Black and White: Shirjori on theft!

A few days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the war-torn country of Ukraine (it was the first time that any Indian Prime Minister had visited Ukraine since Ukraine gained independence from Russia in 1991). After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he said that 'I have brought a message of peace to the land of Ukraine. I come from the land of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi, where there is no place for war. Violence is not the solution. In the war between Ukraine and Russia, India has taken the side of peace instead of being neutral from the beginning.' However, immediately after the meeting with Modi, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky revealed himself to the media and said that 'Narendra Modi's visit to war-torn Ukraine is historic, but India is helping it by buying crude oil from Russia, it should be stopped immediately. India should leave Russia and favor Ukraine.' He also claimed that 'Russian President Putin has no respect for India or Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India can play an important role in making Ukraine's peace efforts successful, but the money India gives to Russia by buying crude oil from Russia is used by Putin to buy weapons and attack innocent people in Ukraine. India should stop buying oil from Russia and all countries of the world should stop buying crude oil from Russia. If the countries of the world, including India, stop importing oil from Russia, there will be a big economic challenge against Putin and he will have to stop the war.' Zelensky said that 'Modi's visit to Ukraine was historic, but it did not yield any results. An end to war and peace is our priority, but this peace can only be established on Ukraine's terms, not Russia's. Putin has done nothing good for us. For us, Putin is a killer, but what good has Putin done for you (India)?' He also quipped that the problem now is that Modi wants peace more than Putin! Modi talks to Putin. I don't know what Putin and Modi are talking about, but I told Modi that 'you have a deal with Putin, so when you talk to Putin next, ask what kind of peace Putin wants?' In 1997, a Hollywood movie with the same title was released based on Lowes Duncan's novel I Know What You Did Last Summer. To the tune of the title, India should tell Ukraine 'I Know What You Did Against Us!' Because when – when challenges have been raised against India – then Ukraine has taken an unmistakable anti-India stand in UNO! And its president is now out to advise India (in Kathiawadi language)! In this situation, like in the Jim Gillespie directed film 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Ukraine should be told that we remember exactly what you have done to us in the past! A hundred cold Indian intellectuals like Chadau Dhaneda are very fond of Ukraine. He cannot tolerate anyone's comments against him on social media, but advises to forget the past on the Ukraine issue. The fact is that Ukraine has always taken a stand against India at every stage where India has been surrounded on the international level on any issue. After India's nuclear explosion in Pokhran in 1998, the United States proposed to impose sanctions on India in the United Nations (UNO), the first vote against India was given by Ukraine! Ukraine has always voted against India in the United Nations on the issue of Kashmir. Ukraine protested the abrogation of Article 370, the clause that kept Kashmir burning for decades, and pressured the United Nations to mediate on the issue. Ukraine has been selling arms to India's arch enemy, Pakistan. Although India is eligible for permanent membership in the UN Security Council, Ukraine has opposed granting India permanent membership in the UN Security Council. What has Russia done for India against this hooliganism of Ukraine? In 1957, when the UN wanted to impose a ban on India over the Kashmir issue, Russia used its veto power to help India. Even when Goa was annexed to India in 1961, Russia supported India. In 1962 and also in 1971, Russia stood in favor of India on the issue of Kashmir and in 2019, even when Article 370 was revoked from the Indian Constitution, Russia took a pro-India stand. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky deserves credit for the way he has foamed at the mouth for more than two years against a stubborn dictator like Putin, at this point we must recognize that Ukraine has treated us like an enemy. However, forgetting that, what have we done for Ukraine! The Republic of Ukraine was established as a separate country when the Soviet Union disintegrated and several separate countries emerged. At that time, India recognized Ukraine as a separate country and established diplomatic relations with Ukraine in January 1992, i.e. the very next month. And India had also opened an Indian Embassy in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine in May, 1992 itself. Ukraine then opened its embassy in Delhi in February 1993, the first of any country in the whole of Asia. Apart from that, India has been trying to help Ukraine when needed! Forgetting all this, Ukraine, which has always been bothering India, is daring to advise India to stab Russia in the back of its friend and to take enmity with Russia for Ukraine!

Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).