Pahalgam Excluded: India Declines to Sign SCO Statement
Relevance
GS Paper 2: International Relations
Background: The Pahalgam Terror Attack
- Date: April 2025
- Perpetrator: The Resistance Front (TRF) — a proxy outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is a UN-designated terrorist group.
- Incident: One of the deadliest attacks in recent years in Jammu & Kashmir, targeting security personnel and civilians.
India’s Refusal to Sign the SCO Joint Statement
- Reason:
- The SCO joint statement did not mention the Pahalgam attack.
- However, it highlighted militant activities in Balochistan, Pakistan.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s Stance:
- Raised the issue of TRF’s involvement and highlighted the need to acknowledge cross-border terrorism.
- Emphasized that terrorism in all forms must be condemned equally, without selective approach or politicization.
About The Resistance Front (TRF)
- Emerged post-abrogation of Article 370 in J&K.
- Considered a “facade outfit” of LeT, formed to escape scrutiny under FATF and UN sanctions.
- Operates using local names but maintains external links and training.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
- Origin:
- Began as Shanghai Five (1996) — China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.
- Transformed into SCO in 2001, adding Uzbekistan.
- Current Members (before Belarus inclusion):
- India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
- Observer States: Afghanistan, Mongolia
- HQ: Beijing, China
Original Purpose
- Born out of concerns post-Soviet dissolution (1991):
- Religious extremism, separatist movements, and border disputes.
- Aimed to promote regional stability, security, and cooperation.
Strategic Significance
- Geopolitical Weight:
- 40% of global population
- Over $23 trillion in global GDP
- Alternative Multilateralism:
- Seen by Russia and China as a non-Western platform to counterbalance US hegemony, along with BRICS.
- Expanding influence across Eurasia, Central Asia, and South Asia.
SCO and India: Strategic Relevance
- Regional Diplomacy: Enhances India’s reach in Central Asia.
- Counter-Terrorism Platform:
- Participation in RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) helps in:
- Intelligence-sharing
- Drug trafficking surveillance
- Counter-terror exercises
- Participation in RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) helps in:
- Strategic Balancing:
- A rare forum where India and Pakistan, India and China engage multilaterally.
- Offers backchannel dialogue possibilities, despite bilateral tensions.
Challenges for India in SCO
- Selective focus on terrorism by member states (e.g., Pakistan’s own narrative on terrorism gets echoed).
- China’s dominance in decision-making.
- Ideological and geopolitical rivalries (e.g., China’s support for Pakistan vs India’s concerns).
