Kashmir and India’s G20 Presidency
Introduction of G20 and its working
By: Anamitra Banerjee
The G20 comprises the majority of the biggest economies, both in developed and emerging nations representing approximately 90% of the world’s GDP, 75%-80% of world commerce, two-thirds of the population of the world, and nearly half of the planet’s landmass. Originally formed in 1999 in reaction to several global financial downturns, the prominent confederation has organized a summit annually since 2008. The choice to institutionalize the confederation at the Pittsburgh Summit held in September 2009 demonstrates a major transformation in the nucleus of the command structure. Emerging stakeholders, discussion groups, and challenges have emerged at the forefront of global decision-making.
The G20’s capacity to mobilize relevant parties outside of its affiliation, collaborate significant reforms of the international financial institutions, create translucent provisions for consensual evaluation, and guarantee cohesiveness in policy creation and execution is critical to the G20’s recurring legitimacy. However, the gateway impression should always be assessed in addition to its “squad” facet, but also by its “connectivity” attribute, considering that the G20 is far more comprehensively trying to define and distinguish its obligations from those of various bodies, like the IMF. In doing just that, the G20 has assisted the IMF to restore the slump from the Asian meltdown. This correlation also solidifies the G20’s role because the World Bank and IMF generate the symposium with additional expertise. The G20’s three principal objectives are to demonstrate coordination and collaboration in policy frameworks among its members so that they can achieve global financial reliability and robust, viable, stable, and equitable growth; to create capital controls that mitigate dangers and avoid prospective global recession, and to modernize the world banking infrastructure.
How important G20 grouping is for India
India assumed the G20 Presidency on the 1st of December 2022 from Indonesia and will convene the G20 Leaders’ Summit for the first time in 2023. India’s G20 Presidency would be a watershed moment in her history as it seeks to play an important role by finding pragmatic global solutions for the well-being of all.
India’s aim in staging the G20 in 2023 is to elevate the ‘global south’s voice’. For India’s G20 Presidency, the government has opted for the theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, which is coherent with Indian cultural and moral ideology. India’s dedication to countering the impacts of global warming and trying to support and assist emerging nations in meeting their strategic project goals and priorities is through expertise and product assistance. To foster global interdependence and a sense of unity for developing countries, India has also implemented programs like International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resistant Infrastructure, and One Sun, One World, One Grid.
With more than 120 developing nations, India has highlighted that the global south has the most significant stake in the coming years because it is the home to three-quarters of human civilization. As a result, economies in the third world must attempt to mold the burgeoning world order. India’s presidency asserted how most international struggles were not generated by the developing world yet it adversely impacts human lives. The Indian representatives backed this by citing the COVID pandemic, climate variability, violent extremism, and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. India has often communicated this expertise in the Sub-Saharan region and spans all territories and sectors of the economy. The developing world should never rebuff the success of progress and innovation. Countries in the global south should work together to endeavor international fiscal, social and bureaucratic governance. It will reduce the disparity, broaden prospects, encourage investment, and propagate advancement and overall holistic well-being. To re-energize the realm, we must collectively resolve a broader global strategy of response, recognition, respect, and reform.
What is the significance of holding a G20 meeting in Kashmir?
Holding the G20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir would be an adventurous, and ambitious step, an opportunity to recognize Jammu and Kashmir at the highest level. Numerous states’ delegations have visited J&K regularly over the last twenty years. The list included American Special Envoy Robert Blackwill taking the lead to forge a strategic and operational trail to both Srinagar as well as the Siachen Glacier.
It’s for the first time in the past 70 years that J-K would be hosting an international event like G-20.
With India officially adopting the G20 chairmanship, it is Jammu and Kashmir’s chance to rise to the occasion of exhibiting its market prospects, ecotourism ventures, and cultural assets to the leading global nations. India has issued a significant strategic assertion to the international society, primarily to Beijing and Islamabad by strategizing to organize a few G20 summits in Jammu & Kashmir. The G20 offers a chance for the administration to solidify the benefits it claims resulted from repealing Article 370. There are some organizational as well as other challenges to overcome, however, they are not unattainable. One is to begin holding primary elections, which have been on hold because the state Legislature was dissolved in November 2018. There is no greater opportunity to put actions, strategies, and stated aims in place to exhibit future proposals and be diplomatic. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha declared that the summit in J&K would convey a message of tranquility and civility to the rest of the world. Quoting him “If there is no peace, then rest assured no power on earth can bring development to the place. Some people do not like this. They do not want peace here, they want violence. J-K’s welfare is in this, we can progress and come closer to or overcome other nations only when there is peace here.” He stated that if peace and order is restored in J&K, evolution isn’t going to be further behind.
Response from China & Pakistan
Both China and Pakistan seemed to be prompt to display resistance when it was reported that Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh would host a portion of the G20 happenings. The international community, notably the G20 representatives, has remained silent in the face of China and Pakistan’s opprobrium of wanting to hold international events in the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. The G-20 symposium or associated discussion groups in Srinagar would represent the most formal geopolitical devastating blow for Pakistan, which has calcified its stance on J&K following the repeal of Articles 370 and 35-A and the division of the former state into two separate Union Territories in 2019. The European Union, which formerly referred to J&K as “the world’s biggest internment camp”, is also a partner of the G-20.
The Pakistani government just not objected to New Delhi’s course of action, but also allegedly asked its allied countries – China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia – to blacklist and stop showing support for the conference. China echoed Pakistan’s reason to object, saying it repudiates India’s intention to host the G20 leader’s meeting in the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. As reported by Pakistani news outlets, Islamabad would therefore seek advice from G20 member governments like America and the British Isles to confront Indian strategies. By sponsoring the meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi has asserted its claim to the Indian Himalayas stating India would have no tolerance towards forced occupation in international credibility. If the symposium takes place, the Indian Government will score a serious international triumph while the Pakistani government will suffer a mishap. Because Pakistan is not a member of the G20, it’s going to be challenging for Islamabad to persuade numerous different advanced nations to abandon the idea of holding the summit.
How is it beneficial for Kashmir to have this event?
Numerous corporate leaders, expats, businessmen, and diplomats, from Middle Eastern countries, have indeed toured Jammu and Kashmir in the past few months to investigate opportunities to invest in the UT, much more to Pakistan’s chagrin. There had been a large amount of attention in Jammu and Kashmir during last year’s regional and global summit throughout the Emirates. Motivated by multinational economic interests in investing in J&K, India anticipated hosting the G20 summit in the UT this year. It gives rise to an experimental method of willingness to host the symposium: involving locals. Representatives could be chosen from the corporate sector, the political sphere, scholars, and the community. This strategy will guarantee the summit’s accomplishment. The large tourist influx must have stimulated the Indian government to choose J&K. If foreign visitors are being leveraged to draw attention to the issue, the community ethos that is responsible again for the summit’s accomplishment must also be harnessed.
The G20 Summit has the possibility of having a major effect on the world and thus on the J&K economy. Actions taken at the symposium, for example, can influence market mechanisms, the balance of trade, and fiscal measures, each of which has a long-lasting effect. Furthermore, the G20 Summit can be an opportunity for Western democracies to collaborate in addressing global financial dilemmas, which will eventually improve Jammu and Kashmir’s status. Global support has grown and with the G20 summit, Kashmir will have a bigger presence on the world platform and it will be able to empower and shape significant international economic and commercial decisions. Also, among the 15 institutions in the country chosen to host Youth-20 and Civil -20 events which are being organised in connection with India’s G-20 Presidency, the University of Kashmir (KU) is one of them.
Conclusion
Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier during his two-day special virtual summit titled ‘Voice of the Global South Summit,’ asserted, “We have concluded our reflections on another challenging period that saw war, dispute, violence, political turmoil, soaring fuel, and fuel prices, anthropogenic global warming, catastrophes, and the long-term financial consequences of the COVID the world is unequivocally in a long haul of emergency. It’s hard to predict when this flux will last.”
G20 discussions will lead to favorable results for undeveloped nations as well as regions. The growth of a country as well as the sustainability of its natural resources are two crucial components that cannot be overlooked.
While innovation is necessary for the residents of Jammu & Kashmir to live in dignity, biosphere retention and preservation of natural resources are also essential for keeping the balance of nature. To diminish disparities and make a significant contribution to the equality and improvement of people’s lives, government initiatives must be inclusive and long-term. The importance of the Development Agenda for the Indian G20 Presidential term is bolstered by the fact that it carries a broader connotation for developing nations than for the industrialized world. India’s assumption of the G20 presidency from Jakarta is noticeable because it places India in the middle of the global south’s triad (Indonesia, India, and Brazil) to exert control over the Summit.
The writer is a foreign policy analyst
Courtesy JK Policy Institute
