*Dr. Ved Pratap Vaidik

The General Assembly of the United Nations has expelled Russia from its Human Rights Council. Out of the total 193 members, 93 voted in favor of the expulsion and 24 against. 58 members including India abstained from voting. Before Russia, the only country which was expelled from the Council was Libya. But Russia was a permanent member of the Security Council and Russia was not. The expulsion of Russia, by any index, is an exceptional incident in the history of the Council.

America and China have also created records of sorts in human rights violations, but the scale of genocide continuing in Ukraine was not witnessed only during the Second World War. Many countries of the world, especially those associated with America, were hoping that India would not remain neutral, at least this time and will vote against Russia. A senior official of the US State Department on Thursday   was wondering which way India would vote in the Human Rights Council. He expected India to oppose Russia and vote for its expulsion.

If India continues to remain neutral that could definitely have a negative bearing on its bilateral ties with the US.  India, like in a dozen previous polls, maintained neutrality this time too. But no one allege that we have turned a blind eye on the Ukrainian genocide. The Government of India has said on multiple occasions on different international forum, and also in the Indian Parliament that it was totally against the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine. Instead of engaging in violent conflicts, India preferred the two nations to resolve the matter peacefully through dialogues. Please note that India has demanded an investigation into the massacre in Bucha.

India was the first nation to make such a demand. T S Tirumurti, the Indian representative to the United Nations, had expressed profound grief over the ongoing bloodshed in Ukraine. The reality is that the US and European nations are just doing lip-service on Ukraine. Except issuing statements these nations are not making any serious efforts to safeguard the besieged nation. If the Western nations had not instigated Ukrine, this conflict would not have erupted.

Now the pertinent question is, will these resolutions and votes against Russia affect Putin?  No way, as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zhelensky has rightly said.  Zhelensky also mockingly says that if the United Nations cannot do anything, why it should not be dissolved? He has also expressed his strong discontent at the inaction of NATO and America.

India’s approach on the issue is pragmatic and rational, but considerably limited.  The statements of our officials are to the point and it is not logical to expect that these officials to mediate between Putin and Zhelensky or their statements can influence there two warring leaders.

 However, here India has an ideal opportunity to take initiative to quell conflict between the two neighbouring nations. India’s relations with both Biden and Putin are equally excellent. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes the initiative, all the three leaders-Biden, Putin and Zhelensky, will certainly oblige, because they all know India has no self-interest in this matter.

*Dr. Vaidik is a widely travelled scholar-journalist. He has visited more than 80 countries on diplomatic and educationalmissions. Dr. Vaidik has won more than a dozen National and International awards for academic and journalistic excellence. He has been a member of several Advisory Committees of Government of India.