Know about SCO and India

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai on 15 June 2001. Also referred to as Shanghai Pact, this organisation comprises eight countries: China, India, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a successor to the Shanghai Five, which comprises only five states: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The Shanghai Five organisation came into action in 1996, after which the leaders of these five states met in Shanghai to announce an organisation with more profound political and economic concepts. As a result, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or the SCO was formed in 2001. Since its origination, the SCO has spread its reach over eight states, including India, Pakistan, and Iran. 

Now we know what SCO is. Next, let us see why this cooperation was formed. What was the reason behind collecting the officials of various countries together?

Why was the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation formed? 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was formed to ensure security and peace in the Eurasian region. The SCO was established to ensure safety, peace and security across the Eurasian region. The organisation aims to join forces of various Eurasian countries to counter any challenges and threats that come their way, enhance trade, and collaborate on cultural and humanitarian cooperation. 

What is the benefit of India being in the SCO?

Geopolitical Benefit

The inclusion of India in the SCO would help us geopolitically as it will bring us closer to China in terms of economic and political relations as we will be a full-time part of the only multilateral security cooperation outside the United Nations that China has both created and is a part of too.

Better Position in Central Asia

India being a part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will put us in a better position to leverage our positions and relations in the Central part of Asia. Not only in Central Asia, but the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will also help India to improve relations with its other neighbours as well.

Relations with Pakistan

We all know that Pakistan and India have been in tempting quarrels in the past, but with the SCO coming in, the leaders of both countries will attend meetings around the SCO. This means that both the senior level officers or representatives of India and Pakistan will now have to meet each other at least once a year and collaborate with the organisation as a whole.

UN General Assembly Independent

The meeting would be away from the eyes of the annual September UN General Assembly meeting. Keeping the meeting away from the eyes of the UN council is not negative as it will provide another neutral forum in which the two rival powers have an opportunity to interact and talk around on various political, economic and military issues.

Improved Intelligence

Participation in the various meetings conducted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will lead to better intelligence sharing. It will not only help us but will help all fellow countries as well to develop better counter-terrorism strategies based on India’s long experience of it. 

Power in Central Asia

Another benefit that India might have from being a part of the Shanghai Cooperation organisation is access to the Central Asian powers. The central Asian powers are all distributed between Russia and China, and with India coming into the SCO, some parts of the Central Asian power will be open for access to India too. Not only this, but the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will also help India gain access to Central Asia’s minerals and energy, thus, targeting the market access to Russia and, ultimately, Europe. 

Mutual benefit with Central Asian countries

We all know that Central Asia is still deeply under-developed, and this collaboration of India in the SCO will offer an entry for Indian construction firms and others to outsource the resources and scale in terms of business. The regular visits of the Indian Ministers in the region will help the Indian companies to scale their resources and their business easily and in a better fashion. 

Conclusion:

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is yet to decide whether they will include both Pakistan and India as a full-time collaborator or not, but this organisation would not only help India gain access to the Central Asia resources but will also help us to improve our relations with our neighbours and allocate better policies that are in favour of all the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as well.

Indian membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will undoubtedly be considered a major change in regional geopolitics across the region. The SCO membership will bring a positive change in India’s overall growth, though it would still need a very concrete effort by New Delhi if India is to capitalise effectively on this opportunity that Central Asia is offering.