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<ul><li>The external affairs minister for <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, <keyword id="6355111" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword>, will be representing India at the 73rd <keyword id="107187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN-General-Assembly">UN General Assembly</keyword> (<keyword id="429560" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNGA">UNGA</keyword>). </li><li>She has over a dozen bilateral meetings scheduled during the conferences and is scheduled to be present at two sessions. </li><li>In her speech at the UNGA, Swaraj focussed on India-Pakistan relations and the issue of India’s seat on the UN Security Council. </li></ul>The 73rd UN General Assembly (UNGA) meet being held in New York is India’s chance to engage on global issues that pertain beyond its regional interests. While the Indian external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference, the shadow of India-Pakistan relations may keep India from engaging on larger international concerns. Earlier India was scheduled to engage with Pakistan as well, but after the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/pakistan-is-still-not-doing-enough-to-curb-terror-financing-and-time-is-running-out/articleshow/65839168.cms">killing</a> of three Jammu and Kashmir policemen and the issuing of <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pakistan-burhan-wani-postal-stamps-sushma-swaraj-foreign-minister-5372002/">stamps</a> commemorating Burhan Wani, talks with Shah Mahmood Qureshi were cancelled. Swaraj is still <a href="https://www.oneindia.com/india/swaraj-to-have-over-half-a-dozen-bilateral-engagements-at-unga-including-one-with-nepal-2782746.html">scheduled</a> to hold bilateral meetings with the representatives of Germany, Panama Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Austria, Armenia, Antigua Barbuda, Nepal, Bolivia, Chile and Iran among others. She will also be representing India in the session on climate change held of secretary general, António Guterres, and the Ministerial Committee of the NAM on Palestine. The latter is of special significance considering the strategic and trade relationship between India and Israel. India-Pakistan relations Like last year, Swaraj delivered her speech in Hindi at the <keyword id="45802" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nelson-Mandela">Nelson Mandela</keyword> Peace Summit starting with India the effectiveness of the demonetisation exercise and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). While there’s still an <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/one-year-of-gst-is-goods-and-services-tax-rollout-successful-pm-modi-explains-in-5-points/1218179/">argument</a> to be made on whether or not GST has delivered the desired results, experts largely believe that demonetisation did little more than <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/PGRi4ySZO2HOWkARKq8GeM/Demonetisation-failed-to-make-India-a-less-cash-society.html">cause</a> damage to India’s informal economy. And, without naming any country in particular, Swaraj pointed out that India is busy fighting poverty but its ‘neighbouring country’ is busy fighting against the nation. She even pointed out the irony of this ‘neighbouring country’ advocating human-rights and accusing India of violations. 
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="MEAIndia" handlename="Raveesh Kumar" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/893447414169743361/XnWvdUhM_normal.jpg" favoritecount="483" retweetcount="102" status="Nelson Mandela’s life is an inspiration for all. He showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination a… https://t.co/pprJFf8SAf" createdat="1537824319000" id="1044337005826650112"></div>













 She went on to highlight other differences between India and Pakistan in terms of development and technology. The question really becomes whether India-Pakistan relations are the only issue that animate Indian interest on a global stage. The focus on regional issues on the global platform keeps India from engaging with other nations on international concerns and takes from the impact that India has on other issues that are been contested. And, this is despite the country’s growing economic relevance. UN Security Council A permanent seat on the UN Security Council through the G4 alliance consisting of Brazil, Germany, India and Japan is still on the table. But, considering that all developments indicate that it’s unlikely to happen, maybe India should pivot its interests until the situation changes. 
	
	
	
	
	
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 And while India has spent considerable time engaging in the international convention against <keyword id="6358165" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="terrorism">terrorism</keyword>, it has been ineffective in addressing the security challenges that concern India’s borders. Instead, experts <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-world-beyond-pakistan-india-talks-unga-saarc-5372593/">suggest </a>that India should focus on addressing issues of global trade and <keyword id="1791879" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="multilateralism">multilateralism</keyword>. The structural changes in the international system might be more pertinent at the moment.

These are India's primary objectives at the UN General Assembly

<ul><li>The <keyword id="2174006" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhagwan-Mahaveer-Viklang-Sahayata-Samiti">Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti</keyword> (BMVSS), a Jaipur-based non-profit organisation, is providing artificial limbs to people wounded in the Syrian war. </li><li>The first phase of the programme, which was facilitated by <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s Ministry of External Affairs, will see 500 amputees be fitted with prosthetic limbs. </li><li>The BMVSS is responsible for scaling the famous invention, the <keyword id="134665" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaipur-Foot">Jaipur Foot</keyword>, and has provided it free of charge to 1.75 million people inside and outside India. </li><li>Last month, India’s Ministry of External Affairs, unveiled the “India for Humanity” programme, under which the Jaipur Foot will be distributed to people in other countries through Indian missions.</li></ul>At the end of October 2018, the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), a Jaipur-based non-profit organisation, said that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saint James, a Christian organisation in Syria, to provide artificial limbs to people wounded in the Syrian war, according to <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/jaipur-foot-camp-in-syria-for-people-injured-in-civil-war-5421333/">the Press Trust of India</a>. The agreement was facilitated by India’s Ministry of External Affairs in conjunction with Syria’s Foreign Ministry. The first phase of the programme will see 500 amputees be fitted with prosthetic limbs. The signing of the MoU comes a few weeks after India’s Ministry of External Affairs, led by foreign minister <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword>, unveiled the <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/india-launches-global-jaipur-foot-distribution-initiative-118100900553_1.html">“India for Humanity”</a> programme. Under the initiative, the artificial limbs made by BMVSS will be distributed to people in other countries through Indian missions. Most people don’t know what the BMVSS is, but have likely heard of its world-famous invention: the Jaipur Foot. Founded in 1975, the charitable organisation has provided all kinds of artificial limbs to as many <a href="http://jaipurfoot.org/">1.75 million </a>people worldwide so far, according to the company’s website, all of which have been given free of charge. In fact, the Jaipur Foot was developed in 1968 at the SMS Medical College Hospital in the city of Jaipur, after which the BMVSS became responsible for scaling the invention for common good. The organisation mainly relies on donations, grants and government support. To date, the Jaipur Foot is <a href="http://jaipurfoot.org/images/Brochure%202017-18.pdf">said </a>to be most widely used prosthetic limb in the world. In 2009, Time Magazine named the Jaipur Knee, a $20 prosthetic kneecap developed by BMVSS and a group of engineers from Stanford, one of the <a href="http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1934027_1934003_1933963,00.html">50 best inventions</a> of the year. The Jaipur Foot exemplifies the concept of “frugal innovation” that India is known for, which is why it seems obvious that the Indian government would make the Jaipur Foot an important part of its regional outreach strategy. Prior to the official launch of “India for Humanity”, a number of camps had been organised by BMVSS and India’s foreign ministry in neighbouring countries. In <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/india-s-jaipur-foot-for-1-000-disabled-people-in-myanmar-vietnam-118071801510_1.html">July 2018</a>, 1000 amputees in Myanmar and Vietnam were given prosthetic limbs. In <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/jaipur/report-jaipur-foot-steps-into-united-nations-headquarters-2599256">March 2018,</a> an exhibition of the Jaipur Foot was inaugurated at the UN headquarters in New York. In <a href="https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/10/05/jaipur-foot-fit-700-bangladeshis-prosthetic-limbs/">September 2017</a>, a 15-day camp was organised in Bangladesh wherein 300 disabled people were given artificial limbs while 700 additional amputees registered for new ones. In <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/jaipur-foot-to-provide-artificial-limbs-to-1000-afghans/articleshow/35344550.cms">mid-2014</a>, a month-long camp was held in the Afghani capital of Kabul, also for 1000 beneficiaries. The programme may be a way for the Indian government to capitalise on the cultural cachet of this world-famous technology and build goodwill. But it will also help the BMVSS expand its global operations, possibly helping hundreds of thousands more disabled people in the process.

Here’s how India has made one of its most promising NGOs an important component of its regional outreach strategy

The US has resumed premium processing of H-1B work visas in all categories, months after it was suspended temporarily to handle the huge rush of applications for the work visas popular among Indian IT professionals. Premium processing of H-1B visa was suspended in April to handle huge rush of new petitions. In September, the US opened up some categories of the H-1B visas for the fast processing. "Premium processing is now available for all types of H- 1B petitions," <keyword id="368921" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="us-citizenship-and-immigration-services">US Citizenship and Immigration Services</keyword> (USCIS) said. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. As mandated by the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress">Congress</keyword> every year USCIS issues a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas and 20,000 to those who have earned higher education in STEM subjects from a US higher educational institution. <keyword id="4555913" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="kenneth-juster">Kenneth Juster</keyword>, nominee for US Ambassador to India, during his confirmation hearing said that H-1B visa has been an important part of the India-US relationship and there is a consensus that it should be corrected to high quality jobs. "I think there is a consensus that it (H-1B) should be corrected to high quality jobs. I think that message from my understanding is being heard in India as well in the <keyword id="6356955" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-states">United States</keyword>," Juster told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "However, actual details on what will be the final policy on H-1B remains to be determined. So I'm not really in a position to represent the administration on where they are," Juster said. The <keyword id="6354862" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword> administration is currently reviewing the H-1B visa policy as it thinks that the visa is being misused by companies to replace American workers. <keyword id="43920" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="external-affairs">External Affairs</keyword> Minister <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> raised the visa issue with US Secretary of State Rex <keyword id="3939773" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="tillerson">Tillerson</keyword> when the two leaders met in <keyword id="6355838" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-york">New York</keyword> last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

US companies can go back to hiring Indian techies, as US resumes premium processing of all H-1B visa categories

In a rather power-packed speech at the 71st <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> General Assembly in New York, Minister for External Affairs <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> literally tore apart Pakistan Prime Minister <keyword id="6576" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nawaz-Sharif">Nawaz Sharif</keyword>’s claims on human rights violations in Kashmir as well as its record on fighting terrorism. 
 Sharif had on 21 September sought an international probe into what he described as “extrajudicial killings” in Indian Kashmir—in a reference to the unrest in the region following the death on 8 July of Burhan Wani, who India says was a <keyword id="50913" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hizbul-Mujahideen">Hizbul Mujahideen</keyword> group terrorist. 
Retaliating, Swaraj said- “I can only say that those accusing others of human rights violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are perpetrating in their own country, including in Balochistan.” 
 
Mincing no words, Swaraj further said that in exchange of friendship with the neighbouring country, India always got terrorism in return — in the form of Pathankot, Uri and Bahadur Ali, and that it was time to isolate the country that has become a breeding ground for terrorists. 
She said, “Terrorists don’t have banks or factories of weapons. In that context, it is important to know who supports such terrorists? Afghanistan also raised this issue a few days back. Those who sow seeds of terrorism have to pay for it. There is no your or my terrorism – we cannot win the war against terrorism like that.” 
 
Swaraj hit out hard at Pakistan when she appealed to other nations to isolate Pakistan. “Isolate a nation that doesn’t want to be a part of the fight against terrorism. We have to isolate a country that sows, grows and sells terrorism. Such countries have to be held accountable. We have to take actions against a country that allows terrorists to hold public celebrations, without bringing them to justice. Such a country is equally responsible for terrorist activities,” Swaraj said. 
 
Kashmir is an integral part of India, she said, and will remain an integral part of India. “Pakistan should better stop dreaming about it.” 
 
Swaraj’s hard-hitting speech comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the decades-old Kashmir dispute that has triggered three of the four wars between the two countries. 
 The speech followed a sharp attack on Pakistan by Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Saturday when he urged the people of Pakistan to “question their leadership on why, when both countries gained freedom together, while India exports software, Pakistan exports terrorists.” 
 
“I want to say that India is a ready for a war… India is a ready for a war on poverty. Let both countries fight to see who would eradicate poverty first… I want to tell the youth of Pakistan, let’s have a war on ending unemployment… I want to call out to the children in Pakistan, let’s declare war on illiteracy. Let’s see who wins. Let’s declare war on infant mortality and maternal deaths,” Modi had said in his speech at a rally in Kozhikode.

Sushma Swaraj humiliates Pakistan at UNGA, says it can stop dreaming about Kashmir

She had departed India two days back saying it’s necessary to hold talks with the Pakistan PM and his advisor to take forward bilateral ties between the two neighbours. 
 
 As she spoke from the <keyword id="3165485" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Heart-of-Asia-Summit">Heart of Asia Summit</keyword> table, MEA <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword>’s diplomacy in Islamabad on Wednesday had a deliberate emotional overtone: “The heart of Asia cannot function if its arteries are clogged. We all must work together to clear it.” It most definitely struck a chord with everyone present at the summit, a gathering of high-ranking delegations from 14 participating states, 17 supporting countries and 12 international and regional organisations. 
 "Let me take this opportunity to extend our hand to Pakistan as well. It is time we display the maturity and self-confidence to do business with each other and strengthen regional and trade cooperation," she further went on to say reaching out to Pak PM <keyword id="6576" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nawaz-Sharif">Nawaz Sharif</keyword>. 
 Swaraj also brought out one of the perennial problems between India-Pak-Afghanistan in her speech, <keyword id="6358165" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="terrorism">terrorism</keyword>. “Terror hubs should not be allowed anywhere,” she said. 
 
On Afghanistan, a region The Heart of Asia summit was focusing this time, Swaraj said India wants the region to prosper through interlinked trade, transit, energy and communication routes. 
 
"Nothing can benefit Afghanistan more than full and direct overland access to India’s markets. India is willing to receive Afghan trucks at Attari and can join Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade &amp; Transit Agreements,” she said, also adding that India is ready to work with Afghanistan to strengthen the security forces as she sees it as a collective responsibility to fight terrorist forces. 
 
Meanwhile, asserting that Pakistan firmly believed in the relation between peace and development, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said," Working for the achievement of a peaceful neighbourhood is a cardinal principle of Pakistan's foreign policy. We firmly believe that peace is vital for developed and development is vital for durable peace. Pakistan remains committed to strengthening its relations with all its neighbours and regional countries and promoting regional cooperation and connectivity." 
 He also spoke tough on terror. "Our consensus base military operation and the national action plan have been remarkably successful in our campaign against terrorism and extremism. We are convinced that terrorism and extremism is the common enemy of all and we need a collective approach to combat this menace," the Prime Minister said. His solution is to reach finalisations of borders and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) at the earliest “to contain terrorist movement across the border.” He also advocated a strengthened resolve against the emergence of Daesh (<keyword id="174501" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="ISIS">ISIS</keyword>). 
 
Notably, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the UAE are part of the initiative launched in 2011 for encouraging economic and security cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours for dealing with the common problems of terrorism, extremism and poverty. 
 
Six key areas in which the 14 countries have been pursuing confidence-building measures since the 2013 Almaty meeting are disaster management, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, trade and investment, regional infrastructure, and education.

Exchanging warmth for a peaceful neighbourhood: All that’s happening between India, Pak at Heart of Asia Summit

This is clear and concrete. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Prime+Minister+Narendra+Modi+">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> is not going to have any bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Nawaz+Sharif+">Nawaz Sharif</a> during his current visit to the US, although both of them are staying in the same hotel - the iconic Waldorf Astoria. 
 
According to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Ministry+of+External+Affairs+spokesperson+Vikas+Swarup">Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup</a>, there is no bilateral meeting scheduled between Modi and Sharif. 
 
When asked if there will be a "deliberate attempt" to ensure that paths of the two leaders do not cross, Swarup replied in the negative. 
 
"There will be no deliberate attempt (at paths not crossing). If a hand shake happens, you will get to see it. If a pull aside happens you will get to see it," he told reporters. 
 Sharif is slated to reach <keyword id="6355838" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-York">New York</keyword> tomorrow evening. 
 
Modi will address the Sustainable Development Summit hosted by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UN+Secretary+General+Ban+Ki-moon+">UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon</a> on September 25, when the new and ambitious post-2015 development agenda will be adopted. 
 
On September 27, the Pakistani PM is scheduled to address the high-level meeting. 
 Modi will be in California on September 26 and 27 and will return to New York on September 28, when apart from meeting US President <keyword id="15962" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Barack-Obama">Barack Obama</keyword>, he will attend the high-level Peacekeeping Summit at the UN headquarters. 
 
As Sharif is also going to attend the summit, the multilateral gathering will provide a forum for the leaders of India and Pakistan to come face-to-face. 
 
Modi arrived in New York on Thursday for his second US visit and will depart for India late September 28 or the early morning of September 29 but Sharif will remain in the city. 
 He will address the annual debate of the <keyword id="107186" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="General-Assembly">General Assembly</keyword> on September 30, a day before India's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=External+Affairs+Minister+Sushma+Swaraj+">External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj</a> addresses the gathering of world leaders on October 1. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

An India vs Pakistan dual may be avoided in New York!

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s China trip is his 17th foreign nation visit since he assumed office. Though his China tour would last only for three days---May 14th to 16th—but the attractions of his trip are countless. The list includes: thunderous speeches by public figures; the visit to Xian, hometown of Chinese Premier; the cultural hoopla-hoos in various ceremonies; the business and trade partnership during his <keyword id="1333" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Beijing">Beijing</keyword> visit and finally, and his undoubtedly charming address to the Shanghai youth. 
 
Even though the bonding between the two Asian rivals is crucial, Modi’s visit does not lead to such jaw-dropping anticipation as many might believe---or even hope for. Experts wonder how his physical trip to a historically sparring country could take issues forward to a point we want them to. 
 
To look back, both the countries have long-standing commercials, historical and ‘conflicting’ links. The clouds over their relationship continue to loom in spite of decades of effort. 
 
To begin with, the root casue of the dispute was a 3,500-km border in the Himalayas that sputtered into a war in1962 and involved large tracts. 
 
China claims that 90,000 square kilometres in the eastern sector of the Himalayas belongs to it. India considers it to be an Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, but China calls it South Tibet. India objects to China occupying 38,000 square kilometres of its land on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west. 
 
Moreover, both nations have always been military and economic competitors. Last month, India increased its defense budget by 11% to $40 billion, even though it cannot match China’s frigates or defence preparedness. 
 Chinese business penetration in the littoral states of the Indian Ocean raises some concern, so India is hoping to defuse issues. After China, Modi’s visit to Seychelles, Mauritius and then <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> would be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 28 years, for he hopes to “expand military as well as economic ties.” 
 
President Xi’s visit eight months back made the two countries thrash all the issues that dog them: the boundary dispute, trade, investment, market access, the maritime Silk Route, Kailash-Mansarovar... the list is endless. 
 
The joint statement between the two nations on Building a Closer Developmental Partnership was issued on September 19, 2014 after President Xi’s team went into every pettifogging issue. 
 Yet, the biggest thorn in the flesh is still stuck there. Last September, when President <keyword id="191809" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xi-Jinping">Xi Jinping</keyword> visited India for his first summit talks with Modi, China intruded into Chumar. 
 
This year, in February, Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh in order to open two development projects had China fuming again. The foreign ministry released a condemnatory press release. The Chinese vice-foreign minister thundered at the Indian ambassador that the PM had transgressed “China’s territorial sovereignty, rights and interests” and that “violates the consensus to appropriately handle the border issue”. 
Modi, not to be left out, retorted: “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and will always remain so…China will also have to leave behind its mindset of expansion.” 
 
Fortunately, India is also an emerging Asian giant---or at least seems to be---and China cannot afford not to play its cards, although that huge nation has a strong bond with India’s arch enemy, Pakistan, 
 
China is also wary of India’s role in setting up the ‘Quadrilateral Initiative’---a formal defence pact among India, US, Japan and Australia, effectively isolating China. There are hints that the plan would even include Central Asia, Mongolia, the Korean peninsula, and all other countries in Southeast Asia except China. 
 
Fortunately, the disputed region of Arunachal Pradesh does not parallel the Kashmir issue, which dogs the Indo-Pak relationship. While aggressive Pakistan looks at the K-problem as a “plus point”, and a driver of their terrorist, anti-India policy, China is groping for solutions. While the Chinese are as patriotically passionate about the disputed land as Indians say they are, they also recently appear willing to compromise, with a give-and-take approach. 
 
Hence, in recent days, the mood seems to have softened, with China soft-pedalling its approach, and trying to woo, rather than hard-sell its intentions. Although the Chinese want to oppose the visits to a disputed area, they do want to keep the objections moderate. 
 Experts claim that the Chinese are putting in a lot of effort to keep the border tension-free in the last five months. When <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> visited China, the Chinese chiefs seemed to be eager to take the relationship to a high level. The signals showed that the talks between Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi was characterised by “extraordinary warmth and cordiality”. 
 
The wording of their “protests” seem muted, though the content is the same, with China mentioning that they do not recognize the McMahon Line as well as the three areas 'belonging' to it. In the latest protest, the Chinese foreign ministry asked for a “fair and reasonable” resolution of the border issue through negotiations. 
 
“At the moment the boundary negotiations are in the process of building up small, positive steps,” Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said recently. “It is like climbing a mountain. The going is tough, that is only because we are on the way up,” he added. 
 
Modi’s visit, then, may be just the tip of an iceberg, or the first step in a long haul. There are hints of bilateral thrust-and-parry as well as compromise in the tone, attitude and unspoken desires of both countries. 
 
If this one large and killing problem of disputed land is nailed, then, the Asian giants can hold hands on every other issue. They may not even call for pompously heralded heads-of-states to visit each other.

Modi’s China visit might spell hope---or just hoopla

Apart from the slogans for change, if anything significant has happened during these elections, it is way the e-world has arrived, officially this time. Every <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> candidate worth his/her salt has a media manager who is updating the social media sites for the candidate – be it with campaign pictures, videos of speeches or interactions with the voters. And there are quite a few crackers in the <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> world as well. Like <keyword id="50339" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ajay-Maken">Ajay Maken</keyword> hit Twitter almost immediately after the BJP released its manifesto. Today, if something is bound to change, it will be the mode of interaction with the people of this country. Only time will tell whether it is good for us or not. 
 
The Lok Sabha polls this year have driven Twitter into the fever mode and here are 15 popular tweets by politicians that you wouldn’t want to miss. 
 
1. <keyword id="4032986" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrashekhar">Rajeev Chandrashekhar</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/rajeev_mp">@rajeev_mp</a> 
 
2. <keyword id="18656" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lalu-Prasad-Yadav">Lalu Prasad Yadav</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/laluprasadrjd">@laluprasadrjd</a> 
 
3. <keyword id="30182" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kapil-Sibal">Kapil Sibal</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/KapilSibal">@KapilSibal</a> 
 
4. <keyword id="6354361" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kiran-Bedi">Kiran Bedi</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/thekiranbedi">@thekiranbedi</a> 
 
5. Omar Abdullah - <a href="https://twitter.com/abdullah_omar">@abdullah_omar</a> 
 
6. <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwarajbjp">@SushmaSwarajbjp</a> 
 
7. <keyword id="42749" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shashi-Tharoor">Shashi Tharoor</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor">@ShashiTharoor</a> 
 
8. <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley">@arunjaitley</a> 
 
9. Smriti Z Irani - <a href="https://twitter.com/smritiirani">@smritiirani</a> 
 
10. <keyword id="6361795" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Vasundhara-Raje">Vasundhara Raje</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/VasundharaBJP">@VasundharaBJP</a> 
 
11. <keyword id="42634" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Varun-Gandhi">Varun Gandhi</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/varungandhi80">@varungandhi80</a> 
 
12. <keyword id="13850" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajiv-Pratap-Rudy">Rajiv Pratap Rudy</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/RajivPratapRudy">@RajivPratapRudy</a> 
 
13. <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal">@ArvindKejriwal</a> 
 
14. Milind Deora - <a href="https://twitter.com/milinddeora">@milinddeora</a> 
 
15. Gul Panag - <a href="https://twitter.com/GulPanag">@GulPanag 
</a>

15 Most Popular Tweets From Politicians This General
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<ul><li>White House asks India and Pakistan to de-escalate military action. </li><li>Potential risks of further military action ‘unacceptably high’, White House says. </li><li>US, Britain, and France ask the United Nations to blacklist Masood Azhar and the Jaish-e-Mohammad. </li><li>Ceasefire violations continue along the <keyword id="44759" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Line-of-Control">Line of Control</keyword> in <keyword id="6354495" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmir">Kashmir</keyword>.</li></ul>India and Pakistan continue to exchange fire along the Line of Control in Kashmir, even as international pressure has increased on both sides to tone down the military standoff. “We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation,” the White House spokesperson said. International pressure on both countries to exercise restraint and focus efforts to de-escalating the situation <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/other-countries-advise-restraint-to-india-and-pakistan/cid/1685841">continued</a> to pour in -- the UK, the US, China, and the European Union -- have all issued statements calling for a measured approach in the wake of the Wednesday air battle between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The US, along with Britain and France have also <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/britain-france-us-ask-un-security-council-to-impose-sanctions-on-jem-chief-masood-azhar/story-vQmGAk5c3xhOWUDedhaNgP.html">urged</a> the <keyword id="55859" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN-Security-Council">UN Security Council</keyword> to blacklist Masood Azhar, who heads <keyword id="119193" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaish-e-Mohammed">Jaish-e-Mohammed</keyword> calling for international sanctions against him that would impose a travel ban and freeze his assets. “Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India’s CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds,” a State Department spokesperson said. Earlier on Wednesday, China said that it believes that Pakistan has “always been opposed” to terrorism and that both India and Pakistan should exercise restraint and avoid escalation of the situation, according to news agencies. However, on Thursday morning, a ceasefire violation was reported in the Poonch district along the Line of Control, ANI reported. India is also <a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/india-kashmir-border/india-builds-bunkers-to-protect-families-along-pakistan-border-idINKCN1QG20K?_ga=2.171069984.1477805050.1551274877-1064909316.1551274874">reportedly</a> building bunkers in the villages along the Line of Control - the de facto border with Pakistan -- to protect locals from fleeing in case of heavy shelling, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, the Indian government is faced with public pressure to bring back the pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman, who is in Pakistani custody after his jet crashed in an air battle on Wednesday. Pakistan has claimed it captured one Indian pilot who was later identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was flying a Mig-21, which was shot down after an aerial encounter between Pakistan and India, a first in 48 years. A video of the pilot circulating on social media, in which the captured pilot is being attacked by an angry Pakistani mob, prompted a strong objection from India. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj called it a "vulgar display" of injured personnel and a violation of the Geneva Convention and International Humanitarian Law. The convention calls for dignified treatment of military personnel during times of war and armed international conflict even when it is not a declared war. India’s Ministry of External Affairs also held meetings with a Pakistani envoy in Delhi and it is understood it handed over Pakistan a dossier containing details of Jaish-e-Mohammed's involvement in the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, which killed over 40 CRPF security personnel. Jaish had claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in the valley in over three decades. Several international flights have been impacted after Pakistan closed its airspace and India shut down airports in the North West. As many as 16 international flights were cancelled as of Wednesday. Air Canada temporarily suspended its flights to India, and said a Vancouver-Delhi flight had to turn around mid-way. India has also tightened security in major cities -- the Delhi Metro has been put on red alert while Mumbai has also beefed up security. India’s commercial pilots have also come together offering to stand united as a ‘second line of defence’ after the Indian air force and support government efforts. India has termed Pakistan’s violation of Indian air space an act of aggression and accused it of targeting military installations, in stark contrast to India’s ‘non-military’ air strike in Pakistan the previous day that it says targeted a terror camp. Just hours after the air battle, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan extended an olive branch in a televised address, asking for a dialogue and warning against the dangers of an escalated conflict, while saying Pakistan had to retaliate and its action was a display of its military capabilities. With agencies See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-confirms-losing-a-fighter-jet-and-the-pilot-is-still-missing-in-action-after-a-dogfight-with-pakistani-forces/articleshow/68184021.cms">India confirms losing a fighter jet and the pilot is still 'missing in action' after a dogfight with Pakistani forces</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/markets-sell-off-in-mumbai-and-karachi-as-india-and-pakistan-tensions-escalate/articleshow/68184744.cms">Markets turn nervous watching India and Pakistan ramp up military action</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international-flights-disrupted-between-india-pakistan-airports-shut-down/articleshow/68180847.cms">Flights disrupted as India-Pakistan tensions escalate</a>

International pressure mounts on India and Pakistan to avert a full-blown war

<keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>’s brainchild - The <keyword id="2630655" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="International-Day-of-Yoga">International Day of Yoga</keyword> has found acceptance with <keyword id="509209" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="UN-Secretary-General-Ban-Ki-moon">UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon</keyword> as he said Yoga only helps bring a "simple sense of satisfaction. 
 
Ban recalls that it took him a while to gain balance when he tried yoga for the first time in Delhi, but he soon felt it was accessible for anyone. 
 
"And yoga does not discriminate; to varying degrees, all people can practise, regardless of their relative strength, age or ability. I discovered this for myself on trying to do my first asana, a tree pose suited to beginners. It took a moment for me to gain my balance, but once I did, I appreciated the simple sense of satisfaction that yoga can bring," the UN chief said. 
 
In celebrating June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, the UN General Assembly has recognized the "holistic benefits of this timeless practice and its inherent compatibility with the principles and values of the United Nations," Ban said. 
 
"Yoga offers a simple, accessible and inclusive means to promote physical and spiritual health and well-being. It promotes respect for one's fellow human beings and for the planet we share," he said. 
 
Ban asked the nations to "see the benefits of this practice in terms of individual well-being, as well as our collective efforts to improve public health, promote peaceful relations and usher in a life of dignity for all." 
 
The 193-member UNGA adopted the resolution to celebrate June 21 as International Day of Yoga was accepted in record time, and a record 177 countries co-sponsored the India-led resolution. 
 
Huge preparations are afoot across USA to celebrate the day with India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expected to head the celebrations at the UN and Times Square. 
 
(Image credit: Indiatimes)

UN Secretary General affirms
Yoga only brings ‘satisfaction’

Amidst strong protests from the opposition, <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is all geared up to visit <keyword id="6355882" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="israel">Israel</keyword> later this year. He will become the first <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">prime minister</keyword> of India to visit the country. Prior to Modi's visit, External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj will visit Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. Modi had visited Israel as chief minister of Gujarat in 2006. As a Prime Minister, he had met his Israeli counterpart, <keyword id="6358722" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Benjamin-Netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</keyword> on the sidelines of the <keyword id="107187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="UN-General-Assembly">UN General Assembly</keyword>'s annual session last year followed by Rajnath Singh's visit to Israel in November to boost counter-terror cooperation. 
 New Delhi voted to recognize Israel in 1950, but fear of alienating its large Muslim population, and its need to maintain strong ties with the Arab world resulted in New Delhi adopting an unsympathetic and somewhat hostile posture toward Israel. Since 1992, India is maintaining a formal diplomatic relationship with Israel which resulted in the visits of President Ezer Weizman in December-January 1997 and of Prime Minister <keyword id="237521" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ariel-Sharon">Ariel Sharon</keyword> in September 2003. However this warmth has not been reciprocated from the Indian side till now but after the formal announcement of Modi's visit this will change significantly and will usher in a new era of improved Indo-Israel relations in the fields of defense, innovation and science &amp; technology. 
 
Defense and strategic cooperation Israel is India's second-largest defense supplier, after <keyword id="6358826" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword>. Primary areas of Cooperation are Submarine-launched cruise missiles, Micro-satellite systems for surveillance, Laser-guided systems and precision-guided munitions. Israel is also doing Anti-ballistic missile systems up gradation of all Soviet-origin aircraft, artillery, tanks, etc. including various radars. Hence Israel can soon emerge as India's top supplier in near future. 
 
Modi has improved security ties with the U.S. and Israel as he seeks to turn India into a global manufacturing hub. At the same time, India has reduced its reliance on top weapons supplier Russia, which has not displayed any weapons at the air show for the first time in at least six years. Modi’s administration has cleared about $20 billion worth of arms purchases since he took power last year. He raised the FDI limit in defense to 49 percent from 26 percent in a move to boost manufacturing. 
 
India has become one of the most important export markets for the defense industry, and spends more than $1 billion in Israel every year, out of an expenditure of $6.5 billion in 2014. India would buy 8356 Israeli Spike ATGM's, 321 launchers, 15 training simulators and peripheral equipment, for $1 billion, from Israel's Rafael systems. 
 
India bought 16 "Heron" drones from IAI over the last few years for about $200 million, as well as 250 "Spice" smart bombs from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (RADS) .The zenith of the Indo-Israeli relationship was the joint development of the Barak 8 surface-to-air missile system, including both maritime and land-based versions. India purchased about $2 billion worth of the missiles. 
 
What India should gain from the visit? 
This visit could seriously embark a new era of strategic partnership and a win-win situation for both India and Israel. Israel is flexible when it comes to the transfer of technology tailored exclusively for India and they had shifted away from a buyer-seller relationship towards a stronger and more equal partnership that resulted into joint productions and co-developments. In return, Israel, with the help of <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword> wants to establish a logistical infrastructure in the <keyword id="12350" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Ocean">Indian Ocean</keyword> given the importance of maritime trade to the Israeli <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> and India's dominance in the Indian Ocean. 
 
Most of the time, the term, transfer of technology is not transparent in nature and what we get is the peripheral technology not the core one. However given the cultural and traditional background, for the last two decades Israel considers India as its most trusted partner in Asia. India is developing FGFA with Russia in a joint venture which is incurring huge cost over-runs and delays. Modi should try to bring back key tech-transfers in the areas of better avionics, advanced head mount digital suite and Beyond Visual Range(BVR) missiles not only to arm FGFA but it will also help in developing the futuristic Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft(AMCA) and it could cut the cost significantly. India also needs AESA radar system technology and in developing that Israel could be a great help. Israel is not only making cutting edge technologies for fighters and drones but it has an equally developed small arms manufacturing set-up. It is well known for its TAVOR and GALIL assault and sniper rifles. If India really wants to achieve a credible defense manufacturing infrastructure it needs to <keyword id="47916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="invest">invest</keyword> in innovation, research and development and Israel could be very useful for the same. 
 
(Image Courtesy: dailymail.co.uk)

Indo-Israel defense ties: What Modi should pitch for the country

Rahul Gandhi created a history of sorts on Thursday. He lost the Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, which no Congress leader ever did since 1980. In fact, death took two of its MPs- Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi away from this seat. It was then taken over by Sonia Gandhi who later had her son and her ‘heir apparent’ to take over. That proved to be a fatal mistake, this election. However, it should be mentioned that Rahul had won from this constituency thrice since 2004. Irani won, albeit with a margin of over 55,000 votes with Rahul emerging as the runner-up. Congress grip loosens <keyword id="6612" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smriti-Irani">Smriti Irani</keyword> a former model, actress and union HRD minister achieved something only one person ever did---a non-Congress candidate who won from the seat. It has been with the party since 1967, ever since it was created. Only Rajendra Pratap Singh of Janata Party had it post-emergency between 1977-80. Irani might have gained from the Modi wave in the state and exasperation of the public against the Gandhi family who has been showing up only for elections. In fact, this time around Rahul who has been busy campaigning across the country, never even bothered to show up at his constituency. He sent his sister, Priyanka Gandhi to take up the mantle. Priyanka was welcomed with posters asking on her brother’s no-show. And, she too was criticized for showing up once in every five years. The tide has turned Irani who garnered a margin 49.7% votes, had countered a lack of Gandhi disinterest, with spirited campaigning. She had reached out to people, spoke to them, challenged dynasty politics and asked why Rahul was missing at the constituency for 15 years. When Rahul sensed the turning tide, he decided to contest from Waynad when she accused him of “running”. The stage for this victory was set in 2014 itself when BJP fielded Irani against Gandhi. Until then, few parties ever bothered to field their best candidates which includes regional parties like Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP). BJP refused to back down on this Congress stronghold which brought on this victory today. Last elections too, she managed to reduce Rahul’s margin who won only by a lakh votes. The firebrand Irani is a well-known face across the country, thanks to being a lead star in a soap opera which ran for over 15 years, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (Every mother-in-law was once was a daughter-in-law) She had played a soft spoken and hence an ideal wife in the hit TV series. But she blossomed to become one of the most outspoken of ministers in Modi’s cabinet which is not actually known for diplomatic people. She had come down on people in favour of Narendra Modi, the prime minister. Her speeches ranged from angry to emotional to exasperation; taking her leader’s word to media channels across issues. She<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PlGs8NCMWE"> defended her government</a> for charging Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students with sedition law, saying they have been engaged in “unlawful activities”. She was<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8iqdNm3egk"> moved by the suicide</a> of a dalit student Rohith Vemula led to riots; and blamed the political forces; blaming people for “using his (Rohith’s) body as a political tool”. Irani has in fact been called ‘Modi’s Sushma’ after she comfortably took up the mantle as veteran BJP politician Sushma Swaraj moved away from active politics. However, it is interesting to note that Irani who is mentored by late union telecom minister Pramod Mahajan never started as a Modi fan. In fact, she had blamed Modi for BJP’s<a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/smriti-irani-drama-slams-modi-first-withdraws-statement-hours-later/267055"> loss in 2004</a>, and said that it is unethical of him to stay on in power after the Gujarat riots. Just like Modi, she made a comeback, and that too to a historic success.

Smriti Irani: The woman who broke the Congress bastion

Amid a tight schedule and loads of time-consuming PR blitzkrieg organised by the Indian diaspora, Prime Minister Narendra Modi found time to meet his Israeli counterpart <keyword id="6358722" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Benjamin-Netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</keyword> and the <keyword id="278300" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="American-Jewish-Committee">American Jewish Committee</keyword> during his recent visit to the US. This is a stark shift from India’s policy stance towards West Asia two decades ago when it refused even to keep an embassy in <keyword id="6355882" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="israel">Israel</keyword>. 
 In fact, India’s sour relationship with Israel dates back to 1938 when Mahatma Gandhi wrote that formulation of a Jewish country in the Middle East would be ‘a crime against humanity’. In 1949, the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru voted against Israel joining the UN and in 1974 India became the first non-Arab country to acknowledge Palestine Liberation Organization (<keyword id="150229" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="PLO">PLO</keyword>) as the representative body of Palestinians. India also consistently supported PLO till the end of the Cold War. 
 
Till two decades ago, India’s West Asia policy was solely driven by a few economic and political reasons. The country depends on Arab countries for oil and the remittances worth billions of dollars sent by Indians working in Gulf countries are a boost to the country’s GDP. 
 
Successive Congress-led governments gave more weight to the reported perception of the Middle East crisis as a religions issue (and not a regional or diplomatic one) by around 170 million Muslims in India. In a sense, this involved a reductionist political logic that clearly supporting Israel and overtly opposing the Palestinian cause would mean loss of millions of Muslim votes. 
 
The shift in India’s policy approach towards Israel began when it started realigning more closely with the US (which in turn has been supporting Israel) after the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Subsequently, in 1992, the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao took initiative to establish full diplomatic relations between the two countries. 
 
Over the last two decades, India’s engagement with Israel has grown significantly, especially in the fields of defence and trade. In 2012, of Israel’s arms exports worth $7 billion, India accounted for military equipment worth $1.5 billion. Today Israel is the second-largest supplier of military equipment to India, behind Russia. The military cooperation between the two countries became obvious when Israel supplied artillery shells during the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan. 
 
Trade between the two countries too surged from $200 million in 1992 to close to $4.5 billion in 2013, and in the process India also emerged Israel’s 10th largest trading partner. 
 
Apart from growing military and trade alliances, India’s policy shift towards Israel is also marked by the resurgence of the political right-wing in India represented by BJP which is more ideologically sympathetic to Israel than Palestine. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had supposedly believed that both Hindus and Jews should be empathetic to one another as both shared a history of oppression under Muslim rulers. The supporters of Israel in India also perceive the two countries mired in a common fight against Islamic terrorism. The BJP government is known to be keen on leveraging Israeli expertise in countering terrorism-driven problems within India and across its neighbourhood. 
 
While Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj insisted in July that “India supports the Palestinian cause while maintaining good relations with Israel,” the BJP government’s policy preference towards the Zionist state became apparent when it refused to bow to pressure from communist and Congress lawmakers to censure Israel in the Parliament for its recent siege of Gaza that has been decried by human rights activists across the globe. 
 
While Israel is suspicious about India ties with Iran and India remains uncomfortable about Israel’s relationship with China, the meeting between Modi and Netanyahu implies that Modi, who visited Israel as chief minister of Gujarat in 2006, is poised to take bilateral relations between the countries to newer heights. 
 
 Image: timesofisrael.com

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