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VIF organised a briefing cum discussion on the topics of ‘India’s Approach to Multilateralism’ and ‘India and J & K Issue on 26 Sept 2022 at the VIF’s premises. There were about 40 military/Defence Attaches along with some other diplomatic staff that participated in the deliberations.

Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director VIF welcomed the participants and introduced both the speakers and the relevance of both the topics and broad stance of India at the UN and need for reforms of the UN institutions in the current scenario which has undergone a sea change since the UNO came into being after World War II.

Amb. Asoke Mukerji, a former Permanent Representative of India at the UN had worked to come out with a UN General Assembly mandated Inter-Governmental Negotiation for enlarging and reforming the UN Security Council. He explained the need for UN reforms. He also highlighted the fact that India has been the largest troop contributing nation for UN Peace Keeping Operations. Among many other efforts at the UN India has been in the forefront in supporting UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030. He also mentioned about the difficulties and intricacies of reforms of the UN due to divergent views and reluctance of the present UNSC permanent five to dilute their powers.

After Amb. Mukerji, Amb. DP Srivastava who has authored a book and written several papers on India and J & K issue, spoke on his topic. He went into details of how misinformation/disinformation by Pakistan has been spread on the question of plebiscite in J & K. Pakistan was supposed to withdraw its troops before the plebiscite which it never did. Over the years Pakistan has changed the demography of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Not only that Pakistan had also illegally absorbed Gilgit and Baltistan. He supported his views by giving concrete supporting evidence.

After the briefing by the authors there was a vigorous Q & A Session.