Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Stratergic Intrest of China | Strange Military Stories

Why Did China Create SCO?

From 1996 to 2001, Shanghai Five was used as a tool to resolve issues and demilitarized border. 

The discussions in the group were fruitful enough leading to the group to announce, in 2000, to enhance the discussions beyond border issues to include issues related to separatism and extremism. 

This lead to a new dialogue on multiple security-centric issues under a new rubric called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization SCO (established on 15 June 2001). SCO works on the principle of credit attribution as a tool for self-promotion of the image of the organization. 

Formation	2001
Headquarters	Beijing, China
Official language	Chinese and Russian
Flag
Deputy Secretaries-General	Vladimir Norov
Deputy Secretaries-General	Sabyr Imandosov Wang Kaiwen Aziz Nosirov Vladimir Potapenko
Website	www.sectsco.org

The 9/11 was a game-changer for the SCO and China seeing the new norms established by the GWOT, China conflated the agenda of Uyghurs (in XAR) and ETIM with Al-Qaeda. This allowed China to cooperate with the US to make a sovereign issue of Uyghurs in Xinjiang a frontline in the US's GWOT. But, China also became fearful of rising the US's presence in Central Asia as it felt that the strong US in Central Asia could choke off energy supplies to Central Asia. 

SCO summit 2020

China began to believe that the US presence in Central Asia could be permanent and it could be used by the US as a springboard to destabilize XAR, China thought that the strong US presence in Central Asia is a tool of the US to keep a check on China (through XAR). China responded to the US game plan in June 2001 by institutionalizing the Shanghai Five to SCO. 

In June 2002 annual summit, China proposed the creation of Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) and made it a provision in the charter of the SCO. To ensure that the US does not use unilateralism in Central Asia, China, through the Article-2 of the SCO charter, asserted that none of the member states of SCO will accept any unilateral interference in internal issues of Central Asia by any external power. 

In 2005, when Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan was ousted by the Tulip revolution, Russia and China perceived such a regime change a handiwork of the CIA of the US. China perceived that such external sponsored regime changes and attempts for democratization could act fuel troubles in areas in China witnessing political dissent (namely XAR). 

The Chinese government even despatched researchers to Kyrgyzstan to study the causes of the Tulip revolution The 2005 Astana summit of the SCO saw Uzbekistan evict the US from the K2 base (decision taken by Uzbeks on pressure from Russia and China). The US perceived the Uzbek decision as a handiwork of Russia and China to use non-military tools to undermine US policies.

Stratergic Intrest in Central Asia

• USA's = the USA want to contain the hegemonic ambitions of Russia and China (Through NATO)

• Russia's = Wants to reassert influence in post-soviet (CSTO)

• INDIA's = Envisages stability, resources, and  national security of India (CCAP)

• CHINA's = Want to curb extremism spillover, take central Asia resources, and use central Asia as the main market for its product.

Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The SCO currently comprises:

1. Eight Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

• China, 
• India, 
• Kazakhstan, 
• Kyrgyzstan, 
• Russia, 
• Pakistan, 
• Tajikistan and
• Uzbekistan. 

2. Observer States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

 Interested in acceding to full membership 

• Afghanistan, 
• Belarus, 
• Iran, and 
• Mongolia.

3. Dialogue Partners  of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

• Armenia, 
• Azerbaijan, 
• Cambodia, 
• Nepal, 
• Sri Lanka and
• Turkey.

The Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

• The Council of Heads of State is the top decision-making body in the SCO. This council meets at the SCO summits, which are held each year in one of the member states' capital cities.

• The Council of Heads of Government is the second-highest council in the organization. This council also holds annual summits, at which time members discuss issues of multilateral cooperation.

• The Council of Foreign Ministers also holds regular meetings, where they discuss the current international situation and the SCO's interaction with other international organizations.

• The Council of National Coordinators coordinates the multilateral cooperation of member states within the framework of the SCO's charter.

The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)

The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against terrorism, separatism, and extremism. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure's Headquater is in Tashkent.

India Africa forum Summit (IAFS)

Continental level engagement with Africa are not new india. The origin of such interactions goes back to 1993, when Japan initiated the first- to Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). This was followed by China initiating the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). 

On similar lines, to open a continental level engagement, India launched its first-ever IAFS in 2008 in New Delhi. The up m concluded with the New Delhi Declaration that reaffirmed the shared vision of vibrancy and resurgence in India-Africa relations. The declaration set an agenda for India and Africa to elaborate on sustainable development, climate change and UN reforms. 

Subsequently, a second such summit was organised in 2011. The second IAFS was held in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa, in 2011. The Addis Ababa Declaration adopted a new cooperative framework based on capacity building, peace and security, India envisaged the creation of institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in Africa. 

In the second IAFS, India also committed to creating a two million dollar fund for the African Union Mission in Somalia to curb piracy.The third IAFS was held from 25 to 28 October in 2015. The third IAFS is unique in multiple aspects.

The first aspect is the issue of participation in the IAFS. This is because, in 2006, the African Union (AU) in the city of Banjul (capital of Gambia) announced the Banjul Formula. According to the Banjul Formula, (adopted in 2006), India would extend an invitation to 15 African Head of the States to participate in the IAFS that would include five participating states of NEPAD (New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development-A programme of African Union to seek global support for the development of Africa) programme, 8 member states to be identified from Regional Economic Communities of African Union and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. These 15 nations would participate in IAF. 

In the first IAFS, there was a participation by 14 states, while in the second IAFS, there were 11 states that participated. In IAFS-3, India decided to do away with limited participation (as per the Banjul Formula) and invited all 54 Head of the States from Africa. This was done because India had decided to launch the 'Outreach to Africa Programme in the third session of the IAFS. 

Second, the IAFS-3 opened up on the cultural note. The opening ceremony of the summit saw India showcasing Bhangra and Yoga. The two showcased India's soft power export and asserted India's emergence on the global scene and signified a resurgent Africa. For the first time in the history succeeding the Cold War, India organised a successful event, hosting 54 Nations at one place. The IAFS-3 concluded with the Delhi Declaration-2015, which articulated the India-Africa relationship as 'Partners in Progress' and pledged to work towards a dynamic and transformative development agreement'. 

India officially pledged support to the African Agenda 2063 and committed resources to Africa to help achieve goals of the agenda. India also announced 10-billion-dollar line of credit for projects, along with thirty thousand scholarships. What also makes the Delhi Declaration 2015 unique is that the areas in which Africa and India are going to collaborate were broadened to now incorporate solar technology, food security, blue economy, rural housing, skull development use of social networks to enhance people-to-people cooperation and sustainable development. 

Delhi Declaration has also adopted a monitoring mechanism to implement the agendas envisaged. They have also adopted the India-Africa framework for strategic cooperation. The next summit that is IAFS-4 is planned after 5 years (i.e. in 2020).

India and France re-elected as President and Co-President of International Solar Alliance (ISA) :Know What is ISA

What is the International Solar Alliance

The International Solar Alliance was launched in 2015 after the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. In November 2016, it was opened for signature at Marrakesh, Morocco. 

An International Agency for Solar Policy and Application has been established as the headquarters in India. 

The deliberate reason for launching the ISA at the Paris climate meet was to signify the intent of the developing states to tackle climate change. The target of India is to install 100 GW of solar power by 2022. 

International Solar Alliance
Formation	2015 (Paris, France)
Headquarters	Gurgaon, India
Official language	English
Logo
Purpose	Bring together a group of nations to endorse clean energy, sustainable environment, public transport, and climate
Director-General	Upendra Tripathy
Website	https://isolaralliance.org

This would reduce emission intensity by 3-35 percent by 2030. The objective of the ISA is to develop solar energy through world cooperation by focusing upon 121 countries between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.

A short film on the International Solar Alliance (ISA)

As today the ISA is an international treaty-based organization, it has geopolitical advantages for India as India is able to display its global leadership commitments.ISA will transform India into a technology hub with the manufacturing of solar technologies and syncs well with Make in India. However, the ISA is fraught with certain challenges.

The cost of installation of solar technologies still remains high. The developing states find coal plants to generate electricity cheaper. Secondly, as the US has held a monopoly over the solar cells, the countries need to import them from the US. The US charges high tariffs and this increases the cost of solar energy. 

The research and development in solar technologies still remain very low. The storage of solar energy remains a problem due to the common and wide use of lithium batteries.

Military Coup in Mali 2020

Why in News

Recently, Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has resigned after soldiers had arrested him and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse in the capital, Bamako as part of a coup.

It has prompted its West African neighbours to threaten border closures and sanctions against the coup leaders.

Background:

1.  The 2011 crisis in Libya led Mali along the path to chaos.
2. Weapons from Libya were supplied across the Sahara Desert and fuelled a separatist conflict in northern Mali. This turned into an Islamist militant offensive which prompted a coup in the capital Bamako (Mali).

Reasons:

 Mali has three overlapping sets of problems:

1. Political crisis that grew out of the disputed legislative elections of March 2020.
2. Economic crisis due to economic stagnation, corruption and further complications by the Covid-19 pandemic. There was dissatisfaction among the troops due to poor payments.
3. Security crisis due to the failure to contain terrorism and jihadists and the actions of the military against civilians.

Military Coup:

• It calls itself the National Committee for the Salvation of the People and has pledged to stabilise the country by enacting a political transition and stage elections within a reasonable time.
• It has imposed a curfew and closed the borders sealing the country.
• It would respect all the past agreements, including Mali’s support for anti-jihadist missions in the region and its commitment to the Algiers process which is a 2015 peace agreement between the Malian government and armed groups in the north of the country.
• It held that United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), France’s Barkhane force, the G5 Sahel (Institutional framework of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger), Takuba (a European special-forces initiative) will remain Mali’s partners.

Reactions:

1. France has urged Mali to return to civilian rule, saying "the fight against terrorist groups and the defence of democracy and the rule of law are inseparable".
2. France, Mali's former colonial ruler, has several thousand troops based in Mali fighting Islamist militant groups.
3. Various jihadist groups, some linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, are based in the deserts of northern Mali, from where they have spread to neighbouring countries, especially Burkina Faso and Niger.
4. The African Union had already suspended Mali on the account that military coups were something of the past and cannot be accepted in present times.
5. The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also taken swift action against Mali by closing borders, suspending financial flows and ejecting it from decision-making bodies.
6. The UN's Security Council has demanded the immediate release of all government officials and the restoration of constitutional order.

Way Forward

1. The latest military coup is apparently a reaction to the security challenges but also to corruption, disputed elections, and political drift. However, it itself seems unlikely to fix anything.
2. It highlights a familiar truth that while foreign intervention has its uses, the key to repairing a nation like Mali lies in its own hands and with its own faltering democratic institutions.

Suez Crisis 1965 , India and British

History

Egypt gained independence from the British in 1922. However, it still faced regular interference in the functioning of the Suez Canal. Subsequently, Nasser decided to build the Aswan dam and asked for British financial support. The British showed reluctance to support Nasser. 

This compelled Nasser to seek American assistance, but the US was not interested in overpowering its own ally and showed reluctance. Nasser, in return, nationalised the canal and restricted its usage for Israel. Israel, the British and the French, during a meeting Sèvres, France, made up a plan to attack Egypt. 

Suez Canal

As the Israel-Egypt conflict began, the British went on to take control of the canal, while French tried to separate Israel and Egypt and mediated to resolve the conflict.The US intervened and ordered complete halt of escalation and withdrawal of the British and French troops from the canal. India condemned the Israelis, the British and the French and showed solidarity with Egypt. 

This created a low point in Indo-UK relations, but the relations did not breakdown completely. Since the 1940s, the British have provided India arms and have continued to do so even after the Suez crisis till the 1962 Chinese conflict, when the British granted military supplies to India.

Suez Crisis by Study iq 

India - Pakistan Trade Relations | Where is Both Countries

India Pakistan trade relations despite the obstructive behaviour of Pakistan to allow a trade to materialise, the two sides have tremendous potential for bilateral trade. 

History of India Pakistan Trade

In 1996, India gave the MFN status to Pakistan, which is reciprocated in 2012 The bilateral trade is around 2.5 USD billion despite a potential of 20 USD billion. It is imperative for the two to explore cooperation in trade and establish a regional value chain in the globalised and integrated world. 

Some experts have suggested that the two can explore product-specific regional value chains in sectors like textiles, sports goods and surgical instruments.

Trade Condition

For instance, in Surat (GJ) and Tiruppur (TN), there in Lahore and Faisalabad. Similarly, in India, there is a huge demand of Pakistani salwar kameez and production of raw materials of textiles that can be linked to production centres wedding attire, which can be explored as a sector. 

Similarly, Pakistan is gradually emerging as a global Supplier of sports goods. Sialkot in Pakistan is a manufacturing hub for sports goods from football to gling gloves. The footballs manufactured here have been used in the FIFA World Cup also, However, the manufactures of these products in Sialkot need high-quality raw materials and semi-finished products, which at present they import from Thailand.

This is where India can step in India has high-quality latex, rubber and football bladders, which it can directly expertise Again, Sialkot is known for its in surgical instruments and is a global supplier to the US and major powers in Europe. India is provide to Sialkot major importer of surgical instruments. At present, it imports them from developed states of the world at very high prices. A direct import from Sialkot is economically and logistically conducive for India. 

For instance, India can enhance the supply of stainless steel to Pakistan, which in turn will be a ready raw material available to manufacturers in Sialkot. Sialkot enjoys a historical edge because till 1947, Jalandhar and Stalkot were integrated manufacturing hubs. After the partition the skilled Labour moved to Sialkot. 

Way Forward

The hope of the trade is that it will help to create a constituency of peace, which will enable Pakistan to relinquish terror and Join the economic race. But, the ISI finds no merit in the argument of trade with India and is keen to skilfully use its geographical position to harm India. 

After the Pulwama attack in 2019, India has also hiked the duties for bilateral trade and withdrawn the MFN status with Pakistan. Thus, the politics have again taken over economics in the bilateral ties.

indo china war 1962 Main causes of 1962 | Strange Military Stories

After the panchsheel agreement, dream of Nehru to work with China in a global level to emerge as a global player began to take shape. Nehru was of the view that the success of Panchsheel border question also got settled. Little did Nehru know that his actions would lead indi China war.

Causes of 1962 war: 

1. In 1950, the survey of India had created a boundary between India and China. The Eastern Sector of the boundary was designed as for McMahon Line but demarcated as 'un-demarcated' and the Western and Central sectors boundary was demarcated as 'undefined' and a colour-wash was used. After Panchsheel, Nehru ordered the survey of India to publish new maps and show the boundary demarcated clearly. The survey of India in 1954 published new maps. In the new maps, the words 'un-demarcated' and 'undefined' were dropped. The boundary in the east was now firmly established as per McMahon Line. The colour-wash on the boundary in the Western and Central sectors was also removed and a firm line was established. The boundary in the Western Sector in Kashmir was based on Johnson Line and India showed Aksai Chin as a part of Indian Kashmir as per Johnson Line. Thus, India unilaterally showed Aksai Chin as a part of Indian territory as per the Johnson Line and it is this that acted as the first seed for the conflict. Through these new map issued in 1954, Nehru indirectly conveyed that India's territorial integrity is non-negotiable. Even when India published these maps, China did not respond. In 1954, China established their own maps. In the Chinese maps, they showed Aksai Chin and NEFA as a part of China. Nehru took up this issue with China in 1954. China responded by saying that the Chinese maps are old maps and the PRC has not yet revised those maps. This response by China came as a surprise to India. 

2. After India came out with new maps in 1954, Nehru asserted that India established check posts along the inter Frontier and the check post will act as a symbol of India state their integrity. After China issued maps in 1954, China strongly protested the Indian check posts. China asser that Indians have transgressed deep inside Chinese territory, India responded by asserting that Indian posts were within the Indian territory and not in China. 

China even complained that the boundary line in Middle or Central sectors shown by India is not accurate as the boundary passes in Central Sector through Himalayan passes and all these passes are located inside China. This issue emerged as the second point of friction.

3. The border issue emerged in full proportion after 1957. In 1957, China officially announced that construction of Xinjiang-Tibet road that passed via Aksai Chin. India was shocked that China had secretly constructed a road in Aksai Chin, which was claimed by India as per Johnson Line-1865. The Indian army patrol team was dispatched to Aksai Chin to get the exact coordinates of the road The patrol team was captured by the Chinese and was released only after intervention by Indian MEA. The 1957 Aksai Chin road was the third point of friction.

4. In 1958, a Chinese magazine called China Pictorial printed a Chinese map on pages 20 and 21. In the map, the NEFA and Aksai Chin were shown by China as a part of Chinese territory. India protested to the map in the Chinese magazine by showing the Indian region as a part of China. The MEA of India sent a note to China asserting that China cannot show such a map as Zhou Enlai had asserted that the maps used by China are old maps and PRC has not revised them. So China cannot show old maps as shown in the magazine. 

The Chinese responded in 1958 by asserting that the magazine has shown old maps (this was the old stand by China repeated) but a fresh survey was needed and only after the fresh survey can the map be changed. This was entirely a new approach by China and it had never said this earlier that it announced now. This came as a big blow to India as India had assumed nce 1954th Indian boundary was non negotiable and fever Nehru took up the manner du with China In December 1958, Nehnu wrote a letter to China mentioning the acts above. 

The zim of Nehru was to make China accept the McMahon Line as the border i was in January 1959 China responded and clarified the position China express tremendous dissatisfaction in the way India unilaterally demarcated the borders China reiterated that they had earlier Informed India in 1954 that the Chinese need time to revisit old mups The Indians on the other hand unilaterally showed Aksai Chin as a part of India without consulting China. The Chinese used for the first time in 1939 in their response that the Chinese consider the McMahon line aleyal because the Chinese representative Iven Chang in Simla Convention had net ratified the Simla Convention and therefore the Chinese had rejected the McMahon Line China asserted that the McMahon Line is an imperialistic design of the British and as China did not accept the Simla Convention. 

McMahon Line cannot be considered legally accepted by China. China indirectly convey that China cola eft the McMahon Line provided India displays accommodating attitude on Aksai Chin. The Chinese response was a big blow to India. India had assumed that McMahon Line is the border This response emerged as the fourth point of friction.

5. As explained in earlier section that Tibet add a very well-defined the relationship with China through the Qing dynasty period from 1644 to 1912. In 1724. Chinese seize the opportunity to provide Tibet with Ambans after tribal invasion China also incorporated two regions of Tibet pamed Amdo and Kham into western China and renamed the area Qinghai. This upset Tibetan In 1912 when Qing dynasty collapsed the lie. 

Dalai Lama left India in Darjeeling and went back to Chase. The Tibetans crushed Ambans and Dalai Lama resumed control again and ruled till 1933 In 1935, Tenzin Gyatso became the new Dalai Lama. Meanwhile China was under imperial control of Japan till Second World War. Only in 1949, Mao Zedong defeated the nationalist aid by Chiang Kai-Shek and removed the kuomintang (Kum regime and replaced it with communist regime.

After PRC was born in 1949, it now decided to liberate Tibet from the control of Dalai Lama so that socialist revolution can be done in Tibet. In 1951, when the army of China (PLA) reached Tibet, it decided to crush a small Tibetan army. After crushing the small Tibetan army, China said that they will respect the autonomy of Tibet. In 1951, China and Tibet signed a 17-Point Agreement. Under the 17-Point Agreement, it was decided that the land that is held privately by Tibetans shall be taken away by the state. This upset the Tibetans as the Tibetans have owned a lot of private estate. 

The socialist revolution in Tibet began from peripheral areas of Kham and Amdo that China had occupied from Tibet in 1724 as part of western provinces. Thus China said that Kham (in Sichuan province after 1949) and Amdo (in Qinghai province after 1949) will be from where the communist system will begin. Here the farmers will act on communist lands. All barley and crops produced would be acquired by state and some will be redistributed as for communal principles. Unfortunately, the grains acquired by Chinese state left Tibetans with no grains. This upset the people of Amdo and Kham to this extent that in 1956 they formed resistance groups to arm themselves to fight back China. The CIA of the US assisted these rebels covertly to wage a war against China. As the rebels fought China, there was exodus of people from Amdo and Kham to Lhasa. 

The Chinese PLA continued to suppress the rebels. In 1956, Dalai Lama on his visit to India told Nehru about his desire to put up an asylum in India. This visit generated suspicion in China as China began to think that India and CIA are working together to destabilise Tibet. By 1958, the number of resistance fighters and rebels grew almost 1 lakh. Dalai Lama sent delegates to convince the guerrillas not to fight. The guerrillas convinced the Dalai Lama delegates to join the resistance. The delegates indeed ended up joining the resistance. By 1959, a lot of religious leaders from Amdo and Kham began to go missing. The people of Tibet began to feel that the Chinese were killing their leader to target Dalai Lama.

6. In 1959, captain Adhikari of Assam rifles was told to establish a military post in NEFA regon near McMahon Line at a place called Long. Long was claimed by India and China both. The moment India established a military post at Longju, China attacked the post. Nehru wrote to China that Longju is Indian territory, China refuted Indian claim and asserted that India should refrain from establishing military posts in disputed areas. 

This again became a six friction between the two. China wrote back telling India that India unilaterally cannot declare borders special when McMahon Line is illegal and also unilaterally it cannot declare a firm boundary in Western and Middle sectors when no such boundary ever existed that was mutually agreed.

7. After the discovery of Xinjiang-Tibet Road, IB Chief B. N. Mullick told Nehru to establish forward posts on the border with China. On 21 October 1959, an Indian army team led by Havildar Karan Singh reached Kongka La to establish a post. The Chinese ambushed the entire team. In November,China wrote back to Nehru that the two sides should maintain status quo and withdraw their troops 20 km from actual control position of McMahon Line. 

Nehru wrote back saying that China retreat from Longju. If China does that, India will also not occupy Longju. Nehru also asserted that in the Middle and Eastern Sector, both sides should refrain from sending troops to border areas. China wrote back to Nehru saying that Western Sector cannot be deemed as an acceptable boundary and China invited Nehru to China to negotiate. Nehru immediately could not travel to China due to state visit by the US and USSR lined up. In February 1960, Nehru invited Zhou Enlai for talks Zhou decided to come to India for seven days.

Fishermen Issue with Sri Lanka | Strange Military Stories

Baground

After the independence of both nations, fishing has become an important economic activity. Due to  a large common area between the two in the sea, the two have often had issues of fishermen straving into each other's waters. In the last few decades, fish and aquatic life in the Indian continental shelf has depleted. As a result, more fishermen enter Sri Lankan waters and also resort to the use of modern fishing trolleys that Lankan fishermen are unable to match. 

The Indian fishermen saw a golden business opportunity during the LTTE era as the Sri Lankan government has disallowed the easy movement of Sri Lankan fishermen in waters owing to military operations. However, with the LTTE war over since 2010, there is a resurgence of Sri Lankan fishermen in Palk Bay. They were trying to reclaim their legitimate lost base and, in the process, became engaged in conflict. In order to solve the issue, understanding the importance of ocean economy becomes significant. The department of ocean development and ministry of agriculture have to ensure assistance to the states so that fishermen are able to find alternative livelihood to fishing in Palk Bay. 

The Indian government has renewed the thrust on ocean economy in recent times with the PM signing MoU on ocean economy with Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Maldives in 2015. In recent times, the matter has reached the highest levels when Sirisena, in his February 2015 visit to India, rise the issue with Indian PM. There is  immediate need to sign protocol for join petrolling.

kachchativu Island Issue

Kachchatheevu is a small island located about 10 miles northeast of Rameshwaram. The fishermen used dry their nets and catch fish. It has been a part of Raja of Ramnad territory who was controlling s the Head Zamindar. When the Zamindari system was abolished, Kachchatheevu became a part of be Presidency of Madras. When India became independent and initiated a boundary negotiation at the maritime level with Sri Lanka, Kachchatheevu was a disputed territory between Ceylon and the British and there was never an agreement on boundary ever. 

In 1947 and 1976, as per agreements, the issue was bilaterally resolved between India and Sri Lanka, and the resultant maritime agreement has allowed Indians to visit Kachchatheevu for pilgrimage for which no visa is required. The Indian government has maintained that the right of access to Kachchatheevu does not cover any fishing rights. In 2008, the AIADMK filed a petition in the Supreme Court (SO asking that the SC declare the 1974 and 1976 agreements as than their the FTA in unconstitutional. 

The Indian government produced the facts in the highest court and clarified the issue af Kachchatheevu, stating that the island has not been ceded. Consequently, the AIDMK's petition was disposed of by the court.

Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka

After the defeat of the LTTE, Sri Lanka has announced the execution of the 13th Plus Amendment Act. Where the idea is to devolve more powers to its provinces. The members of Provincial Councils have consistently complained about their dependence on the central government of Sri Lanka for finances, with no powers to the highly restricted Provincial Councils to raise finances.

LTTE flag

13th Amendment Act 1987

1. Declares Tamil as official language in councils
2. Devolution of land, finance and police powers
3. Established nine provincial councils with defined legislative powers
4. Provides for a financial commission
5. Provides for establishing a high court.

After the defeat of the LTTE, Rajapaksa began talks on the 13th Plus Amendment Act.The idea propounded was to devolve powers, which till then, had not been undertaken due to LTTE opposition. In 2013, a Parliament select committee met to discuss devolution but this time, land rights and police powers were not devolved. Even today, the 13th Amendment has not been implemented with full force In fact, the 18th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution had given more powers to the Sri Lankan President without an adequate system of checks and balances. 

However, the 19th Amendment in 2015 has rectified the issue and checks and balances have now been ensured. India has stayed away from reacting to both the 18 and 19 amendments as they fell within the ambit of internal matters of Sri Lanka.

13th Minus

• No devolution of land and police

13th Amendment

• Devalution of land, police and finance

13th Plus

• Establishes a Senate to the parliament

Based on 4D

• Democracy
• Development
• Devolution
• Demilitarization

The basic issue is the reluctance of Sri Lanka to devolve policing powers fearing that active insurgent sleeper cells need centralised control.

Commercial Diplomacy between India and Sri Lanka

The economic relations between the two countries have opened up only since the end of the Cold War Sri Lanka was, as a matter of fact, the first South Asian economy to go for liberalisation way back in 1978. By the end of the Cold War, trade began to increase with India as India liberalised its economy Sri Lanka also perceives India as a potential for FDI supplier. There has been moreover, a steady flow of tourists from India.

Flag of Sri Lanka and India

The trade has gradually shifted in favour of India as Sri Lankan exports to India are lesser than their imports. Both have tried to rectify trade practices through an FTA. India and Sri Lanka signed the FTA in 1998, which finally became operational in 2001. The India-Sri Lanka FTA gives duty-free preferential access to each other's goods in a time-bound manner. India exports petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, two wheelers and vegetables while importing rubber products, spices and electric wires. Indian firms operational in Sri Lanka include Tata, Jet Airways, Ashok Leyland, CEAT, Apollo and so forth.

In 2003, a Joint Working Group was established for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). This was done to enhance the FTA and envisage the promotion of cooperation in the service sector. India is also undertaking development of the Trincomalee port as this will boost its strategic presence vis-à-vis Sri Lanka. 

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is planning that a six million tonne per annum Grandfield refinery be established in Sri Lanka through direct investment. At present, Sri Lanka has only one 2.5-million-tonne refinery.

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement(CEPA)

India envisages services-based cooperation in CEPA. However, Sri Lanka has had expressed some reservations, it hopes for more economic and technical cooperation rather than increased movement of Indian professionals in Sri Lanka as expressed in the CEPA. Sri Lanka favours an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) over the CEPA. In the CEPA, India had decided to open up 80 sectors for Sri Lanka and advised that Sri Lanka open up IT and marine ship building sectors. 

As the proposed CEPA would liberalise investment and trade in services, goods and facilitate movement of people, Sri Lanka feared that Indian firms may ultimately come to dominate the Indian economy space and might eventually lead to loss of jobs for the Sri Lankan native population. The movement of people's clause is highly resented by Sri Lanka. In 2015, Maithripala Sirisena took office as the new President of Sri Lanka and has revived the talks for a CEPA and has assured Sri Lankan industrialists that no negative impact on the Lankan economy would be occasioned by said arrangement.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and India | Strange Military Stories

Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Minister Summit

Since the 1969 Rabat Summit India had been craving to seek participation in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the collective of the Islamic world. In 1969, an Indian delegation was led by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to participate in the Rabat summit, but the Indian delegation was kept out because of the leverage Pakistan enjerved the OIC. 

The invitation to India in 2019 CFM was out of the proximate relations between the Indian PM and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi From the fact that India and UAE relations have been growing in the recent times as evidenced in the chapter in India and United Arab Emirates Relations), it is clear that the UAE was able to convince Saudi Arabia to allow India to participate in the CFM. At the end of the CEM, the Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted. 

Organization of islamic cooperation Country members

The declaration did mention about the need for a stable Afghanistan. The most crucial aspect of the declaration was that it did mention Jammu and Kashmir. The declaration mentioned that the OIC supports the struggle of the Kashmiri people and it condemned Indian excesses in Kashmir by asserting that the human right violations tantamount to Indian terror. 

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation members

There has been a huge debate in public discourse in India that when India knew that the OIC would ma a statement that may affect India, why did India accept the invitation? It is important to note that 57 nation strong bloc the OIC is a large bloc that India would not afford to miss. Secondly, by refusin to accept the invitation, India would have allowed Pakistan to use the OIC to continue to breed a India hatred Thirdly, India has brought about a radical shift in the way it wants to counter the Pakistani anti-India and anti-Kashmir propaganda. It wants to use the OIC as a platform in the long run to put up its own narrative on Kashmir. This in the long run involves an Indian attempt to showcase to the oIe the state sponsorship of terrorism by Pakistan in Kashmir India has realised that in the Information Age today, what the OIC says and what it does do not matter but its words do shape perceptions and eventually influence policy. Even though the present participation was not an unalloyed triumph ke India, but has portents for the future.

The success of India's participation in the OIC is a classic case of success of India's West Asia outreach. It is significant to note that India was able to break the mould of Islamabad's tried and tested policy of countering India in the OIC. The OIC states have realised the importance India holds for their strategy to diversify from oil The Arab states are appreciative of India's secular-free market and talent for assimilation More important is the fact that despite India being hume to third largest Muslim population, a fractious minority have fallen to the charm of Islamic radicalisation of ISIS. 

The next step for India is the India-Arab League meet and India-North Africa meets.There have been some fiscal this time too. During her speech Indian Foreign Minister denounced terrorism (and indirect reference to Pakistan). But, the Abu Dhabi Declaration at the end of the meet did not even mention that India was a guest of honour. It also did not make a reference that the Indian Foreign Minister delivered her maiden keynote speech at the plenary session. This is surprising that the Decstatia made mention of unimportant stuff like 2020 Expo to be hosted by the UAE To add salt to the injury, the Declaration made a specific mention of Pakistan's step towards de-escalation by returning the IndP and made no mention of the Pulwama attack. The mention of indian terrorism in Kashmir' for azociter and hunan rights violations' was a big failure on part of India that only diminished its image internationally.

 

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Country members 

OIC Member State Countries

1. Islamic Republic of AFGHANISTAN 
2. Republic of ALBANIA
3. People’s Democratic 
4. Republic of ALGERIA 
5. Republic of AZERBAIJAN 
6. Kingdom of BAHRAIN
7. People’s Republic of BANGLADESH 
8. Republic of BENIN
9. BRUNEI-DARUSSALAM BURKINA-FASO
10. Republic of CAMEROON Republic of CHAD
11. Union of The COMOROS
12. Republic of COTE D'IVOIRE 
13. Republic of DJIBOUTI Arab R
14. Republic of EGYPT Republic of GABON
15. Republic of The GAMBIA
16.  Republic of GUINEA
17. Republic of GUINEA-BISSAU
18.  Republic of GUYANA
19.  Republic of INDONESIA Islamic
20.  Republic of IRAN
21. Republic of IRAQ
22. Hashemite Kingdom of JORDAN
23. Republic of KAZAKHSTAN 
24. State of KUWAIT
25. KYRGYZ
26. Republic Republic of LEBANON 

OIC Observers States

1. Bosnia and Herzegovina
2.  Central African
3.  Republic
4. Kingdom of Thailand
5.  The Russian Federation
6. Turkish Cypriot State

organisation of islamic cooperation twitter Account

organisation of islamic cooperation twitter Account

CAATSA and It's Implications

What is CAATSA?

◆The CAATSA, which expands to Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act is a federal law that's gone the us.. It imposes sanctions on Iran, Korea and Russia.

◆The sanctions represent the implementation of multiple legal authorities. some of those are executive orders gone the US president. the remainder of them are public laws gone along Congress. (modifications to those regulations are posted within the federal register)

Other Important Provisions in CAATSA

●The US president has the proper to impose sanctions against Iran’s missile or weapons of mass destruction programmes. Sanctions may additionally be issued against Iran’s Islamic revolutionary guard corps or the other affiliated foreign persons

●Prohibition of banking transactions. Under this section, the secretary of the treasury would prohibit the opening correspondent accounts of monetary institutions engaged within the transfer of funds from the sanctioned person within the Russian defence sector.

●Under section 235 (a) (2), the license is denied for the export of any items controlled by the US to the sanctioned person under the Export Administration Act, the Arms Export Control Act yet because the energy Act

●For Russia, the bill provides sanctions for the activities concerning rock oil projects, cybersecurity, financial institutions, human rights abuses, privatisation of state-owned assets and at last, arms transfers to Syria.

●The bill also directs the department of treasury to develop a national strategy for combating the financing of terrorism

●The bill increases the president’s power to impose sanctions on people if there has been a violation of certain international organisation SC resolutions regarding Democratic People's Republic of Korea

●Any foreign government that gives or receives from Asian nation is prohibited from receiving certain styles of US foreign assistance.

●A determination shall be submitted by the state department regarding whether Democratic People's Republic of Korea meets the criterion to be a state sponsor of terrorism.

●The bill also provides sanctions against any reasonably North Korean cargo and shipping. It imposes sanctions on goods that are even partly produced by a North Korean convict or as a results of any quite forced labour.

Types of Sanctions imposed

◆There are going to be a prohibition of loans to the sanctioned people, as enumerated under section 253 (a) (1)

◆Prohibition by the us government to obtain goods and services from the sanctioned people

◆Denial of visa to people closely related to the sanctioned person.

◆There will absolutely be no bank assistance for exports to the set of sanctioned persons.

Implications of CAATSA on India 

●Although the sanctions aren't directly imposed on India, it affects India nevertheless. the foremost reason for this is often the character of relationship India has with Iran and Russia. India happens to own strong trade ties with both these nation states.

●Notably speaking, Russia is and has been India’s largest supplier of defence equipment

●Now, as per the provisions of the bill discussed above, US imposes sanction on all its adversaries, similarly as all countries and firms addressing these adversaries. India falls into the previous category.

●So to conclude, if India doesn't remove ties with Russia and Iran, the US may invoke sanctions against India. India cannot afford to lose the growing diplomatic relations with the US, which is that the mightiest economic superpower within the world, but neither can it afford to forego supplies of defence and Oil from Russia and Iran (respectively).

Siachen Glacier : Hell of snow | Strange Military Stories

Hell of snow which is the most dangerous battlefield of the World 

Today I am going to talk about  which Siachen.Siachen is located in Himalayan ranges and it's Air distance is 40-60 km from the K2 In local language Siachen means Land of Roses But rose never grown here before 1984 it was a free land and there was no concept of life because it is very difficult to survive here, almost impossible To reach there you have to take reach Goma by road from Skardu which is at a distance of 185 KM and requires 5 hours of travelling From there onwards road track is not available. Only Pak army can take you to Siachen Glacier from this point.

Let me tell you an important thing before going there you have to give your medical test which is done by Army Traveling from Goma to Skardu is done by helicopter under the supervision of army before reaching at Siachen Glacier you have to stop at a point where army also have to take training this area is kept confidential.

The history of Siachen 

According to 1949 Karachi agreement and 1972 Simla agreement Siachen comes under the boundary of Paksitan.The area of Siachen Glacier is 77 KM and it is 2nd or 3rd world's largest glacier this glacier is about 5,750 metre (19,000 ft) above sea level It falls in the nubra river which flows in India and then it flows in the Indus river in Pakistan and this Glacier is important for one of the biggest irrigation system of the world If we talk about the weather so in summer the average temperature is in between -16°C to -30°C while in winter it reaches to -50°C It is also known by you that at -40°C all matter freezes so you can get an idea that how much difficult is the life there You can live without oxygen even for 3 seconds and special uniform is designed for the soldiers going there no soldiers can live more than 20 days at siachen because you can't take out any of your body part from the uniform that's why after 20 days soldiers are replaced who can live there without having food or drink just for the sake of protection of their country and from those some can come in normal way 2/3 part of siachen is under control of India while 1/3 part is in the control of Pakistan. This battlefield is most dangerous and expensive battlefield because the one day expense of Paksitani Army is 20-25 million while Indian Army have to lose it 180-200 million rupees every year many of the soldiers from both the countries faced death due to natural disasters on this battlefield.

 On 07 april 2012  an Iceberg falls on the Pakistani battalion which was in 1 KM width and has depth of 80 feet at that time there was 195 soldiers in the camp and the camp turns into graveyard in blinking of an eye.

Here are some books written on Siachen Glacier stories