People were taken aback when it came to the fore that the next G-20 Summit is going to be held in J&K because, if the Summit is held next year, then it is going to be the first major international event to be ever held in the UT and also the first-of-its-kind event which is going to be charged on all the fronts, set to bring great diplomatic and political benefits for India. Earlier, it was decided that the summit will be held in J&K, but now, the Government has gone a step further, being brave enough, by including Ladakh too.
Whatever is happening, or will happen, is going to be quite interesting because by holding the G-20 Summit, which brings together the world’s major economies, in J&K, the Government is fully aiming to corner Pakistan and leave it in a tight spot, because Pakistan is not the member of the G-20, but its all-weather friend, China is. Once the Summit is held in J&K and Ladakh, Pakistan would find it hard to convince any of the members of the G-20 to hear its side of the story regarding J&K—as has been its habit—rather, there is going to be quite a reaction instead.
Pakistan would surely try to influence China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to boycott the G-20 Summit in J&K because the conduct of the same is going to prove disastrous, politically as well as diplomatically for it. However, it is for sure that it would be able to make no or little difference, even though China has recently voiced its opposition to India’s move; but what remains noteworthy is that it hasn’t announced a boycott yet. Pakistan on the other hand won’t sit idle on this and would try harder to fetch at least something.
In the same move, India has also given a befitting reply to China by announcing to hold the Summit in Ladakh too—making it clear that India’s approach is going to be more assertive and independent in ways of politics as well as diplomacy. The Summit will display India’s firm standing and will also bring to the limelight its approach concerning positioning itself on the global front, by making the Summit all about economics because India is hoping for investments by the G-20 countries in J&K. The bold, daredevil step of inviting the G-20 members to J&K and Ladakh needed a strong political will and power at the back, ability to thrust the pressures back, roping in key countries and making them speak in your favor—which is what India has got under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
The next G-20 Summit is going to bring diplomatic dividends to the country with great help concerning J&K, which is on and off raked up by Pakistan, on the global front. On top of it, there would be an expected transition of the problem, from political to economic, which India would aim to address with the help of the G-20 countries, cornering the neighbors, making maneuvering hard for them.
