[NEWS OF THE DAY]

UNGA: Turkish President Erdogan rakes up Kashmir issue during UNGA address

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tue once again raked up the Kashmir issue during his address to world leaders at the high-level UN General Assembly session. “….. We hope and pray that a fair and permanent peace and prosperity will be established in Kashmir,” Erdogan, a close ally of Pakistan, said at UNGA. The comment comes less than a week after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on Fri during which they reviewed the full range of bilateral relations and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in diverse sectors. In recent years, the Turkish leader has referred to the Kashmir issue in his address to world leaders at the high-level UN General Assembly sessions, causing strain in ties between India and Turkiye. (here) Since 2019, Erdoğan has been regularly raking up Kashmir from UNGA. During the 2020 UNGA address, he said the removal of special status “complicates the issues” while in 2021 he called for resolution of “Kashmir via UNSC resolutions“, both of which were absent during this year’s address. Hours after Türkiye President Erdogan mentioned Kashmir during the UNGA speech, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar raised Cyprus with Türkiye Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Day 2 in New York: Jaishankar interacts with three presidents, four counterparts

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar interacted with 3 presidents and 4 foreign ministers, on the 2^nd day of the 77^th session of the UNGA, on Tue (local time). He met French President Emmanuel Macron, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo and Comoros President Azali Assoumani in the US. Apart from that, the EAM also met 4 of his counterparts including Denis Moncada from Nicaragua, Alexander Schallenberg from Austria, Najla al-Mangoush from Libya, and Mevlut Cavusoglu from Turkiye. He discussed the conflict in Ukraine and its implications for the Global South with the French President. In continuation to a series of meetings with different leaders from across the world, Jaishankar discussed a bilateral relationship with Comoros President. He met Denis Moncada and discussed the global situation and its multilateral implications. Jaishankar discussed expanding cooperation in mobility and education with his Austrian counterpart. He held discussions over several issues including food security, G20 processes, and global order. Over the week, Jaishankar is scheduled to have more than 50 official engagements including bilateral, plurilateral, and multilateral meetings. (here)

This is not the era of war has been lauded by France and United States

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks to Russian President Putin last week that this is not the era of war has been lauded by France and United States. Last week, on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand, PM Modi and Russian President Putin held a bilateral during which the former emphasized dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict. The French President Emmanuel Macron, during his address at the UNGA on Tue, said, “Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, was right when he said the time is not for war. It is not for revenge against the West”. Earlier, US national security advisor Jake Sullivan lauded the remarks by PM Modi, calling them “statement of principle on behalf of what he believes is right and just“. (here) Austria’s foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg said India’s voice on Ukraine matters, Europe’s divergences with India on the war in Ukraine are “less large” than people believe, PM Narendra Modi’s clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war is “important”.

[NATIONAL]

“China remains a formidable challenge at border”, says Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar

Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Tue said that China remains a formidable challenge in this regard and has kept on increasing its presence not just on land but also on maritime borders by leveraging anti-piracy operations to normalize its naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region. Kumar further said that a war with potential adversaries cannot be ruled out, but without escalating into armed action. The Navy Chief also said that Pakistan has continued its military modernization despite economic constraints, especially its Navy, which is on track to becoming a 50-platform force. Kumar also said that terrorism is still a major security threat in addition to the existing military challenges that persist, as it continues to evolve in shape, scale, and size. Staying one step ahead of such an invisible enemy, who will constantly innovate tactics, enabled by niche technologies, is a challenge that persists. (here)

India must prepare for hybrid warfare, says Indian Air Force Chief

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Tue said the security environment in the neighborhood was far from ideal, stressing the need to complement India’s economic progress with a mirroring trajectory of homegrown military capabilities. He said under such a situation, India must be prepared for hybrid warfare. The IAF Chief was speaking at an event here. “We need to have our own research and development. The industry needs to adopt the twin mantras of quality and scalability of products,” he said. Noting that the country is faced with a wide variety of threats, the Air Chief said the distinct challenge lay in convergence into hybrid wars. “The impact of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is being felt globally. …In this environment, India continues to be an outlier as our economy has shown a robust recovery,” he said. “…our economic progress needs to be complemented by a mirroring trajectory of homegrown military capabilities,” he said. Chaudhari said given the political scenario prevalent today, it was important for the IAF to enhance its capabilities across the conventional, sub-conventional, and non-conventional domains. (here)

US, India engaging on Pacific Islands: Biden’s deputy assistant Kurt Campbell

As geopolitical competition intensifies in the Pacific Islands, Kurt Campbell, the White House Indo-Pacific coordinator and deputy assistant to President Joe Biden, has said the US and India are engaging with each other on the issue, and that they look forward to working “more closely” with New Delhi in the region. He added that he was “gratified” by the close coordination with India across domains in the Indo-Pacific. Campbell, often considered one of the key architects of the US’s Indo-Pacific thrust and Quad from his perch in the National Security Council, also acknowledged that there is a lack of a strategic approach from the US towards the Indian Ocean island states — which face some of the same challenges as Pacific Islands — and there are efforts to remedy that. Admitting that the US has to “step up its game” in the Pacific Islands — a recent security understanding between the Solomon Islands and China has triggered concern in Washington DC and led to an avalanche of diplomatic initiatives to woo the strategically located islands — Campbell said that the US has “strategic, moral, political, humanitarian” interests in the region. (here)

India puts UK, Canada on notice over Sikh radicals and attacks on Hindu temples

The Narendra Modi govt is closely monitoring the rise of Sikh radicalization, attacks, and vandalization of symbols of Hindu religion in the UK and Canada and evaluating various options to send a terse message to the two members of the Commonwealth community. While India has taken strong umbrage to violence perpetrated against the Indian community in Leicester and protested to the UK authorities, it is also watching how British security agencies are turning a blind eye towards fund collection by Sikh radicals to fan the separatism movement. Delhi has decided not to take anything lying down and will respond in kind to these anti-India developments in the two countries. The events in the UK are adding up to India’s angst against London for trying to carve out a non-existent global role for itself in the Af-Pak region and the Indo-Pacific. It is understood that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who is perfectly fine in health contrary to mischievous planted reports on social media, have taken strong notice of these events in the UK and Canada and the Indian response will be commensurate to the aggravation. India has made it very clear to not the only UK, and Canada but also the US that non-action against anti-India Sikh radicals is tantamount to complicity. (here)

Protests outside Hindu temple in UK’s Smethwick

A mob staged a violent demonstration outside the Durga Bhawan temple in UK’s Smethwick on Tue triggering fears of clashes that erupted in the country’s eastern city of Leicester over the past weeks following an India-Pakistan cricket match. Videos that surfaced on social media showed a large crowd of people marching towards the Durga Bhawan Hindu Centre on Spon Lane. They were also heard raising religious slogans. Several from the mob were seen climbing the temple’s walls. Sandwell Police had earlier tweeted, “We’re aware of a planned protest in West Bromwich later today (Sept 20). We understand this is concerning around a speaker at the Temple in Spon Lane, but we’re informed the event has been canceled and this person is not staying in the UK.” This incident comes after recent social media reports about Pakistani organized gangs were seen vandalizing and terrorizing Hindus in the UK’s Leicester City. A total of 47 arrests have been made so far, Leicestershire Police said. (here) [They were protesting against a visit by Sadhvi Ritambhara. The unruly group of protesters also said that they will not allow visits by Hindu leaders anywhere in the UK and threatened that copycat protests will be carried out in front of other temples in the UK. A report by News18 on the violence in Leicester, citing sources, said that the Pakistani side created a ruckus by bringing almost 10K youth from Birmingham to Leicester following the Pak cricket team’s victory on Sept 4.]

Cabinet approves Rs 19,500 crore PLI scheme for Solar PV Modules

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wed approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for solar PV modules with an outlay of Rs 19,500 crore for achieving a manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt (GW) scale in High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules. The national program on High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules aims to build an ecosystem for manufacturing of high-efficiency solar PV modules in India, and thus reduce import dependence in the area of Renewable Energy. It will strengthen the Atamnirbhar Bharat initiative and generate employment, it said. Solar PV manufacturers will be selected through a transparent selection process. It is estimated that about 65,000 MW per annum manufacturing capacity of fully and partially integrated, solar PV modules would be installed. The scheme will bring a direct investment of around Rs 94,000 crore. The scheme will lead to the creation of manufacturing capacity for the Balance of Materials like EVA, Solar glass, Backsheet, etc. It is estimated to provide direct employment to about 1,95,000 and indirect employment to around 7,80,000 persons. The scheme will lead to import substitution of approximately Rs 1.37 lakh crore. (here)

Ratan Tata, former SC judge among newly appointed trustees of PM CARES Fund

Eminent personalities, including industrialist and TATA Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata, former Supreme Court judge KT Thomas, and former deputy Lok Sabha speaker Kariya Munda have been nominated as trustees of the PM CARES Fund, the govt said in an official statement on Wed. The announcement came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the board of trustees meeting that was attended by the newly appointed members, along with Union home minister Amit Shah and finance minister Nirmala Sitharman. Former Comptroller and Auditor General Rajiv Mehrishi, former Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murthy and Teach for India co-founder Anand Shah have been nominated to the advisory board of the Fund. The PM CARES Fund was created as part of emergency relief measures during the Covid-19 pandemic that broke out in 2020. The PM is the ex-officio chairperson and all contributions are fully exempt from income tax. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

China dials down Taiwan rhetoric; US, Canada transit strait

China toned down its rhetoric on Taiwan on Wed, saying it is inevitable that the self-governing island comes under its control but that it would promote efforts to achieve that peacefully. The comments came one day after the U.S. and Canadian navies sailed through the strait between China and Taiwan. They don’t appear to signal a policy change as much as a broader attempt to calm the waters on multiple fronts in the run-up to a major meeting of the ruling Communist Party next month. “I would like to reiterate that … we are willing to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and utmost efforts,” Ma Xiaoguang, the govt spokesperson, on Taiwan, said when asked about growing concern that China might resort to force. (here)

China should ‘worry’ about Taiwan 2027 timeline, J-20 is just ‘OK’ fighter: PACAF chief

The head of US Air Forces in the Pacific isn’t downplaying the challenge from China. But when it comes to a potential invasion of Taiwan, he thinks Beijing and its top military planners should be “worried” about their ability to take over the island nation. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the PACAF commander, also told reporters during a media engagement Mon that China’s J-20, its most advanced fighter in production, isn’t “anything to lose a lot of sleep over,” indicating his belief that American fifth-gen fighters would be more than a match for the Chinese-made jets. Asked for his assessment on whether China would be able to invade Taiwan by 2027, a date pegged by several officials over the years and recently as this month, Wilsbach acknowledged that is a target for Beijing. But the outcome of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should, he said, cause PRC leadership to “wonder” if that timeline is still realistic. (here)

China-elected Panchen Lama’s ‘perfectly planned’ visits hide human rights crisis in

In the wake of the ongoing sinicization of Tibetans by China, the regular visits of the China-appointed Panchen Lama Gyaltsen Norbu to Tibet throw light on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) hidden agenda to spread disinformation about Tibet and hide the real human rights crisis unfolding in Tibet, according to the Tibet Rights Collective (TRC). Norbu has undertaken numerous domestic and foreign trips under CCP’s command and made various speeches on Buddhism, Tibet, and China. However, the CCP’s efforts to gain recognition and acceptance from the Tibetans have failed time and again. According to the TRC, the Norbu also visited Sangding Monastery in Jul 2022 where he “expressed the hope to jointly make efforts and make due contributions to the Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism“. In another meeting in Aug during his visit to the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the Panchen Lama said, “Tibetans must be grateful to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)” as he hailed the actions of the CCP in Tibet. TRC stated that most of the visits are being executed in the border areas by the CCP to strengthen the border village system and assert its dominance in the region. (here)

France to the rescue with international conference for flood-hit Pakistan

In an act of compassion, France has stepped forth to assist in the revival of Pakistan’s economy and its reconstruction in the wake of devastating floods, with an international conference this year. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and French President Emmanuel Macron had a meeting on the sidelines of the 77^th Session of the UNGA in New York on Tue. Besides the exchange of views on the enhancement of bilateral relations, the two leaders spoke about mobilizing international support for Pakistan to help recover and rebuild its economy on a sustainable footing in the aftermath of the climate change-induced floods. The premier also had a meeting with Spanish President Pedro Sanchez on the sidelines of UNGA. PM Shehbaz stressed the need for deepening the multifaceted Pakistan-Spain relations with a particular emphasis on inter-parliamentary ties as well as security and defense cooperation. The Spanish president called for bilateral collaboration in the energy sector and people-to-people links. PM stressed that sustained, practical, and meaningful engagement of the international community with Afghanistan was essential for ensuring the welfare of the Afghan people and for promoting shared goals of peace, security, and development in the country. The PM also met Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi and the two leaders agreed to deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation across a broad range of areas. The PM conveyed that Pakistan highly valued the supreme leader’s strong and steadfast support for the just struggle of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). (here)

Pakistan’s cry for flood relief new tactic to seek more funds

While Pakistan continues to be ravaged by floods, especially in Sindh and Balochistan provinces, Pakistan is now playing a victim of its man-made disaster fabricated under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan floods have increased manifold over the last 50 years, killing 115 people each day on average and damaging infrastructure projects in sensitive regions like Gilgit Baltistan, causing a high melting rate of glaciers and blockage of river systems are termed as a major cause of it, Al Arabiya reported citing the World Meteorological Organization. The floods have become another chance for Islamabad to seek donations to help themselves amid the CPEC-driven economic turmoil. However, the projects are of critical importance for both China and Pakistan. An international group of scientists, World Weather Attribution, in its Sept 2022 analysis has held human activities responsible for the deadly floods in Pakistan, as per Al Arabiya. Various reasons are responsible for Pakistan’s floods. Firstly, the elevation of several roads is higher than the areas they pass through and these settlements tend to become lakes with no exit for water, an architect, Arif Hasan, wrote in the Dawn. Furthermore, the construction of the CPEC project, running through some of the most vulnerable regions in Pakistan caused melting, flooding, landslides, massive deforestation, and river blockages. (here)

Afghanistan: Taliban replaces acting education minister in reshuffle

Amid a global call for the reopening of secondary schools for girls, the Taliban’s supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has reshuffled several national and provincial positions, including the acting education minister, on Tue. Taliban-appointed acting education minister Noorullah Munir would be replaced by the head of Kandahar’s provincial council, Maulvi Habibullah Agha, Pajhwok news agency reported. This reshuffle comes as the Taliban has been under fire for the exclusion of girls from high schools. Taliban say they are working on a plan to open secondary schools for girls but have not given a specific timeframe. On the day marking the 1^st anniversary of the exclusion of girls from high schools on Sept 18, the UN reiterated its call for the country’s de facto authorities to take urgent measures to reopen high schools for all. (here)

Islamabad police beef up Red Zone security to ward off security threat

The Islamabad Capital Territory Police (ICT) on Tue said the security at entry and exit points of the city’s Red Zone areas has been beefed up to ward off any possible law and order situation in light of a political rally “headed towards Islamabad from Punjab”. The beefing up of security also comes ahead of Imran Khan’s expected indictment in contempt of court proceedings against him for passing controversial remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry. Separately, PTI Chairman Imran Khan had on Sept 2 issued a “fresh warning” to the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition govt about marching towards the capital if it “continued to torture” his party’s leaders and workers. Meanwhile, ICT police had on Tue sought 30k police personnel from provinces and paramilitary forces to deal with PTI’s march. (here)

Nepal: President rejects citizenship bill, tramples on the constitution

The nascent federal democratic republic is at another turning point. For the first time since the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015, the ceremonial head of state has defied Parliament—and thereby brazenly violated the constitution. The constitution clearly defines the President’s roles, responsibilities, and jurisdiction. But, contrary to that, President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who has been expressing her reservations against several provisions of the bill to amend the Citizenship Act-2006 despite her ceremonial role, has refused to authenticate the bill, thereby affecting at least half a million stateless people waiting for the bill’s passage to get their national identity cards. With the President’s refusal, the proposed amendments will now be rendered null and void, leading to a potential confrontation between Singha Durbar and Sheetal Niwas. Political parties are also divided—the ruling coalition of the Nepali Congress, the CPN (Maoist Centre), the CPN (Unified Socialist), the Janata Samajbadi Party, and the Rashtriya Janamorcha, along with the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, are in favor of the bill, while the CPN-UML has been backing the President’s call for its thorough review. (here)