It may not be taken as a protest in extreme sense by India’s top diplomat in China but a disagreement or a demurral by India in skipping the mega event, both opening and closing ceremonies, in respect of Beijing Olympics due to the Chinese authorities’ decision to depute a military officer, the PLA’s Regimental Commander who was involved in Galwan valley clash in eastern Ladakh sector, as a torch bearer for the concerned sports event in Beijing. In matters of diplomacy and relations between the countries, there are well laid down and established ways and strategies in lodging protests depending upon the extent and levels of the severity of doing something that went against the spirit and core of the bilateral relations hence the decision by our diplomat to skip both the opening and the closing events only of the said event related to 24th winter games. In addition to it, Door Darshan’s sports Channels too will not be telecasting live both the opening and the closing ceremonies of the sports event. It needs to be appreciated that India expressed its support in a trilateral meeting held nearly two months ago in hosting the Beijing Olympics during a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of India- China and Russia.
It may be appreciated that sports should be played in the spirits of sports only and promoting, sustaining and contesting events related to it should have no extraneous ambitions, least politicising both the sports or events related therewith. Since, in proverbial parlance, to China’s jaundiced eyes everything looks yellow hence deciding to politicise the event, Indian diplomat, therefore, will be boycotting the event thus sending the requisite message that India totally disliked sort of honour to a military officer who instigated and fuelled a totally avoidable clash between the two sides which caused martyrdom to our twenty brave hearts and more than double as much to the Chinese side including many Chinese soldiers drowning in the fast flowing river while they attempted to cross it back home , on the fateful day of June 15, 2020. The said Military office of China involved in the clash had sustained a serious head injury has officially been chosen by China to carry the Winter Olympic torch in Beijing and as such, was practically among the 1200 torchbearers in the the rally a few days ago . What else can be deduced from such Chinese manoeuvring except cheaply conveying the undesirable and unsolicited message to India rather publicly acknowledging to eulogise the one who violates the sanctity of borders and thus bi-lateral relations.
Such moves are outside the purview of good and acceptable diplomatic standards and not in good taste and what best India could do and convey within the highest standards of diplomacy is its total disapproval by boycotting the starting and the concluding ceremonies of the sports event and thus disregard the invitation from the Chinese authorities. Gone are those days when China used to attempt to intimidate and flex its muscles, both militarily and diplomatically, to register its ”right” of exerting hegemony in the region . What it started in Galwan valley was concluded by our valiant troops which it shall remember for years together . Perhaps, nursing those hurt egoistic feelings , it thought it this way to “retaliate” even though the platform being that of pure sports, depicted its poor levels of diplomacy. Internationally also China is considered to be a trouble maker now more than it was thought to be before and little wonder, most of its neighbours are bolstering their defence preparedness to protect their territorial sovereignty and integrity.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel