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Is India’s optimism over Iran’s Chabahar port grossly misplaced?

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Chabahar-challenge

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Seema Guha

US President Donald Trump’s hardline strategy against Iran could severely impact India’s hopes of enhancing trade and commerce through the Chabahar port

The first shipment of wheat from India was sent last week to the Iran’s Chabahar port and then onwards by rail and road to Afghanistan. This marks New Delhi’s attempt to avoid Pakistan, which does not allow Indian goods to transit its territory.

The fact that the long delayed project is at last taking shape, has led to general euphoria on all sides and a somewhat misplaced expectation of steadily increasing the volumes on this route. The grain sent out to Afghanistan from a port in Gujarat was a gift from the people of India to the citizens of Afghanistan.

“The shipment of wheat is a landmark moment as it will pave the way for operationalisation of the Chabahar port as an alternative, reliable and robust connectivity for Afghanistan. It will open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Afghanistan and enhance trade and commerce between the three countries (India, Iran and Afghanistan) and the wider region,” the statement released by the ministry of external affairs noted. But this is an unrealistic and overtly optimistic assumption.

With US President Donald Trump ready to tear up the landmark nuclear agreement signed in 2015, chances of fresh sanctions being slapped on Iran by the US Congress are very high. Once this happens it will be difficult for both India and Afghanistan not to heed US pressure.

Though Delhi as a rule does not pay heed to sanctions, unless they are mandated by the UN Security Council, the US has found a way to deal with this. From past experience it has learnt how best to target companies doing business with Iran. To make the sanctions effective, the US had earlier decreed that any company doing business with Iran cannot operate in the US. It cannot also have any dealings with American financial institutions. With America still the world’s largest economy and its financial clout spread across the world, it is difficult for any company to continue dealing with Iran. No company or government is in a position to turn its back on the US, unless there are political motivations.

For India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, bent to take relations with the US to a new unprecedented height, the question of not supporting US will not arise. The stakes are too high, more so because Washington is now promising to deliver high-tech defence technology so long denied to India.

One of Donald Trump’s election promises was to walk out of the Obama sponsored Iran nuclear deal. He has already taken the first step in this direction, by refusing to certify Iran’s compliance to the agreement. Though the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is on the ground in Iran, inspecting every aspect of the country’s nuclear program, had certified three times that Tehran has stuck to the agreement, Trump refused to certify it. Now he has asked the US Congress to come up with fresh ideas to make the deal much more stringent and slap nuclear sanctions against Iran.

Despite the fact that other countries, who were part of the agreement like France, Germany, UK, Russia, China as well as the EU are lobbying hard to keep the agreement intact, the US remains adamant. President Trump has also warned that if lawmakers refuse to act, he has the executive powers to enforce his will. So despite the fact that European countries, China and Russia are all opposed to Trump’s move, he can well wreck the deal and impose fresh sanctions on Iran.

This is why despite India’s optimism, using Chabahar for growing trade with Afghanistan seems doomed to fail. This, so long as Donald Trump continues to be adamant. Chances of Trump changing his views are remote. More so, because he is pleasing Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Sunni powers worried about Iran assuming its rightful place in the world.

The idea of using the Iranian port for trade with Afghanistan took shape in 2003, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s term as prime minister. Thanks to crippling sanctions slapped by the US on trading with Iran, the project never had a chance to take off. When sanctions were lifted after the nuclear agreement another bilateral agreement was signed between India and Iran for the development of both the port and railway track to transport the goods to Afghanistan.

India has already constructed a road from Delaram in Afghanistan to Zaranj at the Iran-Afghanistan border at the cost of $134 million. This road would help to carry goods by road from the Iranian border to different destinations in Afghanistan.

Developing an alternative trade route as not to be held hostage by Pakistan was a good idea. But the US-Iran relations have hit this project hard. Earlier it was delayed because of sanctions and now it is unlikely to take off as relations between the US and Iran deteriorate.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Sunita Kejriwal, Atishi meet Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail, discuss Delhi governance

AAP had earlier accused the Tihar jail administration of cancelling Sunita Kejriwal’s meeting with Arvind Kejriwal.

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Delhi Chief Minister’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and AAP minister Atishi met Arvind Kejriwal in the Tihar Jail today. After their meeting, both dicussed the specifics of their meeting with CM. They said that the jailed CM was asking about the Delhi governance matter.

Kejriwal is expected to see Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwan Mann tomorrow.

Atishi, who is in charge of six departments in the Delhi Cabinet, said, she visited with the Chief Minister. When she asked how he was doing, he skipped answering her, rather he asked how the work is going in Delhi. He said, not to ask about his condition. During their meet, the Delhhi CM also asked about the school kids that are they getting books? Does Mohalla Clinic have access to medications? Atishi continued.

The Chief Minister said that as summer is approaching, Delhi shouldn’t have any water-related issues. He sent a message to the women of Delhi, saying he is planning to give them Rs 1000.

The Aam Aadmi Party had earlier claimed that Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, was not allowed to see him. However, in a statement, Delhi minister Atishi said that Sunita Kejriwal will see her husband later on in the day and that two people were granted permission, but Sunita ji’s was cancelled. Athishi said, every day, new laws are enacted, she did not have permission, but when their lawyers won this legal battle, she was permitted to see Kejriwal.

AAP’s campaign for the Lok Sabha in the national capital and other states will be led by Mrs. Kejriwal, the party said. The campaign kicked off with a roadshow to support AAP’s candidate for East Delhi, Kuldeep Kumar. This is the first time that Mrs. Kejriwal has entered the political sphere actively.

Party leader Sanjay Singh asserted last week that Atishi’s name was added to the list of visitors for Mr. Kejriwal following the name of Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.

Meanwhile, in the Delhi Liquor Policy case, Arvind Kejriwal was taken into custody in March. On March 21, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) detained him in connection with a money laundering case. In the same case, Manish Sisodia, his former deputy, is jailed.

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FIR filed against YouTube channel in Punjab for defaming AAP MP Raghav Chadha

The case was filed on the complaint of the son of an AAP candidate from the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat.

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A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed by Punjab Police against a YouTube channel for allegedly linking Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha to wanted man Vijay Mallya.

The AAP candidate for the Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency, Ashok Pappi Prashar’s son, Vikas Prashar, filed a formal complaint against the YouTube station Capital TV. The complainant held the channel accountable for airing misleading and defamatory content.

The statements/contents of false videos on Capital TV channel and others shall harm the public peace and harmony…and is likely to promote enmity between different groups in the country on grounds of religion, caste, race and community, the complaint said.

In his complaint, Vikas allegedly claimed that the YouTube channel was disseminating misleading information and that it was defaming Raghav Chadha by equating him with Mallya.

Vijay Mallya fled to the UK after taking public money, and similarly, a Rajya Sabha member left for England, claiming it was for eye treatment, according to the FIR, which noted claims made by the YouTube channel.

The AAP leader will reportedly get a vitrectomy in the UK to save the retina from detaching from the eye earlier. According to the research, this disorder, which is characterized by the formation of tiny holes in the retina, is very dangerous for vision and must be treated immediately to prevent irreversible damage.

The channel referred to Chadha as a Khalistani supporter following his encounter with UK MP Preet Gill, according to the complaint.

Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with inciting religious hatred among various groups, Section 469 deals with forgeries, and Section 505 deals with making statements that could incite public disturbances.

The FIR also contains Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, which addresses offenses involving computers.

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Security forces arrest 14 Pakistani nationals with around 86 kg of drugs, worth Rs 600 crore near Gujarat Coast

The Indian Coast Guard took to X and wrote in a breathtaking overnight operation, Indian Coast Guard undertook an intelligence-based anti-narcotics operation at sea on 28 Apr 24. About 86 kg of narcotics which is worth Rs 600 crore has been apprehended along with the arrest of 14 Pakistani nationals.

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The Indian Coast Guard on Sunday announced the interception of a Pakistani vessel laden with 86 kg of narcotics valued at Rs 600 crore. Acting on intelligence, a joint operation involving the Indian Coast Guard, the Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS), and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) was launched to combat drug trafficking in the area.

The operation was carried out by the agencies based on intelligence inputs received in the last few days. The Indian Coast Guard took to X and wrote in a breathtaking overnight operation, Indian Coast Guard undertook an intelligence-based anti-narcotics operation at sea on 28 Apr 24.

About 86 kg of narcotics which is worth Rs 600 crore has been apprehended along with the arrest of 14 Pakistani nationals. The operation was an epitome of inter-agency coordination wherein the Indian Coast Guard Anti-terrorism Squad and Narcotics Control Bureau  collaborated seamlessly which resulted in the successful operation.

The ships and aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard had been deployed on concurrent missions to carry out the operation. ICG ship Rajratan, which had Narcitics Control Bureau and Anti Terrorist Squad officials embarked, positively identified the suspect boat.

No amount of evasive maneuvering tactics and resistance employed by the drug laden Pakistani boat could save it from the swift and strong action of ICG ship Rajratan. This operation took place on the basis of a tip-off by the Indian Coast Guard, Narcotics Control Bureau and Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad in the Arabian Sea near the International Maritime Boundary Line.

The operation was the 2nd major anti-narcotics operation carried out by the security forces in the Arabian Sea in 1 month. Earlier on February 26, 5 foreign nationals were held off the Porbandar coast with 3,300 kg of narcotics, including charas. Recently a boat carrying 60 packets of drugs was seized and 6 Pakistani crew members onboard the vessel were arrested off the Gujarat coast in a multi-agency operation in March.

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