At a time when the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been going on for more than three weeks, Indian government corporation Indian Oil has bought three million barrels of oil from Russia because Russia is offering its oil at a price that is 20% lower than the stock exchange price. Many in Latvia have expressed puzzlement as to why India, the world's largest democracy, did not join in the general condemnation of Russian aggression and economic sanctions, but rather indirectly supports Russian aggression in Ukraine.
It should be recalled here that India's refusal to join the Russian oil embargo is not the only manifestation of its support for Russian aggression. When, on February 25, the UN Security Council voted on a resolution condemning "in the strongest terms" Russia's aggression against Ukraine and demanding "the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine", India abstained. Also on March 2, when the UN General Assembly voted on a resolution demanding that Russia "immediately cease military activities in Ukraine" and calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, India was among the few countries in the world that abstained.
The people of Latvia were not surprised by China's decision to abstain in both the UN Security Council resolution on February 25 and the UN General Assembly resolution on March 2. China has a one-party (Communist) government and Russia is seen in China as a possible ally in the simmering conflict with the US.
But India is undoubtedly a democracy and, moreover, the world's largest democracy. Why is such a country indirectly supporting Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine?
The answer is not just simple economic advantage, when buying Russian oil can lead to cheaper hydrocarbons. India's foreign policy support for Russia is also influenced by two other factors. India is a large buyer of Russian-made weapons. Almost two-thirds of India's arms are made in Russia. Switching to other arms suppliers is costly and time-consuming.
Most important, however, is Russia's support for the Indian government on the Kashmir issue.
When India broke away from the British Empire in 1947, the territories with a Muslim majority were not included in independent India. The Muslim territories of British India later formed Pakistan when it seceded from the British Empire. The partition of British India in 1947 was not amicable, with bloody massacres and millions of refugees displaced. The question of Kashmir's belonging became very complex. The ruler of Kashmir was a Hindu, but the majority of the population was Muslim, and China also claimed part of Kashmir. In the part of Kashmir that remained part of India, 97% of the population was Muslim. Under the 1954 Indian Constitution, Kashmiri Muslims were given very broad autonomy. Only foreign affairs, security and a few other areas were left to the discretion of the Indian central government. Other issues were the responsibility of the local authorities. In Kashmir, for example, real estate transactions could only take place between Kashmiris. Citizens of other Indian states had no right to buy land or buildings in Kashmir. But in August 2019, the Indian Parliament unexpectedly changed the constitution. Kashmir's autonomy was abolished. To prevent protests, Kashmir was placed under martial law, mobile communications and the internet were cut off, and so on.
This policy by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, caused outrage in Muslim countries all over the world. However, the collective condemnation of the Muslim countries could not be translated into a harsh UN Security Council resolution, because Narendra Modi found an excellent ally in Vladimir Putin. Russia threatened to use its veto power on a potentially condemning UN Security Council resolution on India's policy in Kashmir.
After August 2019, Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi owes a great debt of gratitude to Vladimir Putin, which is why India's official position after Russia's incursion into Ukraine has only taken the form of calls for Russia to cease hostilities and suggestions that NATO and Russia resolve their differences only through discussions.
Since Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the Indian Prime Minister has indirectly sided with supporters of Russia's aggression in pursuing its domestic policy against Indian Muslims.
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