At the recent United Nation General Assembly resolution condemning the Russian Government for invasion of Ukraine and asking to withdraw troops, about 141 countries (78% of the countries voting) were in favour, 5 autocratic/repressive regimes opposed and about 35 abstentions which sadly included India. We see regularly so many horrific images of barbaric invasion by Russia on a massively unmanned and out-gunned Ukraine. What saddens me is India deviating from its supposed core values of democracy, freedom and non-violence, by not demanding that Russia stop the war and withdraw their troops. I hear arguments that Russians are India's friends and so India should stand by them. My question is, are we talking about the brutal Russian dictatorship or Russian people who are our friends? I would imagine it should be the Russian people, so in that case should we not help the Russian people get rid of the tyrannical Russian government which is known to brutally clamp down on any opposition/criticism? Also, how come India is relying so much on a brutal dictatorship for our defense equipment with a big order from Russia so recently done; which many Indians say is compromising our ability to speak out. So, saying that can India's conscience easily be silenced/purchased by a foreign dictatorship, to be neutral in the wake of such horrible atrocities by that power? Are we a sovereign and independent nation that speaks out freely on our founding values or do we allow foreign dictatorships to control us in what we say or do? God forbid India faces a similar attack from a foreign power. With what face will the Indian government ask the nations of the world to do the right thing and support India against the aggressor?
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
