host of countries, including the US. "In 1962, look at how much support we got across the world. And what it did to China's reputation in the third world was quite devastating. So I don't think it was a failure of non-alignment policy, it was a failure of China policy. "People take stands based on their interests. India got support from across the world. Some of it was ideological, from the US and so on. Whatever the reason, but you did get support across the world from a whole host of countries," Menon said. The former Indian ambassador to China noted that the success or failure of a policy "should be judged by the outcome, not what others say about it". "So I think we need to be a little careful in how we judge these things. And we shouldn't judge the success or failure of a policy by what other people are saying, or whether they are saying what we are saying. Ultimately it's the outcome that matters. You should measure what happens on the ground, what results were actually achieved," he added. The book, published by Juggernaut, traces the origin of non-alignment and its relevance in India's foreign policy since Jawaharlal Nehru's conceptualisation of it at the height of the Cold War. Nayudu explores Indian diplomatic influence in four major international events: the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, the Hungarian Revolution, and the Congo Crisis. Former ambassador Shyam Saran noted that the system Nehru had put in place emphasised "India has to stand for something more than itself". "Nehru and the system that he put in place always emphasised India has to stand for something more than itself. That there is a certain larger space that needs to be occupied and when we talk about the UN, when we talk about international cooperation, or working together for different causes, what is very important is the spirit of international solidarity," Saran said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Wire
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
'If There Are Two Dalai Lamas India Should Deal With the Tibetan People's Choice': Shivshankar Menon
South Asia Karan Thapar 2 minutes ago Watch India's former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon in conversation with Karan Thapar for The Wire. In an interview to discuss the Dalai Lama succession, India's former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon was asked what should be India's response in the event there are two Dalai Lamas, one chosen by Beijing and the other by the Gaden Phodrang Trust in Dharamshala. Menon said, 'We should keep dealing with whoever the Tibetan people choose as we have done so far.' Reiterating his point, Menon added: 'We will deal with whoever the Tibetan people choose … wherever they make it (the choice). He's (the Dalai Lama) laid down a procedure but it's not necessarily in Dharamshala or wherever. Wherever the Tibetan people choose to do so (we should recognise their choice). Watch the full interview. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
New Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
At House panel meeting, MPs flag Bangladesh's growing ties with Pak and China
NEW DELHI: A meeting of the Parliamentary standing committee on External Affairs on Friday saw discussion on Bangladesh's growing proximity with Pakistan and China, and implications of India's strained ties with its eastern neighbour amid suggestions by some experts on engagement with the country, according to sources. Former foreign secretary and ex-National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and academician Amitabh Mattoo attended the meeting. The committee recorded evidence of the experts/non-official witnesses in connection with the examination of the subject 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'. The panel is headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Some MPs expressed concern that China is getting a foothold in the country, which is strategically important for India, said sources. MPs also pointed out that Pakistan is trying to strengthen its ties with Bangladesh. One of the MPs suggested that if the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) can be revived to counter the Chinese bid to grow its influence in the MP also suggested that the exchange of journalists will boost people-to-people engagement with Bangladesh, said sources. An MP said some members raised concerns about the deteriorating relationship with Bangladesh under the interim government of Muhammad Yunus. The implications of India-Bangladesh ties on West Bengal, which shares a long border with the country, were also raised by MPs from the state, said a source. The state has been bearing the brunt of the suspected large-scale infiltration, said the MP. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Tharoor said infiltration from Bangladesh has been reduced now.
Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Pak, China making headway in Bangladesh, India should keep up': Experts to parliamentary panel
The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs was told by experts on Friday that the Pakistan-China nexus is making headway in Bangladesh and that India should keep up with the developments in the country and not be caught napping. The experts told the panel that India should create stakes in Bangladesh and engage with the neighbouring country through people-to-people contact, The Indian Express has learnt. The agenda of the meeting on Friday was to hear experts on 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'. Four experts in the field of external affairs briefed the Standing Committee on Friday. Former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon, retired Army General Syed Ata Hasnain, former high commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and Dean of the School of International Studies (JNU) Amitabh Mattoo briefed the committee on Friday. One of the experts is learnt to have told the panel that the Chinese are making a lot of headway in Bangladesh through infrastructure development like building ports and air bases. Another expert said that the role of the media in the two countries developing a bond is quite crucial, and in the recent past, the media has played a negative role in both India and Bangladesh. One expert said that India needs to grasp the reality of the new power structure in Bangladesh and move ahead. The committee was told that India needs to think and move beyond former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and engage with the current ruling dispensation in the country. The panel was also told that the need of the hour was to engage with the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. An Opposition member in the Committee asked the experts how West Bengal could play a role in improving India's relations with Bangladesh. Sharing of river water was also discussed during the meeting, including the Ganga Water Treaty, which is up for renewal in 2026. Members asked the experts about the probable reasons for the trust deficit between India and Bangladesh and what could be done to mend the relationship.
Express Tribune
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
The four-day Indo-Pak spat
Listen to article Five weeks after the Indo-Pak confrontation, although hostilities have come to an end, the pit and cauldron of doubt and antagonism continues to simmer. War shocks still continue after closure of the four-day spat on 10 May 2025 in the shape of bluff and bluster and propaganda and misinformation. On the Pakistan side, there continues to be fear and consternation of a replay of something like Sindoor for which pretexts may be discovered or imagined. On the Indian side, a media blitz continues to be spread about the threat of terrorism from Pakistan. The flare-out between 7 and 10 May of 2025 may have only been four days long but it spewed a plethora of consequences – domestic, regional and international. Both the sides have claimed to gain the upper hand in the conflagration. India declared to have decimated nine terrorist outfits in "POK" and after nearly 27 years attacked sites across the international boundary in the Punjab. It also claimed to have struck several air bases with missiles and an AWACS plane parked in the hangers in the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi-Islamabad which is only about 6 to 7 minutes distance from a nuclear installation. On the other hand, Pakistan claims to have taken down six Indian jets – three Rafaels, one Sukhoi, one Mirage and one MIG – with the help of Chinese provided J-10C using remotely fired missile PL-15. Just one day before the commencement of the Paris Air Show, the CEO of Dassault, the manufacturers of multi-role French F-35 jet, declared that the claim of Pakistan to have downed three Indian Rafaels "is inaccurate". This claim flies in the face of French intelligence reports confirming the shooting down of the plane as well as the statement in an interview by the Indian defence chief made in the Shangri-La Security Dialogue of admitting the felling of Indian aircraft but refusing to mention the exact number of planes taken down. The possibility of Chinese military technology having the better of cutting-edge western armaments as shown in the taking down of Rafaels by J-10Cs and PL-15 missiles reverberated throughout the world, denoting a sea change in the geo-strategic scenario particularly in the context of the US-China contest. The balance of power between India and Pakistan, supported and armed by Chinese latest technology, suddenly seemed to have undergone a big change with India having to face an uphill task in case of having to face a two-sided opponent in the shape of Pakistan and China. The fusion between Chinese ideology and military equipment and Pakistan army strategy and tactics is something of great concern for India. Another special aspect of the short confrontation was the use of social media war, hysteria and misinformation from both sides. In fact making outlandish claims of Karachi port having been destroyed and an attack on Lahore not only made a mockery of Indian media but indelibly dented the credibility of news emanating from Indian media. Shivshankar Menon, former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan and former foreign secretary, in an interview with Karan Thapar made a claim typical of Indian mindset , saying, "Sindoor may not have deterred terrorism in Pakistan and may have only provided a temporary respite since militarism is hard wired into the security structure" and weltanschauung "of Pakistan." Operation Sindoor, Menon claims, has not deterred terrorism but it has imposed costs for Pakistan to think twice before launching another terror attack. Now it is for India, according to Menon, how best to manage increasing the costs for Pakistan and gains for India. Adil Shah of Georgetown University, USA, has averred that Sindoor did not deter Pakistan but rather emboldened it by giving it the impression of victory. Trump's effort at bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan to prevent the situation from escalating into a non-conventional nuclear flare-out has led to two consequences. Trump has reiterated on several occasions that he was responsible for effecting a ceasefire between the two South Asian neighbours and that he could bring about a solution to the Kashmir dispute. American efforts in the Indo-Pak spat has led to the internationalisation of Kashmir dispute much to the chagrin of India which insists that the Kashmir dispute could only be resolved through bilateral measures. Trump's attempt has also led to the rehyphenation of India and Pakistan after several years of dehyphenation of US relations vis a vis the two South Asian opponents. The May 2025 flare-out makes it all the more essential to bring an end to confrontation between India and Pakistan since another such occurrence could go out of hand due to escalation or accident. There is paramount need therefore for detente, peace and deterrence of confrontation between the two neighbours who suffer from similar problems of poverty, shelter, potable water and lack of health cover. The expenditures incurred on military and arms would be best spent upon education and health. In this day and age, two poor countries to be in possession of nuclear capabilities and increasing expenditures on ever advanced arms and armaments is a self-defeating policy depriving millions of the basic essentials of a civilised life.
