Why PM Modi’s Absence From SCO Summit Could Spell Trouble For India In The Future

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar delivering India's statement at the Summit of SCO Council of Heads of States on behalf of PM Narendra Modi, in Astana | Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to not attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Summit under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan may not augur well as far as India’s national interests and security is concerned. While External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar did represent India on behalf of PM Modi, it is the signalling that matters. The SCO members include countries that form India’s neighbourhood and beyond, so it is imperative that New