A controversy has broken out after Russian media reported that an “observer” from India was present at the just concluded referendum in the Donbas region that is expected to join Russia in the coming days. A Russian official message widely shared on Telegram channels of Moscow and the Donetsk People’s Republic and on Russia Today TV channel stated that “representatives from Great Britain, Germany, Syria, Togo, Spain, Colombia, South Africa, Ghana, Serbia, India, Iceland and Latvia worked at polling stations in Donetsk and Makeevka.”
The claim of the presence of an Indian representative has caused a flutter as India urged both Russia and Ukraine to respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty indicating that Delhi is not favourably disposed towards the referendum that will lead to redrawing of the maps of Ukraine and Russia.
The message from the Russian authorities has named Purnima Anand who worked as “an observer from India” during the referendum. Ms. Anand is described by the Russian announcement as President of the “BRICS International Forum”. In a TV broadcast, Ms Anand is shown saying, “In the western media, they tell us that people are forced at gunpoint (to vote). We are here today and we can see for ourselves that the people, whole families with smiles on their faces, are coming to exercise their inalienable right to vote for joining Russia. People are happy, hope shines in their eyes for a peaceful, long-awaited future as part of Russia. And we for our part, understand that after this referendum, the world will become brand new, because now a new history is being created in Donbas.”
