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New Delhi: The Indian Foreign Ministry has unreservedly voiced opposition to the most recent attack by the United States’ navy group on Indian sailors who died in the Gulf region. The question has also opened up a general discussion regarding criticism of India’s foreign policy from the West, particularly in the context of importing Russian crude oil.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held discussions with his U.S. counterpart Condoleezza “Condo” Rice on attacks on India and reiterated the country’s concerns over the matter. He said that it was not a matter of “deadly force” against a commercial ship, and added, “civilian sailors’ safety is of paramount importance. India, too, called in a top-level officer from the US government in New Delhi to formally put up a finger to the rupee pair.
The issue started when a US strike damaged an oil tanker carrying the Palau flag, off the Omani coast. There were 24 Indians on the ship. Among the 21 sailors who were rescued, 3 Indian sailors lost their lives. This incident resulted in an immediate outcry from the government of India and from the families of the victims, resulting in severe backlash.This caused an outcry from the families of the victims as well as the Indian Government which responded with great backlash.
Indian authorities say civilian ships are targets that pose a threat to global maritime security and commerce. Such a kind of action poses threats to thousands of seafarers on international waters, the Ministry of External Affairs said. India has appealed to all parties to return to dialogue and diplomacy and stop attacks against merchant ships.
Meanwhile, Jaishankar also lambasted the “double standards” of Western countries on the issue of India’s oil import from Russia. While touring Finland, he justifies India’s energy policy and says that India takes decisions based on economic imperatives and energy security. He highlighted that with the release of the global energy market due to the sanctions, accessible oil was essential for India’s increasing economic development.
Jaishankar said some countries in the West face a dilemma over India’s oil imports from Russia, but are pursuing the policies that directly impact New Delhi’s security. He stressed on the fact that European countries have shipped arms, which were subsequently sold to Pakistan and used to attack India. This, he said, was a paradox in the manner in which some countries form judgments on India’s actions and decisions, while turning a blind eye to theirs.
The minister said that the U.S. had been pushing India to purchase Russian oil to calm global oil prices after Ukraine’s conflict had caused oil supply disruptions to the world. He asked the question: why are Indians being faulted for their choices of energy & what to do when previously such choices were beneficial for maintaining international markets’ stabilization?
The developments are particularly timely as the Indian-U.S. relationship is at a critical stage. The two countries have been cooperating on trade, technology, and defense, among other issues, but new tensions have also cropped up recently. The incident of Indian sailors’ deaths and the Russian oil saga may be one of the big matters on the agenda of New Delhi–Washington diplomatic talks ahead. The incident of the Indian sailors’ deaths and the Russian crude crisis could be an important issue on the agenda of New Delhi and Washington’s diplomatic talks on the near horizon, analysts said. The simple message for India is: Citizens’ safety on land and sea is paramount, and national concerns will dictate foreign policy decisions.
English (US) ·