After a week-long discussion between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Defence (MoD), India has decided not to send its contingent to the multinational military exercise Kavkaz-2020 which is to take place in Russia. The Covid-19 pandemic has been cited as the reason behind this decision by the government.
MEA sources, however, say that with China and Pakistan forces taking part in this military exercise, India’s participation was not at all advisable. From Day 1, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was insisting that India should withdraw from this upcoming military exercise. With China reluctant to de-escalate along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and Pakistan continuing its agenda of cross-border terrorism, India’s participation in an exercise with both the nations would have sent a wrong message to the world community.
“This would have created a negative impact on the ongoing diplomatic lobbying by India with the global community including the US to corner Beijing and Islamabad,” says an MEA official.
India’s earlier nod to participate in a military exercise where Chinese PLA soldiers and Pakistan’s Army would be present had raised eyebrows in the US too. It is the PLA’s soldiers who are in military standoff with Indian troops along the LAC in Ladakh. Moreover, there has been a lot of evidence of Pakistani Army’s involvement in terror attacks in India. “Would India’s participation in the exercise with Chinese and Pak Army not have given a wrong message,” asks an official.
With this in view, Jaishankar was against any such participation by Indian forces in the military exercise with China and Pakistan. He had expressed his views on this when he met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Sources say that Rajnath Singh was also not in favour of Indian troops doing military exercise with PLA and Pakistani soldiers. Since India was given an invitation by Russia for this, it would not be good to issue any controversial statement.
Sources say Jaishankar and Rajnath met two times and decided not to send Indian forces for this exercise. The Covid-19 pandemic was cited as a reason for this, which is justified also, says a source.
“Russia and India are privileged strategic partners. At Russia’s invitation, India has been participating in many international events. However, due to Covid-19 and consequent difficulties in exercise, India has decided not to send a contingent this year to Kavkaz-2020,” the Defence Ministr y spokesperson said.
Even the Defence Ministry sources have said that China’s participation in the exercise was also a reason for India to pull out of the multilateral tri-services military exercise. They say while India is locked in a military conflict with the Chinese in eastern Ladakh and on high alert all along the 4,000 kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC), it cannot be business as usual for us to be participating in multilateral military exercises with them.
India was invited by Russia to participate in the tri-services exercise with a contingent of around 200 personnel to southern Russia in September for the multilateral Kavkaz-2020. The exercise is being held in the Astrakhan province of southern Russia where member countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Central Asian countries would be participating.