The G-20 meeting in Srinagar.

India, as the current President of G 20, is hosting a meeting of the group in Srinagar, Kashmir from 22nd to 24th May. G-20 is a grouping of 19 countries plus the European Union.

The holding of the conference on tourism in the Himalayan valley has raised questions about the motive of the sponsors of the moot. The area is disputed under the UN resolutions. Both India and Pakistan have gone to war three times since the partition in 1947 over the disputed territory. Not only that, a full-scale insurgency in the valley has caused thousands of casualties and huge damage to property. The insurgency has gained further momentum since 2019 when India dismantled the status of the territory that resulted in the abolition of the separate state and the creation of two federal territories i.e. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. These federal territories are being governed from Delhi.

Observers are unanimous in their assessment on the selection of Srinagar as the venue for an international gathering. The motive behind the initiative is to project 'normalcy' in the valley - contrary to the perception that India is engaged in repression of the people and its armed forces have committed grave violations of human rights.

Whether the move would work as intended remains to be seen. But the reality is that an overwhelming majority of the countries in the G 20 would continue to maintain cordial and mutually productive and beneficial relations with India. Most of these countries would take decisions in their own national interests that dictate continued political, trade and commercial interaction with the world's fifth biggest economy. In addition, India's record (except for its atrocities in Kashmir) as a democracy is a model for developing countries. Just weeks ago India, with a population of 1.4 billion, surpassed China as the world's most populous country. It is thus understandable for the world to be eager to develop warm and fruitful relations with India.

But China has decided not to attend the meeting because it is being held in the disputed area. China has once again expressed its solidarity with Pakistan. This is a remarkable step supporting...