INDIA NEWS
Nov 16-30, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 10
THE WORLD THIS WEEK Contributed by the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru*
By D Suba Chandran, Harini Madhusudan, Lokendra Sharma and Akriti Sharma
The US: Joe Biden will be the new American President and Kamala Harris the Vice-President
US President elect Joe Biden and Vice President elect Kamala Harris What happened? After four days of tensed vote counting, Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate has won the 2020 Presidential election against Donald Trump. The counting got delayed, because of the heavy postal ballots. Joe Biden, in his first speech as the President-Elect, addressed the need first to unite the US within. He made an explicit point that there are no Blue and Red States, only the United States. Besides addressing the political red and blue divide in terms of the Democrats and the Republicans, he also mentioned the need to restore the soul of America, heal the country and push the harsh rhetoric away. There was no gloating in his speech against Donald Trump. Though he did not talk about the global issues, in his first speech, he did mention about making the US respected again internationally. Kamala Harris, the Vice President-elect, emphasized on the need to protect the democracy, and build a better future together. She referred to the sorrows, sacrifice and the pain of people during the last few months (referring to the COVID). Kamala Harris also underlined the role of women in the elections and their role in taking the US into the future. She referred to her ethnic background, talked about her mother, who came to the US at the age of 19 and referred to the Black, Asian, Latino and Native American women as the backbone of the democracy. “Tonight, I reflect their struggle. I stand on their shoulders.” She also stated, “I may be the first woman in this office. But, I’ll not be the last”. In a nutshell, Kamala Harris referred to the need to bring everyone, who has made the US their home. There has been no response from
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the Trump campaign so far. A few tweets, earlier by Trump, have not given any indication, that he would accept the verdict gracefully, and leave the White House. What does it mean? First, Biden will have to address the domestic expectations from him, and also address the internal divide. While the final vote may have pushed Biden to be the next President, there was no “wave” against Donald Trump. A substantial percentage has voted for Trump; this would mean, they believe in what Trump has been selling them in terms of making America great again. Today, the US stands more polarised within, than it has been ever before. Restoring the soul of the US, and “making America the beacon of the world” as Biden commented is not going to be an easy task. Second, Trump’s legacy at the international level. Biden’s statement made – that he would make the US respected again at the global level, is also not going to be an easy task for the new President. Trump has derailed many global commitments that the US has made earlier – from climate change to trade. Trump’s policy towards China, the Middle East (especially Iran) and Russia – will pose tough questions to the new President. Also, Trump’s handling of the American allies – especially Canada and Europe, means Biden will have to rebuild relations not only with adversaries but also with the allies. Tough task. But not insurmountable.
Chancellor and the French President are expected to propose discussions with senior EU officials regarding issues/ measures that include a better screening of asylum seekers, tougher penalties for citizens sympathetic to the Islamic State (or other terror groups) and supporters who have participated with extremist groups abroad. With three horrific attacks in the past six weeks, Europe faces a law and order issue along with an ideological challenge. What does it mean? There has been a strong response to the attacks in Europe and the rest of the world. There has also been a debate about Europe being overwhelmed by the rising number of immigrants. The current move by Austria and France brings the dichotomy of Europe’s passion for multiculturalism against their decades-long resistance to assimilating the immigrants into their society. Since the immigrant crisis in Europe has now become
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz a popular election ploy, public opinion has been highly divided. The law and order agencies in both the countries seem to have failed to foresee the attacks or even have a profile of the perpetrators. A joint initiative by Europe with uniform measures of verification makes it the only timely response that could help reduce such attacks in the future.
Europe: Austria and France seek pan-European measures against Islamic Extremists ALSO IN THE NEWS
China: CPC releases the roadmap for the next 15 years
French President Emmanuel Macron What happened? On 5 November, Austrian and French officials said that they are planning a joint campaign to push for European Unionwide measures against Islamic extremism. This comes in the wake of terrorist attacks during recent weeks in both countries. At the forthcoming EU summit on 19 November, the Austrian
On 3 November, the Chinese Communist Party made public a roadmap for development in China for the next fifteen years. On 29 October, the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee adopted the committee’s proposals for the formulation of the “14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for National Economic and Social Development and the LongRange Objectives Through the Year 2035.” The proposal sets a blueprint for China’s economic growth and social development in the coming years and has a central focus on technological self-sufficiency. Hong Kong: Hotline to report
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breaches of national security law On 5 November, a new hotline became operational in Hong Kong; now, anyone can anonymously report to the police regarding breaches of the new national security law. Various pieces of information, including texts, photos and videos, can be sent through this hotline. On its first day, the police received about 2500 tip-offs. Critics warn about increased surveillance and targeting of pro-democracy activists and dissenters.
WORLD THIS WEEK Border Personnel Meeting point. Like the last two meetings, this meeting was also attended by the diplomats from both sides. However, there was no official announcement on the outcome of the meeting; it is expected that both sides will extend the deployment of additional troops in the region. Bangladesh: Anti-France protests
Thailand: Protestors urged to join the reconciliation panel On 6 November, political leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Member of Parliament Nikorn Chamnong, urged the protestors to participate in the proposed reconciliation panel so that the conflict could be resolved. This comes after the Ratsadon group, and the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) from the protestors’ camp turned down the request made by President Chuan Leekpai recently. India: Foreign Secretary’s visit to Germany On 2 November, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla arrived in Germany, as part of a threenation European tour. He met the German Foreign Minister of State, and held discussions over shared priorities, strengthening of the multilateral structures and rapidly growing cooperation between the two countries. While addressing the German diplomats and think tanks, Shringla mentioned the evolution and importance of the Indo-Pacific region in the twenty-first century, India’s interest in becoming the net security provider, and the significance of the establishment of partnerships with European nations. India: Phase one of the Malabar Naval Exercise comes to an end On 6 November, the first phase of the Malabar Naval Exercise ended. India, along with the USA, Japan, and Australia, conducted the exercise off the coast of Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal with a focus on antisubmarine and anti-air warfare operations. It is being seen as four nations with a mutual interest in the Indo-Pacific coming together to counter the Chinese influence. The second phase of the exercise will begin on 17 November in the Arabian Sea. India and China: Eighth Corps Commander level meet held at LAC On 6 November, the XIV Corps Commander Lt General PG K Menon met with his Chinese counterpart Major General Liu Lin for the eighth round of discussion on the ongoing standoff between India and China at the Line of Actual Control. The meeting was held at the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo
On 2 November, Bangladesh witnessed a major protest against French President Macron’s comments on ‘Islam is in crisis’ and his defence of the offensive caricature of the Prophet. The protest had about 50,000 people that originated from Dhaka’s biggest mosque. The protestors also called for banning of French products and closure of the French embassy in Bangladesh. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refrained from commenting on the cartoon controversy. Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia also witnessed protests over the same issue. Canada and France: Trudeau and Macron speak On 5 November, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and French president Macron discussed the recent terror attacks in France. This call comes after Trudeau’s recent remarks on the limits of freedom of expression caused uproar both in Canada and France. To control the damage, Trudeau expressed solidarity with French people and both leaders agreed on the importance of defending the freedom of expression and human rights and on their shared commitment to fighting terrorism and violent extremism, according to a readout of their conversation released by the PM’s office. About the authors D Suba Chandran is Professor and Dean and Lokendra Sharma, Harini Madhusudan and Akriti Sharma are PhD Scholars with the School of Conflict and Security Studies, at NIAS. *The report has been modified by India News due to space considerations.
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