India is willing to join the fight against the Islamic State terror group under the flag of the United Nations if such a resolution is adopted by the world body.
“We have made it clear that if there is a UN resolution and if there is UN flag and a UN mission, then as per India’s policy to operate under UN flag, we will participate,” Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Monday in response to questions after paying homage at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate on the eve of Vijay Diwas.
Mr. Parrikar’s is the first comment by a senior minister of the Modi government detailing the stand of the government on the IS and India’s willingness to militarily join the fight against the terror group. India is an active participant of UN peace keeping operations, but has not actively engaged its military in any offensive abroad after the disastrous Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) operations in Sri Lanka. There are only sporadic instances of offensive military engagements under the UN flag.
India had been under pressure from the US to join the western coalition that has launched airstrikes against IS which is controlling large areas in Syria and Iraq and has established a Caliphate.
Since the terror attacks in Paris by ISIS supporters the global community has scrambled to militarily defeat IS and also find ways to cut off funding to terrorist organisations. In this line major nations including India held the first ever meeting to devise mechanisms to tackle terror financing networks of IS.
While about 20 Indians are estimated to be fighting along with ISIS in Syria several others influenced by IS ideology through the social media and attempted to reach Syria have been deported by various nations.
