The Hindu Editorial Analysis | 8th July ’20 | PDF Download

More sabre-rattling, more isolation | TH

• In 2013, Philippines invoked the dispute settlement mechanism of UNCLOS.
• China’s ‘nine-dash line’ claim.
• 12|Jul|2016  Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague decreed in its judgment that the line had “no legal basis.”
• The award implied that China violated the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• It noted that China had aggravated the situation by undertaking land reclamation and construction, and had harmed the environment and violated its obligation to preserve the ecosystem.

• China dismissed the judgment as “null and void.”
• China dismissed the award as “a political farce under the pretext of law.”
• Increased patrolling
• Live-fire exercising
• Ramming and sinking of fishing vessels of other claimant countries
• Renaming of SCS features
• Building of runways, bunkers, and habitation for possible long-term stationing of personnel on the atolls
• Exploration and drilling vessels

• At surface level, it may look like ASEAN countries are bandwagoning with China.
• But, ASEAN nations are seeking political insurance, strengthening their navies, and deepening their military relationships with the United States.
• Vietnam has added six Kilo-class, Russian-origin submarines to its navy.
• France has provided formidable-class stealth ships to Singapore
• Germany has supplied patrol boats to Brunei Darussalam
• The Netherlands has given corvettes to Indonesia.
• Japan is partially funding Indonesian coast guard upgradation.
• India will sell BrahMos missile to Indonesia and the Philippines.
• China’s growing isolation.
• Indonesia – Nantua islands
• Philippines – West Philippine Sea
  • Beaching ramp on the Pag-Asa Island
  • Filipino C-130 landed on its runway
  • Visiting Forces Agreement with the U.S. for six months
• Russia and Vietnam have a defence cooperation relationship, which they are committed to strengthening.
• The SCS carries merchandise to and from India.
• India must continue to actively pursue its defence diplomacy outreach in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • increase military training and conduct exercises and exchanges at a higher level of complexity
  • extend Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief activities
  • share patrolling of the Malacca Strait with the littoral countries, etc.
• The Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships that India has concluded with Australia, Japan, Indonesia, the U.S., and Vietnam could be extended to Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore.
• India must also buttress the military capacity of the tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command.

India must stand up for Tibet | HT

• 6th July 2020 marked 85th birthday of                  HH Dalai Lama.
• HHDL has lived 61 years of his life as a treasured guest of India.
• HHDL has added value, in both tangible and intangible ways, to Indian public life, its soft power and its global reputation.
• He is a symbol of an oppressed community.
• All suffering because of China’s territorial aggression.
• He is representative of the great Gandhian tradition of non-violence.

• Religious and spiritual icon
• He is a living reflection of the shared Buddhist heritage of India and its independent neighbour for centuries, Tibet.
• India’s approach, to Tibet, has, for too long, based on the fear of antagonising China.
• Time to evolve a consistent approach.
• China has no hesitation in attacking India’s core interest (POK).
• Tibet is not just a CARD for us, it is intertwined with the values of freedom and peace central to the vision to resist China.

1. Honour the Dalai Lama with the Bharat Ratna
2. Speak up for Tibetan rights at international platforms.
3. Deepen linkages with the new generation of Tibetan activists who are at the forefront of the new resistance.
4. Rebuild links with all Tibetan sects, some of which have got caught in the web of bureaucratic battles in India.
5. Declare that India will respect the wishes of the Dalai Lama on his succession — making it clear that China will not have its way in installing a puppet Dalai Lama.

Ethiopia’s bloody mayhem | TH

• Cold-blooded murder of Ethiopian political singer Haacaaluu Hundeessaa.
• Gruesome death of at least 80 protesters.
• The iconic musician, who belonged to the largest but highly marginalised Oromo ethnic community.
• Comprising a third of the population, the Oromos are challenging the Tigrayans, who make up a mere 6% but continue to wield political power and influence disproportionate to their number.
• The Amharas, the second largest ethnic community, have rallied behind the Oromos, setting aside mutual differences, to demand greater political representation and better opportunities.

In stand-off, keeping an eye on the nuclear ball | TH

• China is pursuing a planned modernisation of its nuclear arsenal.
• It is arming its missiles with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) capabilities to neutralise America’s missile shield.
• China’s DF-31As, which are road mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), are equipped with MIRVs and potent penetration aids.
• In 2019, among the designated Nuclear Weapon States, China did most numbers of ballistic missile test.

• USA and Russia are trying to reduce their Nukes and here we find China is proliferating it.
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): China’s nuclear arsenal has risen from 290 warheads in 2019 to 320 warheads in 2020.
• SIPRI: India has 150 nuclear warheads, Pakistani has 160 nuclear warheads
• Korla in Xinjiang is believed to host DF-26 IRBMs with a range of 4,000 kilometres, which can potentially strike targets across most of India.
• What message China is trying to give India?

End of a dream | IndExp

• Kuwait is looking forward to educe the share of expatriates in its workforce.
• Red flag for India.
• A draft Bill in the National Assembly has proposed that the percentage of Indian citizens in Kuwait should not exceed 15 per cent of its population — nearly 8 lakh Indians may have to leave Kuwait.
• Many Gulf countries are trying to upgrade their Human Capital.
• 1960s and ’70s: people from many parts of the world headed towards Gulf.

• Remittances from the Gulf boosted the Kerala economy, even funding its welfare net, while also helping to check unemployment in the state.
• There are many pockets in India that have benefited similarly from the Gulf economy.
• National economies in the Gulf are slowing down.
• Over 1.5 lakh people have returned from the Gulf countries after the outbreak of COVID-19, of which close to 70,000 have lost jobs.

NEWS

• Defence Minister Rajanth Singh has said that the construction of strategic roads, bridges and tunnels in the border areas will be expedited.
• Mr. Singh said, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working vigorously towards this goal.
• The Minister reviewed the ongoing infrastructure projects of BRO at a high-level meeting in New Delhi yesterday.
• While lauding the BRO for its achievements, Mr. Singh exhorted it to continue its work to achieve even greater laurels.
• India and the US have reaffirmed their commitment to work towards ensuring a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
• They also agreed on the need to deepen cooperation in the United Nations, especially during India’s membership of the United Nations Security Council.
• Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues of shared interests during the virtual foreign office consultations between the two countries yesterday.
• Mr Shringla and Mr Hale discussed ways to further enhance mutually beneficial trade and people-to-people ties, including through visa facilitation for students and professionals.
• Sources said the issue of F-1 visa students attending online-only classes in the US was raised during the meeting.
• Indian Air Force is on high along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh region.
• High altitude and difficult terrain of the northern frontiers of the Himalayas need special skills and aircrafts to meet the challenges.
• Indian Air Force with new acquisitions is more confident in the region.
• Indian Air Force has the advantage of experience on its side to not just to defend but even to attack if the need arises.
• Indian Airforce is effectively discharging dual roles. Cargo aircrafts like Globe Master, Hercules are doing transportation while Sukhois, MiGs are  patrolling LAC.
• US strategist and military historian Dr. Edward Luttwak has said that Chinese policy of expansionism is turning its neighbours into enemies.
• Mr. Luttwak said, India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi ramped up infrastructure in Ladakh and other areas along the LAC.
• He said, this infrastructural development including the strategic location of Daulat Beg Oldi air base has unnerved China.
• Lauding India’s border infrastructure development push, Mr. Luttwak asserted that New Delhi has several allies including USA, Japan, Israel among others whereas Beijing is supported only by Pakistan.
• He said that China’s conduct have repelled its former allies.
• India has one of the lowest COVID-19 cases per million in the world.
• Union Health Ministry said, according to World Health Organization Situation Report, India’s cases per million population is around 505 while the global average is at over one thousand 453.
• Chile has witnessed around 15 thousand 459 cases of COVID-19 per million population, while  the US over eight thousand 500, Brazil over seven thousand 419 and Spain witnessed over five thousand 358 cases per million population.
• India’s cases of death per million population is around 14 while the global average is more than its four times, at 68.
• Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani has said that India stands to benefit from the current global situation as more countries look for alternatives to China.
• He said, the covid-19 crisis will create new opportunities for the Indian IT services industry as clients look at consolidation and reduce the number of suppliers.
• Mr Nilekani was speaking at the company’s internal platform, InfyTV.
• Union Agriculture Ministry has said that locust control operations have been carried out in more than 2.75 lakh hectare area so far since 11th of April in various states.
• The States are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Haryana and Bihar.
• The Ministry said, aerial spraying capacity has been strengthened for anti-locust operations.
• A Bell helicopter has also been deployed in Rajasthan for use in Scheduled Desert Area as per the need.
• The Ministry said, no  significant crop losses have been reported in the States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Bihar and Haryana.
• However, some minor crop losses have been reported in some districts of Rajasthan.
•  The World Bank will provide 400 million dollars to enhance support for rejuvenating the Ganga. Finance Ministry said, the bank and the Government has signed a loan agreement in this regard.
• The Second National Ganga River Basin Project will help stem pollution in the iconic river and strengthen the management of the river basin which is home to more than 500 million people.
• The 400 million dollar operation comprises a loan of 381 million dollars and a proposed Guarantee of up to 19 million dollars.

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