TASHKENT-2: WHAT ALMOST HAPPENED

TASHKENT-2: WHAT ALMOST HAPPENED

2-NOV-ENG 9

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------President Putin's role in protecting Prime Minister Modi—an untold diplomatic saga. From Meera Sharma's pen: Sometimes, events occur on the international diplomatic stage that change the course of history.

One such moment occurred in China during the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit, exposing many layers of world politics.

According to sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested him to accompany him in his car.

.President Putin, one of the world's most influential powers, waited outside Modi's hotel for approximately 15 minutes—a highly unusual occurrence for any high-level diplomatic event.

Meetings like the SCO are scheduled minute-to-minute, but Putin's behavior appears to indicate a specific purpose or signal.

It is said that Putin's car circled the hotel for 30 minutes. This step was a departure from normal protocol.

If you look closely at the photographs taken of the two leaders in their cars, a deep, contemplative seriousness is evident on their faces.

Prime Minister Modi never returned to the same hotel after that.

At a seminar the next day, he said jokingly, "Who are you clapping for... for me to leave or for me to return?" A simple sentence, but full of diplomatic overtones. Meanwhile, a senior US Special Forces officer dies under suspicious circumstances in a prestigious hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

US Embassy officials arrive at the scene and take control of the body before the local police can be informed—No post-mortem, no public investigation. This entire process raises many questions—why such urgency and secrecy? Now the question arises—Who organized the SCO summit? China. If something untoward had happened, the blame would have been squarely placed on China. And who would have benefited? This question begs for an answer.

History remembers the mysterious death of then-Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent in 1966. And even today, the shadow of that incident lingers in the form of accusations against Russia. It is being said that this entire incident—a "Tashkent-2"-like plan involving the CIA and some Western powers—was hatched to harm the Indian Prime Minister. But Russia's FSB (formerly KGB) and India's RAW together foiled this conspiracy. This move by President Putin was not merely an act of friendship, but a strategic safeguard—that protected India's leadership from potential danger.

Today, as global politics shifts toward new equations, this trust-based relationship between India and Russia appears stronger than ever. Indians congratulate President Putin for this contribution—because he prioritized the safety of India's friendly Prime Minister. Much has happened behind the scenes of diplomacy, which may not be fully narrated, but the signals are clear—India no longer merely reacts, but knows how to respond strategically.