Jaishankar stresses on need to be non-dogmatic, self-critical in policymaking
Dec 13, 2020
New Delhi [India], December 13 : External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Sunday stressed the need to be non-dogmatic and self-critical on policymaking considering the changing world order.
Speaking at the virtual summit of Second Manohar Parrikar Memorial Lecture, he said, "There is a need to be non-dogmatic and self-critical in policy-making as global order is evolving with many dimensions and variables."
Taking a cue of geopolitical situation, "We have actually seen sharp shifts in the basic stance and behaviour of nations and their interplay with each other. Some of these have unfolded more visibly in the last year, but their contours were evident even before. The salience of China and the repositioning of the United States are perhaps the sharpest examples," he added.
He also laid stress on practical and outcome-oriented decisions with strategic clarity in assessing the present world. He praised former Goa Chief Minister Late Manohar Parrikar for the same.
Giving the example of India being the first responders he said that India did wonderful work during the Yemen crisis and evacuated Indians through Operation Rahat, helping Nepal during its earthquake crisis in April 2015 with Operation Maitri, and rescuing Indian citizens from the South Sudanese civil war in 2016 through Operation Sankat Mochan.
"There has to be a sustained follow-up to ensure institutionalised integrations and the unending effort to foster the accompanying work culture... In India, we are all aware of the integration milestones in the national security domain, most notably starting with the establishment of the institution of the NSA and a secretariat. The services have also been progressing in their way and at their own way towards stronger coordination," he added.
"To my mind, adequately securitising foreign policy is for me the absolute imperative, and the primary focus for that is quite obvious. There are really very few major states which still have unsettled borders to the extent that we do. Of equal relevance is the very unique challenge that we face of years of intense terrorism inflicted on us by a neighbour. We also cannot disregard attempts of undermining our national integrity and unity and over and above these exceptional challenges; there are the daily security challenges of long borders and large sea spaces," he further added.
"I accept that multilateralism and global issues undoubtedly have their importance, but they can never come at the cost of core national interests," he concluded.
