India Against Sanctions

India conducted nuclear tests in 1998.  USA imposed sanctions.  They were removed years later as USA wanted a nuclear deal with India.

Russia attacked Ukraine on 24/2/2022.  After that there have been many sanctions on Russia and also on Belarus.  There are economic sanctions.  Many Russian banks are cut off from SWIFT. Many countries banned Russian planes from flying over their territory.  Russian athletes, citizens, and other entities are targets of sanctions. USA expelled 12 Russian diplomats accredited to UN.

Some countries banned RT.  RT America shut down because DirecTV did not want to continue to telecast it.  It meant end of programmes like Boom Bust, Redacted Tonight and Big Picture.  RT disappeared from EU and UK screens. In India many times RT is not accessible.

Russia passed a law that punished fake news with jail up to 15 years.  Many Western channels stopped reporting from Russia and withdrew their journalists. It blocked Twitter and Facebook.

India abstained in voting on resolutions against Russia in UN Security Council, UN General Assembly and UN Human Rights Council.  USA is angry about it.  It wants India to abandon neutrality and side with it.

In Security Council, 11 countries voted for the resolution, China, India and UAE abstained.  Russia vetoed.  In General Assembly, 141 countries voted for the resolution, 35 countries abstained and five countries voted against the resolution. China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Brazil were among the countries abstained. In Human Rights Council, 32 countries voted for the resolution, 13 countries abstained and Russia and Eritrea voted against the resolution.  While the number of countries that voted for the resolutions against Russia is more than others, the population of countries that abstained is more than that of countries that voted for the resolutions.

Russia has vetoed resolutions against India.  During 1971 War USA was on Pakistan’s side and sent Seventh Fleet against.  Russia, then USSR, sent its fleet to counter it. Ukraine has voted against India.

There is talk of imposing sanctions on India under Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).  India should be ready for it and impose counter-sanctions.

If IOC bans India, India should set up World Olympic Council and organise tournaments at the same time as IOC.  If FIFA bans India, India should set up World Football Association and organise World Cups at the same time as FIFA.  Such should be the response in other sports as well.

India should strengthen rupee against dollar, euro, pound, and other currencies.  A strong rupee is in national interest.  It will blunt sanctions.  Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can be used.

Visa and Mastercard have suspended their operations in Russia and made their Russian cards ineffective outside Russia and vice versa. India should take note of it.

India should get back its gold in UK and elsewhere.  India should limit its money in Western banks.

Confiscating cargo ships or yachts of Russian citizens in the name of sanctions is piracy.  Private property is grabbed illegally.