INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 7
From the editor’s desk A game of glorious uncertainties, literally The cricket World Cup 2023 in India has brought to the fore quite a few surprises. And this is not for the first time that the cricket World Cup does something to teams not known for great exploits on a cricket field. Therefore major upsets are always on the cards and now no team can take the other lightly, no matter how inexperienced the side may be. After all, as the legends of world cricket say that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties. On a day, even a lesser known team may get conducive conditions, and with no expectation of harming its reputation whatsoever, it may perform to its unknown potential and force the very best team in the world to go down on their knees. In fact, sometimes not knowing a team’s talent can hit a reputed team. The pitch may allow the spinners to bowl brilliant deliveries; a pacer may get the bowl to dart to the batsmen sharply, hastening them to play shots they do not want to play. It all happens on a day in the game of cricket. Going down memory lane, the 1983 World Cup in England could well have seen the first real upset of the tournament with the then minnows of the gameZimbabwe- now conspicuous by its absence in this World Cup, almost did the unthinkable and was about to defeat India. What separated India from defeat that day was the brilliant innings of the then Indian skipper Kapil Dev, who smashed to every side of the park to score 175 runs under difficult English conditions. When Kapil Dev had entered the ground then, India was tottering, and not many of its fans would have had the patience to listen to the radio commentary, as the match was not telecast live on television because employees of the BBC were on strike. It is a different story that history was meant to be scripted and India won the World cup in 1983 defeating the mighty West Indies against all odds. The trend for an unlikely victory of a lesser team has continued in subsequent world cups. Teams like Ireland have defeated strong nations, though they have not managed to qualify in other World Cups. So this phenomenon of a lesser known team, barely qualifying for the World Cup, to churn up match-winning performances trouncing mighty teams in world cricket, is difficult to explain, except perhaps for the fact that the more accomplished teams tend to become complacent while playing these teams who are yet to make a mark in the
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EDITORIAL
Shift in India’s Middle East policy apparent
international arena. In the current World Cup in India, surprises have come in large quantities. The first major surprise was when the Netherlands defeated the mighty South Africa. How do you explain that? Big names playing for South Africa who have played like lions against stronger opposition, wilted under pressure created by some impeccable pace and spin bowling from the Netherlands. Not many experts would have given even a whiff of a chance to the Netherlands that they would get the better of the South Africans so easily. The South African side did not look their real self as they played in a manner that showed a lack of confidence. Some of the shots played by their batters were tentative, and the Netherlands totally dominated the proceedings. But the performance of world champion England has surprised many experts of the game. How can a champion side, which was playing brilliant cricket till now, suddenly start playing shabbily? The English side has outstanding match winners in Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Bairstow and Butler. They have depth in their batting, and have a formidable bowling attack. Despite being a champion side that it is, the English side played a sort of cricket you won’t normally associate with a team that has no dearth of talent. Yet the team played without the spark it needed so much. It is not as if the players were not familiar with the conditions in India. Many of their top players play for one or the other IPL side. Some of the players may have been playing in India for the first time. Even so, international players are trained to acclimatize themselves to conditions abroad. This is what makes them professional cricketers. The downfall of the English side, which has been sliding down on the points table for this World Cup, has been wrought by some of the irresponsible shots they have chosen to play, unwittingly perhaps. When the conditions required the team to play cautiously, the English side chose to play aggressively and lost wickets in regular intervals unnecessarily. One would expect players of the caliber of Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Bairstow and Butler to play a good hand when the situation demanded them to do so. They are too good to miss out for long.
By Rabindra Mukherjee Condemn Hamas action before seeking UNGA vote on truce resolution There is a major shift in the Indian Middle East policy vis-àvis the Palestine-Israel conflict. Though India has desisted from openly taking sides of either Israel or Palestine, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first reaction to the gruesome Hamas attack on Israel saying that India stands with Israel has been perceived as India’s pro-Israel stance. But the more recent developments have put to rest any doubts about which way India seeks to align. The fact that India abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution backing the Palestine cause, makes the point amply clear that India is no longer averse to lending support to Israel, albeit indirectly. While India has made its stance clear politically, India has sent humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine. India’s official stance should not be misinterpreted as against the people of Palestine. India continues to engage with the Palestinian leadership, but its self interest dictates that it can no longer ignore Israel as an important ally that has always supported and assisted India in times of crisis. In the current geopolitical scenario, where India is surrounded by foes on all sides, having friendly relations with Israel is imperative. Pakistan and China have been a perennial threat to India. With China engaging with many South Asian countries, especially Nepal and Bhutan, India feels threatened as these small countries can act against India in the event of a conflict escalating to a fullfledged war. India’s opposition to the recent UNGA resolution arises because it (UNGA) failed to condemn Hamas for its terrorist attack and the Assembly rejected an amendment supported by India that would have named the terror group. India’s stance has always been against acts of terror and terror groups anywhere in
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the world. This is understandable considering the fact that India has had to deal with terrorism from across the border for years. The October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel calls for harshest criticism of the terror group, and there is no logic whatsoever not to condemn its abominable acts of terror. Israel’s counter-offensive against the terror group is but natural and understandable, though the loss of innocent civilian lives, be they Palestinians or Israelis, is against the best interest of humanity. In this context, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Yojna Patel said after the vote that the terror attacks in Israel on October 7 were shocking and deserved condemnation. She stated that the world should not be persuaded to justify terror acts, and leaving aside differences, it should adopt a zero tolerance approach to terrorists. This statement from the Indian side should make it clear that India condemns terrorism and terror attacks, irrespective of the place it emanates from. Therefore, any backing of the Palestine cause, at a time when a terror group like Hamas is purportedly trying to show that it alone represents Palestine and its cause, will amount to giving legitimacy to a terror group. There is also a need to be aware of the fact that Hamas unleashed an orgy of rapes and murders, and are still holding several Israelis as hostages. The resolution asked the member countries to vote for a truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict and provision of assistance to the people of Gaza. The resolution passed with 120 votes, while there were 14 votes against it and 45 abstentions, giving it a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. India, however, backed the amendment to the resolution moved by Canada that named Hamas and condemned its October 7 attack. But it failed to pass, getting only 88 votes, while there were 54 votes against it, with 23 abstentions.
four resolutions on Gaza, with one each being vetoed by Russia and the US, and two that did not get the minimum nine votes to pass. Significantly, the Assembly's resolution is only symbolic in nature, and it does not have the power to enforce it. Therefore not much should be read into how the UNGA resolution went. India’s stance has been more towards focusing on the humanitarian crisis that needs to be addressed. Historically, India has always voted in favour of any resolution that favoured the Palestine cause, even if it meant ignoring the Israeli position. But keeping in view the changing geopolitical situation, it is apt that India should take the stance that serves its interest. Since Independence, India’s position to back only the Palestinian cause was in keeping with the notion that it will be looked upon favourably by Indian Muslims. This perspective is erroneous given the fact that Indian Muslims realize that they are a part of the Indian nation, and what is in the interest of India as a nation is also in their interest. The Palestine issue has been deliberately politicized internationally, and it is being done in India domestically as well. The Israel-Palestine conflict should not affect the psyche of Muslims in India. This is because a nation is built with the contribution of one and all, including that of the Muslims. Muslims in India are an integral part of India as a nation, which has nothing to do with India’s stance globally. If India stands with Israel, it is to fulfill its own interest. The Arab countries have always sided with and supported Pakistan during India-Pakistan wars. Israel, on the other hand, had stood with India, and even supported it when it was in a crisis situation. Israeli assistance has strengthened India’s intelligence agency R&AW. India needs the support and assistance of Israel in a world where it is difficult to discern between a friend and a foe.
The UNGA action came after the Security Council failed to pass
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