📰 Remove Jinnah’s portrait
He sacrificed Indian Muslims’ interests on the basis of a spurious theory that suited his ambitions
•The controversy over Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh is partly contrived and partly genuine. Some BJP functionaries find it a convenient tool to further polarise society in order to win the 2019 Lok Sabha election. At the same time, the demand for the removal of Jinnah’s portrait sounds reasonable to many secular Indians, both Hindus and Muslims, who hold him principally responsible for Partition.
•It is true that Jinnah alone was not responsible for Partition. The Congress leadership made major mistakes in dealing with Muslim demands, and Hindu nationalists, both within and outside the Congress, exacerbated the Muslim elite’s sense of insecurity. But in the final analysis, Jinnah’s and the Muslim League’s culpability was greater than that of any other leader or party. In 1940, the Jinnah-led All India Muslim League renounced the primary goal for which it was founded. This was not the undermining of India’s political unity but the protection of the interests of Indian Muslims where they were most vulnerable within a united India. Instead, Jinnah authored the two-nation theory that, contrary to historical evidence, asserted that Hindus and Muslims formed two distinct nations that could never live together.
•The demand for Pakistan was a clear abdication on the part of the Muslim League of responsibility for the protection of Muslim interests in the minority provinces, which had been its raison d’être. Jinnah was responsible for this distortion of the party’s objective. Jinnah, who prided himself on being the sole spokesman of all the Muslims of India, advocated the establishment of a separate Muslim state composed of those areas — the Muslim majority provinces — where Muslims did not need protection. This was the most illogical strategy if Jinnah and the Muslim League really had the interests of all Indian Muslims at heart.
•His propagation of the two-nation theory made it clear that Jinnah was not only primarily responsible for Partition but also a traitor to the cause of Indian Muslims who remained in the Indian Union. By separating the Muslim majority provinces from the rest of India, he left the Muslims of India far more vulnerable than would have been the case had India remained united. It was, and remains, an unforgivable crime as far as Indian Muslims are concerned.
•In fact, Jinnah’s portrait should have been removed from AMU not in 1947 but on March 23, 1940, when the Muslim League adopted the Pakistan resolution that demanded the division of India and of Indian Muslims. It is an insult to Indian Muslims that the portrait of a person who sacrificed their interests on the basis of a spurious theory that suited his ambitions should be displayed at a university that prides itself as Indian Muslims’ premier educational institution.
📰 SC slams Centre for showing “sheer contempt of court” by not framing Cauvery scheme
Adjourns the case to May 14, after the Karnataka Assembly elections on May 12 and before the counting of votes on May 15.
•The Supreme Court on Tuesday rapped the Central government for showing “sheer contempt of court” by not framing a Cauvery draft scheme but adjourned the case to May 14, after the Karnataka Assembly elections on May 12 and before the counting of votes on May 15.
•Attorney General K.K. Venugopal asked a Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra for 10 days time to add the “finishing touch” to its draft scheme and get the nod of the Union Cabinet.
•In a previous hearing, Mr. Venugopal said the Prime Minister and all Ministers were travelling and campaigning in Karnataka.
•The Bench ordered the Union Water Resources Secretary to personally come to the court with the draft scheme on May 14.
Release of water
•The court chose not to delve into pleas and counter pleas by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the release of Cauvery water. The CJI said this would only retard the implementation of the judgment and the nitty-gritties of water-sharing should be looked in by the authority that would be put in place by the Centre as per a scheme. The court refrained from intervening in this issue for the time being.
•On April 9, the Supreme Court categorically directed the Centre to frame a draft scheme by May 3 and prove its bona fide resolve to end the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
•On May 7, Tamil Nadu said Karnataka could “easily spare” 4 tmc ft. for May and within hours, Karnataka filed a counter, saying it has already released 116.697 tmc ft. to Tamil Nadu at the inter-State Bilingundlu border despite this being a distress year for the third consecutive year. It said Tamil Nadu had received an excess of 16.66 tmc ft.
•Tamil Nadu said the Centre was “duty bound” to implement the orders passed by the Supreme Court on February 16, 2018 to frame a scheme to provide for ae Cauvery management board and a Cauvery water regulation committee.
📰 Trump announces U.S. withdrawal from 'defective' Iran deal
Washington to reinstate sanctions against the Islamic republic.
•The United States has pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, upending a key foreign policy achievement of his predecessor Barack Obama.
•Under the 2015 deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), involving five permanent members of the United Nation’s Security Council and Germany, Iran had agreed to stop its nuclear programme in exchange of relief from economic sanctions.
•“We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanction,” Mr. Trump said.
•The President has directed his administration to immediately begin the process of re-imposing sanctions against Iran that were lifted by the JCPOA, the White House said in a statement moments after he announced the decision. “The re-imposed sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy, such as its energy, petrochemical, and financial sectors,” it said.
•Mr. Trump’s decision to formally end America’s participation in the deal that curtailed Iran’s nuclear ambitions could strain its relations with key allies France, Germany and the United Kingdom, aggravate tensions with Russia and China, and add to instability in West Asia.
•Repeating his long-held views on the deal, the President said JCPOA failed to deal with the threat of Iran’s missile program and did not include a strong enough mechanism for inspections and verification. Accusing Iran of "malign activities in the region," Mr. Trump said America would not surrender to “nuclear blackmail by Iran.” “The agreement was so poorly negotiated that even if Iran fully complies, the regime could still be on the verge of a nuclear breakout in just a short period of time. The deal’s sunset provisions are totally unacceptable. If I allowed this deal to stand, there would soon be a nuclear-arms race in the Middle East,” said Mr. Trump.
•He said if Iran continues its nuclear aspirations, “it will have bigger problems than it has ever had before.”
•The President had termed the Iran nuclear deal a “disaster” during the 2016 campaign and vowed to end it if elected. He was restrained for months by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former National Security Adviser H R McMaster who were replaced recently. Their successors, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and NSA John Bolton share Mr. Trump’s hawkish views on Iran. Mr. Trump has also been goaded into exit from the deal by his friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Trump cited documents released by Mr. Netanyahu recently to underscore this point that the Iran deal was based on deception by Tehran.
•In walking out of the deal that started the process of integrating Iran into the global mainstream, Mr. Trump has ignored pleas by France, Germany and U.K. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.K Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson travelled to Washington DC in recent days to talk Mr. Trump out of this path.
•Though the formal exit of America from the deal happened only with Mr. Trump’s announcement on Tuesday, it has already been in violation of the agreement according to some commentators, who point out the Trump administration’s active role in stopping commercial agreements Iran sought with western companies. Under the deal, the U.S was to help Iran integrate into the global economy.
•The Trump administration has been pressing European countries to stay away from commercial deals with Iran already. Boeing, one American entity that was allowed to do business with Iran by the Obama administration has not proceeded with the opportunity.
•Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the governments of Iran, Russia, and China would “seize this opportunity of self-imposed U.S. isolation to continue major weapons sales, deepen economic ties, and further challenge the United States and Europe not only in the Middle East but in other areas like North Korea.”
•“With this decision President Trump is risking U.S. national security, recklessly upending foundational partnerships with key U.S. allies in Europe and gambling with Israel’s security. Today’s withdrawal from the JCPOA makes it more likely Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program in the future,” he said.
📰 HC allows online nominations for polls
‘Historic’ order comes following violence during filing of nominations for rural elections in Bengal
•The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to accept the nomination of all candidates who submitted their papers electronically for the West Bengal panchayat polls on the last date of nomination on April 23.
•The order by Justice Biswanath Somadder and Justice Arindam Mukherjee has been hailed as “historic” not only by the Opposition parties but also by political observers as it sets a precedence.
•As per the High Court order, the nomination papers filled by candidates in the pre-determined format sent to the Panchayat Returning Officers not in person but electronically on or before 3 p.m. on April 23 have to be accepted by the SEC. It may put an end to the violence during the nomination phase as the candidates may file their nominations without visiting the office of the Returning Officer, the observers said.
•The three-tier rural polls are scheduled for May 14.
•West Bengal witnessed widespread violence during the nomination process during which even veteran Opposition leaders were not spared. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is all set to win at least one-third of the seats uncontested as the Opposition could not field their candidates.
•“It is for the SEC, to provide for the same, as filing of nominations through e-mail invariably prevents large -scale violence centring around the panchayat elections and above all, bloodshed and loss of precious human life,” the High Court order noted.
•The court, reminding the SEC that it should act “fairly, transparently and independently”, observed that the “right guaranteed to the electorate to exercise its voting right gets substantially enhanced by wider participation of candidates in the election process”.
•The Communist Party of India(Marxist) had filed the petition before the High Court.
•According to pshephologist Biswanath Chakraborty, the High Court direction will hardly make any difference to the uncontested victories for the ruling TMC in the rural polls which has gone as high as 34%.
•Meanwhile, the fate of the panchayat polls in the State scheduled for May 14 hangs in the balance.
•A Division Bench of Chief Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya and Justice Arijit Banerjee is hearing the petition on the issue of providing security.
•CPI(M) leader and advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said that in the present situation it does not appear that the polls can be held on May 14.
📰 Hearing on Citizenship Bill begins in Assam amid protests
•The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 began its hearing in Assam on Monday amid protests across the Brahmaputra Valley against the NDA government’s alleged move to make the state a “dumping ground for Hindu Bangladeshis”.
•Though the bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 15, 2016, seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslims who have fled persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, indigenous groups in Assam view it as a move to legitimise Hindus who have migrated from Bangladesh after 1971.
•They also see it as a violation of the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985 – it ended a six-year anti-foreigners’ agitation – that prescribes deportation for everyone who entered the state illegally after the midnight of March 24, 1971.
•Representatives of about 159 organisations and political parties, including the BJP’s regional ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), met the 16-member JPC team headed by Rajendra Agarwala. Almost everyone opposed the move and demanded withdrawal of the “anti-Assam” bill.
•The committee has four MPs from Assam – Bhubaneswar Kalita and Sushmita Dev of the Congress, and Ramen Deka and Kamakhya Prasad Tassa of the BJP.
•“The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is against the interest of Assam, and threatens the cultural and linguistic identity of the indigenous peoples of the State. We have argued against it,” former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said after a five-member AGP team met the JPC members.
•A Congress team headed by its state president Ripun Bora and legislature party chief Debabrata Saikia said Assam had passed through a turbulent period from 1979 to 1985 because of an agitation to drive out Bangladeshi “intruders”.
•“The agitation ultimately turned into anti-Bangladeshi... Since all those who have migrated before March 25, 1971 have already been accepted, under no circumstances will Assam accept further burden of such migrants as it will seriously destroy to socio-cultural and political identity of the people of Assam,” the memorandum by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee said.
•Organisations such as Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and All Assam Minority Students’ Union also demanded withdrawal of the contentious bill. Many of these organisations staged demonstrations in Guwahati and elsewhere across the State to drive hope their point.
•Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said no step would be taken without accommodating the views of all stakeholders. “The JPC will take a decision only after weighing divergent views,” he said.
•The JPC members are scheduled to visit Silchar in Bengali-dominated Barak Valley on Tuesday. They are expected to hear more than 200 organisations till Wednesday afternoon.
📰 Reviving ‘Neighbourhood First’
India’s regional reset won’t be complete without a change in its Pakistan policy
•Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s critics acknowledge his uncanny ability to take bold decisions and this reflects in his foreign policy initiatives. Interestingly, he is also demonstrating an ability to undertake course corrections. The informal summit at Wuhan, China, last month and a visit to Nepal this month reflect a change aimed at reviving the ‘neighbourhood first’ policy announced in 2014. The big challenge, however, will be providing a sense of direction to the policy on Pakistan which has oscillated between ‘jhappi’ and ‘katti’.
The China outreach
•Mr. Modi had received Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2014 in Gujarat reflecting his personalised diplomacy even though the ongoing stand-off in Chumar in eastern Ladakh cast a shadow on the visit. The personalised diplomacy was reciprocated the following year when Mr. Modi visited China and Mr. Xi received him in Xian, but its limits soon became apparent.
•In mid-2016, China blocked India’s bit to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) despite a meeting between the two leaders in Tashkent on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. This was followed by China vetoing Masood Azhar’s listing as a terrorist in the UN Security Council even though the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is a banned entity. China’s veto continued even after the Uri Army camp attack by JeM cadres later that year, adding to India’s growing annoyance. Hydrological data sharing stopped amid reports of diversion of Brahmaputra river waters. The 73-day stand-off at Doklam last year and accompanying rhetoric reflected a marked downturn. India responded through all this by voicing scepticism regarding Mr. Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), stepping up maritime engagement with the U.S. and Japan and reviving the Quad (with Australia) in Manila last year.
•Both leaders soon realised the risks of the downward spiral of confrontation and were pragmatic enough to understand the need to restore a degree of balance to the relationship. Mr. Xi had emerged stronger after the 19th Communist Party Congress and the decision by the Central Committee to remove the restriction of two terms for a President made it clear that he would continue beyond 2023.
•Significant messages were carried by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Politburo member Yang Jiechi last December during their visits to Delhi. Follow-up visits to Beijing by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this year prepared the ground for the informal summit meeting in Wuhan last month. The leak of the government circular advising officials to stay away from events commemorating 60 years of Dalai Lama’s exile in India and declining Australia’s suggestion to participate in Malabar naval exercises indicated Indian interest in a reset.
•The Wuhan summit was projected as ‘informal’ (something the Chinese have engaged in with U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump), without an agenda. Over two days, the two leaders met for 10 hours, four times one-on-one and twice with their delegations. Instead of a customary Joint Statement, there were separate briefings by Mr. Gokhale and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou indicating the key takeaways. It is clear that messages have gone out to the Army to improve communications and understanding and prevent the stand-offs that were becoming frequent. Both sides have agreed to undertake a joint project in Afghanistan. No softening of Chinese position on the NSG or India’s reservations on the BRI was visible though these issues would have figured in the discussions. However, with three more meetings likely during the SCO, G-20 and BRICS summits later this year, it is clear that there is an effort to bring the relationship on track.
Rebuilding trust with Nepal
•A similar exercise appears to be under way with Nepal. Mr. Modi’s visit in 2014 had generated considerable goodwill but subsequent decisions queered the pitch. India’s public display of unhappiness with Nepal’s new Constitution and support for the Madhesi cause created ill-will. The economic impact caused by the disruption of supplies of essential items such as liquefied petroleum gas, petroleum products and medicines fed the anti-Indian sentiment which K.P. Oli effectively exploited to score a decisive electoral victory late last year. Clearly, Delhi was disappointed with the election outcome but decided that the relationship with Nepal was too important to let past misunderstandings fester. A new beginning was necessary.
•A couple of phone calls between Mr. Modi and Mr. Oli followed in December-January and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj was in Kathmandu even before Mr. Oli was sworn in as Prime Minister to convey congratulations and an invitation from Mr. Modi to visit India. Mr. Oli responded positively and much was made of the fact that in keeping with tradition, he made Delhi his first foreign destination last month. A surprise one-on-one meeting with Mr. Modi on the first day provided the two leaders an opportunity to clear the air about the past and rebuild a degree of trust.
•A return visit by Mr. Modi to Nepal within a month (on May 11-12) indicates that both sides are keen to show positive movement. Expectations are being kept low key but the optics of positive messaging are evident. Included in the itinerary are a visit to Janakpur to offer prayers at Janaki Mandir and a public address which will announce the inauguration of the Ramayana pilgrimage circuit linking Ayodhya and Janakpur. The same idea had been shot down earlier when the Nepali authorities had cited ‘security issues’. In addition, Mr. Modi will visit Muktinath and the pension paying office at Pokhara, highlighting the historical, cultural and religious ties between the peoples of the two countries. Undoubtedly, the fact that he begins his visit to Nepal by landing in Janakpur, capital of the sole Madhes-ruled province will give comfort to the Madhesi community, but Mr. Modi realises that his challenge is to repair ties with the wider Nepali community.
The Pakistan challenge
•With Pakistan, after the opening when the then Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, visited Delhi in 2014 and Mr. Modi dropped in to have tea with him in Lahore in December 2015, relations stalled in 2016 following the Pathankot and Uri attacks. Firing across the Line of Control (LoC) has intensified leading to higher casualties on both sides, both civilian and military. In September 2016, India launched ‘surgical strikes’ as retaliation for the Uri attack but this has not reduced infiltration. Since Burhan Wani’s death, local recruitment by radical groups is also on the rise. India has successfully stalled the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit since 2016 and Mr. Trump’s tweets criticising Pakistan have given Delhi satisfaction. But limits to the policy of isolating Pakistan are also apparent.
•Elections are likely in July and the Army would prefer to keep Mr. Sharif’s PML(N) out of power. Mr. Sharif’s dismissal and disqualification for life from politics by the Supreme Court makes it clear that the Army is determined to control the political transition. Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa has, on more than one occasion, emphasised the need for improving relations with both India and Afghanistan.
•The resumption of the stalled Track II Neemrana Dialogue last month in Islamabad indicates that a shift may be likely. Pakistan realises that the time frame for a shift is limited before India goes into election mode. The question is whether Gen. Bajwa can make good on his suggestion by showing forward movement on the issues flagged by India — curbing the Lashkar-e-Toiba and JeM, the Kulbushan Jadhav and 26/11 trials, etc. Faced with a similar situation, Gen. Pervez Musharraf had gone in for an unilateral ceasefire on the LoC in 2003. The guns fell silent, tensions were defused and Pakistan hosted the SAARC summit in 2004.
📰 The age of Putin
The Russian President begins a new term with huge economic and foreign policy challenges
•Vladimir Putin, who has maintained a tight grip on power in Russia for almost two decades, begins his fourth term as President at a time when the country is going through a difficult period, economically and diplomatically. Widely credited with stabilising post-Soviet Russia during his first two terms after the chaos of the Boris Yeltsin years, Mr. Putin presents himself as a strongman seeking to restore Russia’s lost glory. This image has helped him bolster his popularity. In the March presidential election he won 77% of the popular vote, the largest margin for any post-Soviet leader. That majority is a reminder of the suffocating grip that Mr. Putin and his coterie have on the democratic process. Russia’s most prominent opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, was barred from contesting the election, which rendered the presidential race a formality for the re-coronation of Mr. Putin. One of his biggest promises is stability, both political and economic. The rising number of protests in Moscow and elsewhere against Mr. Putin’s rule may not be difficult for him to overcome — and he faces the daunting task of fixing the economy and reversing the course of a confrontational foreign policy. In his inaugural speech, Mr. Putin said he would stay focussed on domestic issues in his new term, particularly the economy, which has just recovered from a painful recession.
•Mr. Putin’s muscular foreign policy is a more solid source of public support for him. He has always been fierce in his defence of Russia’s influence in its historical backyard and has not shied away from taking measures to assert that influence. In 2008 he sent troops to Georgia, and in 2014 he annexed Crimea — actions that have contributed to Russia’s deteriorating ties with the West. In 2015, Russia’s intervention in Syria not only dragged the country deeper into a complex civil war but also put ties with the U.S. under greater strain. The allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election have increased the hostility between the one-time Cold War rivals. In the short term, Mr. Putin succeeded in creating the impression that Russia is back on the global stage. But it is not certain whether his confrontational foreign policy, which has attracted sanctions from the West and hurt the already weak Russian economy, will yield the desired strategic benefits. Mr. Putin has turned to China in recent years, signing a 30-year, $400-billion gas agreement, and enhancing cooperation on contentious global issues such as Iran, Syria and North Korea. This may not be enough of a balancing act, as it is not clear whether Beijing, given its lack of appetite for picking fights with the West, will back Moscow in this new Cold War beyond a point. As he begins another term, Mr. Putin’s Russia looks increasingly like a managed dictatorship with a troubled economy and dwindling influence. It is to be seen where he takes the country in the next six years.
📰 UN report for social inclusion
•A UN report on the Asia-Pacific region has urged the regional powers to invest in inclusive and sustainable growth. The UN Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2018, the annual report from the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific was launched here on Tuesday and urged countries to take advantage of high growth rate and share the benefits with the national society.
•“Governments of countries in the Asia-Pacific region are advised to take advantage of the currently favourable economic conditions in order to address vulnerabilities and enhance the resilience, inclusiveness and sustainability of their economies,” stated the report highlighting the urgency facing the economies of the region.
•The report was launched at the Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER) by Rupa Chanda, head of ESCAP’s South and Southwest Asia Office, and Jaimini Bhagwati, RBI Chair, Professor, ICRIER.
•The report described South and Southwest Asia as the fastest growing sub region of the Asia-Pacific region and urged the countries to increase social spending.
•“For less developed countries, the role of external sources of finance, such as official development assistance, and global development partnerships... remains critical,” said the report.
📰 No tensions with China: Centre
Recent efforts to intensify engagement ‘a big change,’ says Nirmala Sitharaman
•There is no tension between India and China and recent efforts to intensify engagement between the two sides is “a big change,” Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday as the Naval Commanders’ Conference kicked off in the national capital.
•Ms. Sitharaman, who inaugurated the conference being held from May 8 to 11, said, “We are talking and meeting each other. That is a big change.” However, she parried questions about Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region (IOR), such as a deep-sea port at Gwadar, Pakistan and other locations.
Force to reckon with
•Asserting that the “Navy will be a force to reckon with in the Indo-Pacific region,” she said she had very “pointed discussion on the issues raised by the commanders.”
•A Navy statement said the Minister expressed “satisfaction with which the Navy has continued to maintain a high operational tempo through regular deployment of ships, submarines and aircraft in the Areas Of Responsibility (AOR).” “I am confident that the Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness in our Areas of Interests will enable it to respond effectively to the various contingencies, such as Search and Rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and anti-piracy,” she said.
•She highlighted the Indian Navy’s responses to numerous crisis situations around the IOR in the last few months, including the heavy rains and flooding in Sri Lanka and post Cyclone Mora in Bangladesh and Myanmar, as well as Cyclone Ockhi in November.
•The Minister said the Navy had also established itself as a potential tool for military diplomacy, pointing out that they had been playing an important role in “furthering our national and foreign policy objectives through active cooperation and engagement with not just IOR littorals, but maritime nations across the globe.”
•“I firmly believe that as a nation we cannot be truly self-reliant until we are able to develop our own weapons and sensors,” she said, complimenting the Navy for its pioneering efforts.
📰 Kim talks denuclearisation with Xi in second China visit
North Korean leader calls for an end to hostile policies towards Pyongyang
•North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited China this week and met President Xi Jinping, the state media of both countries said on Tuesday, their second encounter in two months amid warming ties between the Cold War allies.
•Their talks in the northeastern coastal city of Dalian comes as tension on the Korean peninsula over North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons eases ahead of what would be a historic meeting between Mr. Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump, as soon as this month, according to the White House.
•China has been keen to show it has an indispensable role to play in seeking a lasting solution to tension over North Korea, concerned that its interests may be ignored, especially as North Korea and the United States establish contacts.
‘Synchronised measures’
•Mr. Kim, during his visit on Monday and Tuesday, told Mr. Xi he hoped relevant parties would take “phased” and “synchronised” measures to realise denuclearisation and lasting peace on the Korean peninsula.
•“So long as relevant parties eliminate hostile policies and security threats toward North Korea, North Korea has no need for nuclear (capacity), and denuclearisation can be realised,” China’s official Xinhua news agency cited Mr. Kim as saying.
•Mr. Kim told Mr. Xi that the denuclearisation of the peninsula was North Korea’s “constant and clear position”, and that dialogue between North Korea and the United States could build mutual trust.
•Mr. Xi hosted a banquet and told Mr. Kim of his backing of North Korea’s “strategic shift towards economic development”, Xinhua added.
•“China supports North Korea’s upholding of denuclearisation on the peninsula, and supports North Korea and the United States resolving the peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation,” Mr. Xi said.
•North Korean state media said Mr. Kim was “very pleased” that the relationship with China was reaching a high point, and North Korea would cooperate with China more actively as the situation on the Korean peninsula changed.
•The visit, part of a flurry of diplomatic engagement that has dramatically eased tension, follows Mr. Kim’s recent historic summit with South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in. It also followed Mr. Kim’s dramatic train journey to Beijing in March, his first known trip abroad since assuming power in 2011.
•Mr. Trump said on Twitter that he would speak with Mr. Xi by telephone on Tuesday morning in Washington, calling the Chinese leader “my friend”. “The primary topics will be trade, where good things will happen, and North Korea, where relationships and trust are building,” Mr. Trump said.
•Mr. Kim used his official aircraft to make the short flight to Dalian, in what was his first international flight since assuming power.
•Mr. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, feared flying, fuelling speculation that the younger Kim may not be willing to travel far to meet Mr. Trump. The venue for their summit has not been announced.
•The demilitarised zone, or DMZ, between North and South Korea, and Singapore are believed to be the most likely contenders for the venue.
Seoul in the loop
•South Korea’s presidential office said the Chinese government notified Seoul about the Xi-Kim meeting in advance. “The Chinese government informed that Kim had arrived in Dalian on Monday and returned to Pyongyang today. It was a one-night-two-days stay,” the office said.
•Intense secrecy typically surrounds high-level North Korean visits to China, and this week’s unannounced trip was no different.
•Throughout the day on Tuesday there was speculation on Chinese websites that a North Korean leader was in China, though China’s Foreign Ministry said earlier it had no information and Chinese state media did not carry any reports.
•Japanese public broadcaster NHK had shown images of two North Korean aircraft taxiing at Dalian’s airport, one an Air Koryo plane and another carrying a North Korean emblem, although the North’s state airline does not have regular flights to the Chinese city. Posts about unusual traffic jams and security in Dalian popped up on Chinese social media.
📰 Trump pulls U.S. out of Iran deal
President says Washington will re-impose sanctions targeting sectors crucial to Tehran’s economy like energy, petrochemicals and finance
•The United States has pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, upending a key foreign policy achievement of his predecessor Barack Obama.
•Under the 2015 deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), involving five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany, Iran had agreed to stop its nuclear programme in exchange of relief from economic sanctions.
•“We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanction,” Mr. Trump said. The President has directed his administration to immediately begin the process of re-imposing sanctions that were lifted by the JCPOA, the White House said in a statement, moments after he announced the decision. “The re-imposed sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy, such as its energy, petrochemical, and financial sectors,” it said.
•Mr. Trump’s decision to formally end America’s participation in the deal that curtailed Iran’s nuclear ambitions could strain its relations with key allies like France, Germany and the United Kingdom, aggravate tensions with Russia and China, and add to instability in West Asia.
•Repeating his long-held views on the deal, the President said JCPOA failed to deal with the threat of Iran’s missile programme and did not include a strong enough mechanism for inspections and verification. Accusing Iran of “malign activities in the region”, Mr. Trump said America would not surrender to “nuclear blackmail by Iran.”
•“The agreement was so poorly negotiated that even if Iran fully complies, the regime could still be on the verge of a nuclear breakout in just a short period of time. The deal’s sunset provisions are totally unacceptable. If I allowed this deal to stand, there would soon be a nuclear-arms race in the Middle East,” said Mr. Trump.
•He said if Iran continues its nuclear aspirations, “it will have bigger problems than it has ever had before“.
•The President had termed the Iran nuclear deal a “disaster” during the 2016 campaign and vowed to end it if elected. He was restrained for months by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster who were replaced recently. Their successors, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and John Bolton share Mr. Trump’s hawkish views on Iran.
•Mr. Trump has also been goaded into exit from the deal by his friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Trump cited documents released by Mr. Netanyahu recently to underscore this point that the Iran deal was based on deception by Tehran.
•In walking out of the deal that started the process of integrating Iran into the global mainstream, Mr. Trump has ignored pleas by France, Germany and the U.K. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.K Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson all travelled to Washington DC in recent days to talk Mr. Trump out of this path.
•Though the formal exit of America from the deal happened only with Mr. Trump’s announcement on Tuesday, the country has already been in violation of the agreement, according to some commentators, who point out the Trump administration’s active role in stopping commercial agreements Iran sought with Western companies. Under the deal, the U.S was to help Iran integrate into the global economy. The Trump administration has been pressing European countries to stay away from commercial deals with Iran already. Boeing, one American entity that was allowed to do business with Iran by the Obama administration, has not proceeded with the opportunity.
•Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the governments of Iran, Russia, and China would “seize this opportunity of self-imposed U.S. isolation to continue major weapons sales, deepen economic ties, and further challenge the United States and Europe not only in the Middle East but in other areas like North Korea”.
•“With this decision President Trump is risking U.S. national security, recklessly upending foundational partnerships with key U.S. allies in Europe and gambling with Israel’s security. Today’s withdrawal from the JCPOA makes it more likely Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program in the future,” he said.
📰 Commission approves modern animal-free testing for drugs
New guidelines for pharma makers will come into effect from July 1
•In a step that would spare animals from suffering due to drug experiments, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission has approved modern, animal-free tests for drug manufacturers. In the 2018 edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia, that provides guidelines on tests for drugs manufactured and marketed in India, the IPC has replaced the pyrogen test carried out on rabbits and the abnormal toxicity test carried out on guinea pigs and mice with tests that can be done in test tubes.
•The guidelines in the edition will come into effect from July 1.
•Dr. G.N. Singh, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of the IPC confirmed the development.
•“We have been focussing on various issues concerning human safety as well as animal safety when it comes to drug manufacturing. If alternative methods are available through which animals don’t have to suffer, they should be applied effectively”, Dr. Singh told The Hindu adding that alternative tests are equally effective.
•The pyrogen test is carried out to check impurity or substance that can can cause adverse side-effects. For the test, the drug is injected into a rabbit and the animal is closely observed for feverish symptoms.
•The abnormal toxicity test is carried out to check potential hazardous biological contamination in vaccine formulations.
•This batch test is done before the product is approved for marketing. In this, mice or guinea pigs are injected with the vaccine. The scientists observe if there is death of any animal.
New mandate
•With the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission’s new mandate, the pyrogen test will be replaced by a bacterial endotoxin test or a monocyte activation test which can be carried out in test tubes. Vaccine manufacturers can apply for waiver for the abnormal toxicity test by getting a compliance certificate from the National Control Laboratory instead.
•People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has been pushing for doing away with the cruel methods of testing on animals for the past several years.
•“We had written to the IPC in 2015 with several suggestions. Our suggestions were discussed in a meeting of the expert committee on vaccine standards that was held in 2016 and a few of them have finally been approved”, said PETA India’s science policy adviser Dr. Dipti Kapoor who termed IPC’s mandate as a progressive step.
•She said tests like the one for abnormal toxicity have been removed by the U.S. and European pharmacopoeia as they are not an efficient marker.
📰 TRAI seeks to amend interconnect norms
Invites comments on draft by May 18
•Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday issued a draft document that proposes to amend certain norms of the interconnection regulations that were released in January this year.
‘Widening time frame’
•The ‘Draft Telecommunication Interconnection (Amendment) Regulations 2018’, among other things, proposes that the time frame for provisioning of ports for initial interconnection and augmentation be increased to a maximum of 42 working days.
•The regulator has also proposed that each service provider shall provide its forecast of busy hour outgoing traffic for each POI (point of interconnection), at intervals of every six months to the interconnecting service provider. The first such forecast has to be given within two months from the commencement of these amended regulations. Additionally, a service provider can ask another operator for additional ports, if the projected utilisation of the capacity is likely to exceed 85% over a 60-day period.
•The regulator has sought views and comments from the industry by May 18 on the draft.
📰 Forging peace in Nagaland
Insularity and intransigence will only derail the Framework Agreement
•Reams have been written about the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015 between Union government and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), or NSCN-IM. The agreement has raised expectations among the Naga people but also apprehension in neighbouring Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, and rightly so. States that have been created after due consideration of a number of factors and their geographical boundaries clearly mapped out can hardly be expected to take kindly to any attempt at rearranging those boundaries. But let’s look at whether this is the only sticking point or if there are issues too — between the protagonists of the Naga peace talks, the NSCN-IM, and Delhi.
The two sides
•A section of articulate Nagas who have questioned the secrecy around the Framework Agreement believe that its terms need to be discussed and debated. However, this elite conveniently forgets that we are, even today, ruled by a plutocracy and that large sections of the population have and have had no say in matters affecting their lives. So what democracy are they talking about? Is it only the Framework Agreement that will change the entire contour of their present existential crisis? I have my doubts.
•Most in Nagaland speak with derision about the NSCN-IM because it is led by Th. Muivah, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur. The question often asked on social media is,why should a Tangkhul Naga decide the future of the Nagas of Nagaland vide the Framework Agreement? But the counter question is why not?
•It is true that the NSCN-IM had, for several decades, used the gun to silence its detractors, and indulged in large-scale extortion and imposed its diktat on the Nagas. It has also tried to sabotage platforms such as the Forum for Naga Reconciliation for alternative discourses on the peace process. But to be fair to the NSCN-IM, its leaders have remained steadfast to the goal of wresting an “honourable settlement” for the Naga people from the Government of India.
•In the Indian establishment too, there are layers of prejudice as far as the Naga demand is concerned. There are some in the security establishment and the political dispensation who dismiss outright Naga claims of a “unique history,” instead of trying to understand where this claim arises from.
Lessons from JP
•It is to the credit of democratic India that it produced a statesman like Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) who, in his interactions with the Nagas, showed incredible comprehension and empathy about their history and origin. JP traversed the length and breadth of Nagaland, later bringing out a book, Nagaland Mein Shanti Ka Prayas (The Attempts to Forge Peace in Nagaland). He was perhaps one of the first national leaders to argue about a civilisational unity in India which preceded its political unity. JP was speaking about all the tribes inhabiting India’s easternmost periphery, much before the term “India” was coined to define this country. Even today the tribes of this region are not influenced by the “Indian” culture. They are proud inheritors of a unique culture.
•Today it is those in Naga civil society and political leaders who make visits to Delhi to prevail upon the ‘Indian’ establishment to take a more pragmatic view of the peace deal and not regurgitate the idea that India must settle all contentious issues on the basis of the Constitution. The Nagas contend that they never signed the Instrument of Accession to India (which the Khasi chieftains of present-day Meghalaya and the Maharajahs of Manipur and Tripura did) and hence cannot be made prisoners to a Constitution they never had a hand in crafting. To add to the predicament, India has not produced another statesman of the stature of JP who would break bread with the Nagas in the spirit of a fellow traveller who does not smirk at the Naga claim of a unique history.
•But at the same time, the Nagas too must admit that they have journeyed a long way with the rest of India. Both have developed a comfort level with each other and taken cognisance of the sticking points that prevent the resolution of a long-drawn struggle. Therefore, it is time to shed political egos and move on keeping in mind the best interests of the next generation of aspirational Nagas. Today the Nagas have transcended the victimhood syndrome and shed their hatred for an India once perceived to be the enemy. The current interlocutor, R.N. Ravi, too has been most open and accepting of a broad spectrum of views from a cross-section of Naga civil society.
•It is in this climate of mutual respect that the Framework Agreement ought to proceed, which is what drives it, according to Mr. Ravi. Insularity and intransigence from either side or from both sides is unlikely to result in any good for the Naga people.
•Speaking of a peace deal within the Constitution, let us admit that pluralism is its cornerstone. And pluralism legitimises the compromises that are necessary to negotiate contesting claims in a country like India.
