The Congress on Sunday questioned whether the Modi government has agreed to a new normal over the old normal prevailing before April 2020. The party also demanded that Parliament must be given an opportunity to debate the full gamut of the relationship between the two countries.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge communications said that a discussion in Parliament on India-China relationship should focus on both strategic and economic policy, particularly since our dependence on China has increased economically, even as it unilaterally changed the status quo on our borders over four years back.

Jairam Ramesh said the Congress has studied the recent suo motu statement made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in both Houses of Parliament titled, Recent Developments in India’s Relations with China. He added that it is unfortunate, but typical of the Modi government, that MPs were not permitted to seek any clarifications.

He said that the Congress has four pointed questions on the statement issued by the Centre while fully appreciating the sensitive nature of many aspects of India-China border relations. He further noted that the statement claims that the House is well aware of the circumstances leading up to the violent clashes in Galwan Valley in June 2020, and pointed out that it is an unfortunate reminder that the very first official communication to the nation on this crisis came on June 19, 2020 when the PM provided a clean chit publicly to China and falsely stated none have entered the country.

Questioning what prompted PM Modi to make the assertion, the Senior Congress leader said that the statement was not only an insult to the fallen soldiers but it also weakened India’s position in subsequent negotiations. 

He continued that on October 22, 2024 Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi restated India’s longstanding position, mentioning that as far as they are concerned, they want to go back to the status quo of April 2020, thereafter they will be looking at disengagement, de-escalation and normal management of the LAC.

He further pointed out, nonetheless, the Ministry of External Affairs statement following the 32nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) on 5 December 2024 stated that the two sides positively affirmed the implementation of the most recent disengagement agreement which completed the resolution of the issues that emerged in 2020.

He asked if this does not reveal a shift in our official position. He stated that the Ministry of External Affairs’s statement in Parliament stated that in a few other places where friction occurred in 2020, steps of a temporary and limited nature were worked out, based on local conditions, to obviate the possibility of further friction. He claimed that this clearly refers to so-called buffer zones to which the Indian troops and livestock herders are denied access that they previously had.

He underlined that these statements taken together suggest that the MEA is accepting a settlement that does not return the LAC to the April 2020 status quo as desired by the Army and the nation. He asked if it is not clear now that the Modi government has agreed to a new status quo and agreed to live with the new normal after the old normal prevailing prior to April 2020 was unilaterally disturbed by China?

He also questioned why the Chinese government has yet to corroborate any details about the disengagement in Depsang and Demchok. He further asked whether traditional grazing rights for Indian livestock herders had been restored, will there be unfettered access to our traditional patrolling points, and if the buffer zones ceded during previous negotiations have been taken back by India?.

He said that the Congress reiterates the demand it has been making for the past few years–that Parliament must, to reflect a collective national resolve, be given an opportunity to debate the full gamut of the India-China relationship. He stressed that the discussion should focus on both strategic and economic policy, especially since the country’s dependence on China has increased economically, even as it unilaterally changed the status quo on our borders over four years back.

A massive standoff took place between the protesting farmers and the Haryana Police after the Delhi Chalo march was stopped by the cops. Nearly, 101 farmers tried to resume their march to the national capital from the Sambhu protest site on Punjab-Haryana border, demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and addressing other issues.   

The Haryana police responded by firing tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. They reportedly asked farmers to provide the necessary permission to proceed with their protest, which led to an argument with the farmers and protesters at Shambhu.

Speaking to the media, a protesting farmer said that the police are asking for identity cards, but they should give a guarantee that they will allow them to go to Delhi. The farmer added that the police said that there is no permission to go to Delhi, so why should they give their identity cards. 

The Haryana police claimed that the farmers were moving as a mob and not as the planned group of 101 farmers. They further stated that the farmers would be allowed to proceed only after identity verification.

The police mentioned that they will first verify the identities of the farmers and then allow them to go ahead. They added that they have a list of 101 farmers, but these are not the same people. The protestors are not letting us verify their identities and are moving ahead as a mob, the police said. Nonetheless, the farmers denied, saying they had not provided any list to the police.

Considering the farmers’ renewed attempt to march towards Delhi, security has been strengthened at the Punjab-Haryana border, with barricades set up to block their advance. Furthermore, prohibitory orders under Section 163 (formerly Section 144), which prevent the gathering of over five people, are also in place at the border.

Beside Shambhu border, the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana has been sealed under tight four-layered security, with 13 contingents deployed.

Earlier on Friday, the farmers tried to move towards Delhi but suspended their bid after many farmers sustained injuries when security personnel fired tear gas shells at the border.

After a week-long offensive, Syrian rebel forces claimed control of Damascus, encountering no resistance from the government troops. The Syrian military officials reportedly said President Bashar al-Assad, who ruled the country with an iron fist for 24 years, boarded a plane to an undisclosed location. 

Furthermore, the army command has informed officers that the Assad regime has fallen. Following, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel faction issued a statement, mentioning that December 8, 2024, marks the end of the dark era and the beginning of a new era for Syria.  

The Britain based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the Syrian military and security forces have withdrawn from Damascus International Airport. It further added that officers and soldiers abandoned the airport amid the rebel offensive.

Furthermore, the rebels also announced that they had entered the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of Damascus and freed prisoners there. They added that they celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing the prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Saydnaya prison.

The Syrian opposition forces said that the country will be governed by Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali until a formal transition of power takes place. Reports said, Mohammed Al-Jalali expressed his willingness to work with any leadership chosen by the Syrian people.

The Armed opposition groups seeking to overthrow Assad swept into Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, in a shock offensive on November 27, reigniting the 13-year civil war that devastated the country. Major cities in the north, including Daraa and Hama, fell to the opposition fighters in a matter of days amid little resistance from government troops.

Last week, the advances in the past week were by far the largest in recent years by rebel factions, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has its origins in Al-Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations.

Earlier on Saturday, the rebels said they were encircling the capital where Assad has ruled since 2000. In the night, they captured Homs, a strategic city which is at the crossroads between Damascus and the Syrian dictator’s stronghold on the Mediterranean coast.

Reportedly, Syria has been ruled by the Assad family for over five decades, with President Bashar al-Assad taking power in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez Assad.

As per the United Nations, Assad’s regime has been responsible for the deaths of more than 350,000 opponents, widespread imprisonment and torture, and the use of banned nerve gas against opposition-held areas to quash dissent.