India announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

Calling Beijing’s move to pick a Chinese soldier involved in the Galwan incident as an Olympic torchbearer “regrettable”, India Thursday said that its envoy will not attend the opening or closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics beginning soon in Beijing.

Key Highlights

• This, in effect, means that New Delhi will boycott the Olympics at the diplomatic level although it will send an athlete for the event.

• The Galwan clashes in mid-June 2020 had resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel, while China had last year admitted to losing at least four of its troops, making it the bloodiest encounter between the two nations in over four decades.
• Responding to questions on the reports of a Chinese soldier from the Galwan clashes being chosen as the torchbearer for the games, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “It is indeed regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicize an event like the Olympics… the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of India in Beijing will not be attending the opening or the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.”

• Indian Charge d’Affaires Acquino Vimal is the senior most diplomat in Beijing right now, after Ambassador Vikram Misri left and joined as Deputy National Security Advisor in Delhi. The next ambassador, Pradeep Rawat, is yet to join the post.

• Minutes after MEA spokesperson’s statement, the chief of public broadcaster Prasar Bharti, CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, said that it “will not telecast live the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing”.

SOURCE: The Indian Express

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