The optics were wrong. Perhaps, to emphasize India's Russian connection, the timing was carefully chosen. Prime Minister Modi selected Russia for his first foreign bilateral visit after being sworn in for his third term; and the fact that the NATO was holding a summit in Washington at the same time in support of Ukraine was not lost on all our hawk-eyed pundits of international diplomacy.
Even the bear hug Mr Putin got, now our PM's standard greeting for all male foreign heads of state, may have just about been digested. But then things went horribly wrong. Even as Putin was feting and bestowing awards on Mr Modi in Moscow, a supersonic Russian missile blew up a children's hospital in Kiev killing 37.
The reaction was swift. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a tweet called it a "devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day."
Eric Garcetti, the United States' Ambassador to India, speaking at a conclave in Kolkata, scolded India saying: "there is no such thing as a strategic autonomy during a conflict", referring to the war in Ukraine. There was a warning too from Washington. In his speech, Garcetti, while referring to improving India-US ties, added: "But as I also remind my Indian friends, while it is wide and it is deeper than it's ever been, it is not yet deep enough."
FINDING A MIDDLE WAY
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
FOCUSING ON STATES TO ACHIEVE A VIKSIT BHARAT
THERE has been a growing realisation of the need to accelerate economic growth at the state level to take the Indian economy to a higher growth path. At NITI Aayog's ninth meeting of the governing council on July 27, Narendra Modi observed that states could play an active role in achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047. Even earlier, at NITI Aayog's governing council meeting on June 15, 2019, the PM had appealed to the states to recognise their core competence and work towards making India a $5-trillion economy.
NETANYAHU: THE MAN AND HIS MISSION
With the world waiting for Israel's response to attacks from Iran and its proxies, it's essential to understand the anxieties and convictions that drive its leader, Bibi Netanyahu
Students ask for matches at excise office for ganja, caught
STUDY tour from school turned a messy business for a group of higher secondary students after the boys accidentally entered the Narcotic Enforcement Squad office in Adimaly mistakenly thinking it as a workshop and sought for matchbox to light up their beedi rolled with ganja.
Fake website created to cheat med students, says K'giri college dean
FOLLOWING some miscreants creating a fake website in the name of Government Krishnagiri Medical College Hospital (GKMCH) and cheating MBBS aspirants, the college dean lodged a police complaint at the Krishnagiri cyber crime on Monday.
Cloud burst hits Yelahanka, 10 layouts, 4,000 homes flooded
Disaster response teams deploy boats to rescue 3,000 residents
Nodal officers trained by ED to spot cases for PMLA probe
PMLA is invoked to attach the proceeds of such crimes. Cases registered by other LEAs like CBI, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) also act as predicate offences.
Erode receives 112 mm of rain, key roads inundated
HEAVY rain lashed Erode on Tuesday disrupting normal life. Due to the rain, district administration had also declared holiday for schools.
Chopper over MTR: Tribunal warns officials
THE southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has cautioned the forest department and Nilgiris district administration after a private helicopter flew over the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Mukurthi National Park in violation of norms. The incident, which occurred on December 27, 2023, prompted NGT to register a suo motu case.
DMK govt scuttling oppn party protests, meetings: Edappadi
THE DMK government's aim is to create hurdles to other political parties and try to stop their meetings and demonstrations, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said at Konganapuram on Tuesday. He was replying to a question from reporters on alleged police restrictions to actor Vijay's political party TVK's first public meeting in Vikravandi.
Police warn of online cracker sale fraud
THE Tamil Nadu police's cyber crime wing has warned people to beware of an online cracker sale fraud wherein dubious websites offer crackers at discounted rates but later abscond with the money.
