India must warn UK: Any further vandalism of High Commission premises in London will have consequences

The images emerging in social media from London are shocking and disturbing. Several video clips on Sunday showed the national flag at the Indian High Commission in London being taken down by pro-Khalistan activists amid abusive language and anti-India sloganeering. Not a single British security personnel was to be found on the scene. The situation was finally brought under control by the mission’s own security. If such an incident had occurred in New Delhi, Western media would have descended on India like a pack of hounds. For a considerable amount of time on Sunday, the safety and security of the diplomats and the premises of the Indian High Commission in London — a sovereign territory — was severely compromised. Things could have gone out of hand. Worth remembering that in 2012, pro-Khalistani activists had attacked and nearly killed a former Indian chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Kuldip Singh Brar (retd), in the streets of London. Years before, once again in Britain, Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre was kidnapped from Birmingham and brutally killed by England-based Kashmiri terrorists. Britain has a sad history of looking the other way when incidents of such nature take place. In 2019, Kashmiri separatists launched an audacious attack on the premises of the Indian High Commission in London and the building was vandalised. The responsibility of providing security to the Indian High Commission and diplomats serving at the embassy lies with the hosts, the government of UK. Britain is guilty of severe dereliction of duty. It cannot escape culpability for Sunday’s incident. The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday night summoned the seniormost British diplomat and gave her an earful. The Indian side lodged a “strong protest” and “an explanation was demanded for the complete absence of the British security” which falls under “basic obligations of the UK Government under the Vienna Convention.” Though India “expects” UK to identify, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators and has demanded that “stringent measures” must be put in place to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, such words are not going to be enough, given Britain’s history of lackadaisical attitude towards providing security to the Indian embassy. India must take some actions on its own. The Khalistani supporters who carried out the outrageous act must be identified through the videos available on social media and their assets in India must be seized and OCI cards put under scrutiny. India must also make it clear that its embassies across the world are not playgrounds for separatist movements or disgruntled elements. Embassies are sovereign territories and breaching its premises is tantamount to crossing a red line. The premises and the diplomats serving in an embassy are guided by an internationally accepted and enforceable set of rules that cannot be allowed to get violated. It should not be possible for anyone to just walk into the premises and indulge in random acts of violence or vandalism. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has announced that an investigation has been launched into the incident. That’s a standard operating procedure and unlikely to deter future acts of vandalism if history is anything to go by. Britain’s laxity in providing security to Indian properties and sovereign territories within its shores would ultimately weigh down the tempo and pace of bilateral ties. There is wide revulsion and anger in India at what is perceived to be Britain’s cynical acts of “tolerance” in letting Indian High Commission be repeatedly attacked. If such a sentiment exists against the UK in India, bilateral relations are bound to get affected. This isn’t good news for post-Brexit Britain which is keen to improve economic ties with India. Incidentally, when the British embassy in Tehran was attacked in November 2011 and the Union Jack was torn down, the then British foreign secretary, William Hague, “held the Iranian government responsible for failing to protect the embassy, despite Tehran’s expressions of regret.” As a consequence, Britain shut down Iran’s embassy in London, expelled all its staff and said that the “storming of the British mission in Tehran could not have taken place without consent from Iranian authorities”, as Reuters had reported at that time. There is a lesson for India right here. There are no brownie points to be achieved by trying to be ”nice” in international relations that are guided not by any rule of law but by the relative power of states. India must bring down the full force of its national composite power and take necessary, concomitant steps if incidents of such nature are repeated in the UK. Enough is quite enough. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.