Statecraft With Geeta Mohan | America Gate-Crashes SCO From the Sidelines? Sergio Gor in Bishkek

Following his victory in the Panjab University Campus Students' Council elections, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad candidate Ankit Bidhan credited the youth for his win, saying, "Gen Z ke dil mein ABVP aur Modi ji hain." Speaking on India First, Bidhan addressed key student issues, noting that the ABVP was the first organisation to protest against paper leaks and confront the state administration. Highlighting the alliance with the Students Organisation of India, he described it as an example of Hindu-Sikh brotherhood. Outlining his campus agenda, Bidhan promised to fulfill his manifesto, including 24x7 free e-rickshaw transport for female students and stipends for non-JRF scholars.

In a discussion on India's strategic posture toward Pakistan, Sandeep Unnithan stated that "the IWT is one of the most unequal water treaties anywhere on the planet," explaining that India historically failed to build infrastructure to utilize its allocated share. He highlighted that placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance has focused attention on Pakistan's poor reservoir storage and resource mismanagement. Unnithan observed that recent military and diplomatic actions have imposed direct costs on Pakistan, leaving it strategically disadvantaged while facing internal instability across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir alongside mounting economic difficulties.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised a world free of terror, scientific temper, innovation, and mutual cooperation. Meanwhile, Pakistan raised the Indus Waters Treaty dispute, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claiming water must never be weaponised or used for political leverage. India previously put the treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack, maintaining that renegotiation requires an end to cross-border terrorism. Furthermore, India categorically rejected a ruling by the Hague-based Court of Arbitration concerning hydroelectric projects like Ratle, stating the tribunal was illegally constituted, has no jurisdiction over sovereign decisions, and that India neither recognises nor participates in its proceedings.

At the SCO summit in Bishkek, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined key messages focusing on security, connectivity, and opportunity. He called for measurable outcomes and zero tolerance for cross-border terrorism, urging the dismantling of terror ecosystems including financing, recruitment, and safe havens. The Prime Minister stressed that terrorism cannot be treated as a strategic asset. He advocated for continued humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts impacting energy security and supply chains. Additionally, PM Modi emphasised respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity in regional connectivity, tackling drug trafficking, simplifying trade customs, and fostering youth and civilisational exchanges.