Syed Akbaruddin, India’s permanent representative to the UN, has displayed what a clear headed and brilliant diplomat he is. During a press conference after the closed door meeting of the UNSC in New York yesterday on article 370 of the Indian constitution, at the behest of the hostile neighbour Pakistan and its all weather ally China; Akbaruddin handled all the questions in a witty and tactical manner.
On being asked by a Pakistani journalist, “When will you begin a dialogue with Pakistan?”, Akbaruddin stepped away from the podium and walked up to the senior Pakistani journalist and tol him, “So let me begin by coming across to you. Give me your hand.” He said, “Let me tell you we have already extended our hand of friendship by saying we are committed to the Simla agreement.” “Let us wait for a response on that from the Pakistani side,” he further continued.
#WATCH: Syed Akbaruddin, India’s Ambassador to UN says,"so, let me start by coming across to you and shaking hands. All three of you," to a Pakistani journalist when asked,"when will you begin a dialogue with Pakistan?" pic.twitter.com/0s06XAaasl
— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2019
While taking a dig at the Permanent Representatives of China and Pakistan, Zhang Jun and Maleeha Lodhi, who refused to answer questions from reporters after reading their statement, he stated, “People who came here, just walked off. (But) as the representative of an open democracy, I am ready to answer (your questions.)”
A Pakistani reporter asked why there was no contacts between the neighbours and why India had not responded to requests for talks. To this he unabashedly replied, “Stop terror to start talks.”
Akbaruddin further said, “There are normal diplomatic ways of dealing with the countries when countries deal with each other. But using terror to try and push your goals is not the way that normal states behave in. No democracy will acknowledge or accept talks when terror thrives.”
Brilliant that he is, Akbaruddin also caught a Pakistani questioner’s slip in admitting that Kashmir was an internal affair of India. Referring to Article 370, the journalist said, “That could be an internal matter of India.”Akbaruddin immediately jumped in confounding him by saying, “Thank you for accepting that.” The journalist continued, “Article 370 was enshrined in the Indian constitution.” Akbaruddin again acknowledged it, saying, “Thank you, (enshrined) by India.”
Eventually, unsure of how to go about, when a reporter said that the restrictions placed on Kashmir undermined India’s image as an open democracy, Akbaruddin said, “Public order is integral to ensuring that democracy prospers. Without public order no democracy can function. There are reasonable restrictions and we acknowledge there are restrictions and we are easing them.”
Akbaruddin thus disarmed the reporters with his wit, informality and humour. Being a representative of a democracy, he gave the hostile neighbours a chance to question him and then responded in a remarkable manner, completely sure of India’s position.
