Frozen War; Congress Fulcrum; Long Table
Opinion Watch
Frozen War
On the anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine, The Telegraph turned spotlight on Juan Manuel Santos, Nobel Peace Laureate and former Colombian President, who warned the western nations of risking alienation from developing nations for single-minded focus on the Ukrainian war. Santos indeed has an authority to speak, for the Kolkata-based daily reminded that he had brought peace to decades-long battle between the Colombian army and the Left rebels in 2016. Santos warned at the Munich Security Conference warned that the western blinkered fixation with the war may cut the line of support of the Global South for the Ukrainian defence.
A year has gone by and more battle tanks are flowing into Ukraine from NATO nations, while Vladimir Putin, Russian President, turns the people into guinea pigs. The war needs talking heads. Europe has centuries of globally exploited wealth to wage war for years. But developing nations are facing debt meltdown, and after Sri Lanka and Pakistan there could be more countries on the line of sovereign default. The Global South may have to put more pressure on the US to turn the engine of war to run its economy off soon.
Congress Fulcrum
Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge has said that the party will lead the Opposition alliance to form a government after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Age in an Editorial has turned a mirror to Kharge, saying Congress in the last two general elections couldn’t win even 10 per cent seats in the Lok Sabha to claim the position of the leader of the Opposition, while the party stays in tatters in several states. The daily advised Congress to drop condescending attitude and walk alongside allies, holding their hands. The daily also suggested that Congress plenary beginning today should embrace realistic sense of the prospects of the party.
Congress legs are spurting after victory in Himachal Pradesh and ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. The party is high on spirit. Yet, Congress has miles to go to infuse life in organization. In states such as Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and North-east, Congress is without cadre and leadership. One year may be too short span of time to weave a miracle, and Congress may forget post-poll obsession and focus on current challenges.
Long Table
The Economic Times has welcomed resumption of India-China border management talks. The first meeting of the ‘Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC)’ took place in Beijing after July 2019. The business daily has argued that India now being the voice of the Global South, with the Presidency of the G20, should keep the communication open with China, which is a large economy.
Diplomacy never sleeps. Communication is better than shut windows. China is second largest economy, and India aims to take the third position by 2035. New Delhi and Beijing will square off on several fronts – economic, strategic and the line of actual control.
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