India’s UNSC Membership – OpEd

India has a longstanding desire to attain permanent membership in the UN Security Council. However, It also has a history full of human rights abuses in Kashmir, violations of UN resolutions, and border disputes with neighboring countries. India believes that it has one of the highest peacekeeping missions in the UN and it has provided the third world with the highest number of vaccines during covid-19. Moreover, It has become the world’s fifth-largest economy; therefore, it should b granted a permanent seat in the UN security council. On the other hand, states that do not abide by international law cannot b granted P-5 membership. 

After world war 2, the UN security council, with 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members, was established in 1946 to maintain international peace. It meets regularly to assess threats to international peace.  5 states were granted permanent membership in the UN Security Council owing to their importance in the world war. These include the US, China, Russia, France, and the UK. They have the power to veto a decision.  The 5 states of the UN Security Council works to serve their interests or the interests of their allies. In 1992, India, japan, brazil, and Germany demanded inclusion into the UN Security Council. In response, their natural rivals, Pakistan, Italy, Mexico, and Egypt opposed their inclusion into the UN security council. Since then, India has been aggressively pursuing P-5 membership. Recently, President Zelensky of Ukraine and other western countries supported India during intergovernmental negotiations at the UN. 

By having a glance at ground realities, India is committing gross human rights violations at home as well as in the disputed territory of Kashmir. Dalits, Sikhs, Christians, and Muslims are discriminated against based on religion. The recent wave of Hindutva has become an imminent threat to minorities in India. It has left no stone unturned in the persecution, oppression, and belittling of minorities in the country. On August 05, 2019, India abrogated Articles 370 and 35A to convert the Muslim majority into a minority in the Kashmir Valley. UN resolutions on Kashmir were violated brazenly. Before the emergence of covid-19, lockdowns were imposed in Kashmir to silence the people. Pakistan vehemently condemned the unilateral act of India and called on the international community to stand for human rights. 

Firstly, India, a violator of UN resolutions on Kashmir, is ineligible for membership in P-5. Secondly, India has become a state that sponsors terrorism in the neighboring countries and in the Middle East. Kushbushan Yadav, an Indian serving navy spy was caught red-handed in Balochistan, Pakistan. Recently, Qatar arrested eight Indian spies. A state with dubious character cannot become a member permanent member of the UN Security Council. 

Moreover, India has border dispute issues with China, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan owing to its concept of “Maha Bharat”. Its expansionist designs have been a threat to international peace and security. The current regime that works under the ideology of RSS has fascist tendencies. It has a motive to convert global peace into perpetual violence. It is the responsibility of the global community not to support fascist states. The West believes that India is a strong adversary to China. It must be noted that China does not possess any expansionist designs rather it contributes to the global economy through BRI and its flagship projects. In 2019, India violated international law by attempting Surgical strikes inside Pakistan’s territory. A befitting response from Pakistan reminded India not to make such misadventures in the future.

India being a P-5 member will be a disaster for regional and international peace. India with its hegemonic designs will try to strangle Pakistan. It may start the ethnic cleansing of minorities. The episode of killing of hundreds of Muslims in the state of Gujrat is still fresh in the minds of the Indian Muslims. International Human Rights organizations such as Amnesty International, UN Human Rights Watch, and others have already informed of the drastic situation in Kashmir.  

It is high time for the international community, especially the West, to look into the fascist tendencies in India. Granting P-5 membership to India will be a recipe for disaster not only for the regional countries but also for the whole world. The global community needs to be united to contain this existential threat to global harmony. India has left no stone unturned in distorting the image of Pakistan; therefore, the P-5 membership granted to India will cause huge resentment in its neighboring countries. At the same time, Pakistan is adamant in exhibiting the real face of India to the international community. 

The writer is a graduate of economics and political science from Forman Christian College University, Lahore.