Government was firm, robust about defending India’s pursuits in border row: S Jaishankar

Image Source : PTI Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar
India was robust and resolute when it got here to dealing with the border challenge and handled it in an efficient method, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar mentioned on Friday in an obvious reference to the standoff between India and China. Similarly, India additionally dealt successfully with the COVID-19 pandemic and its financial impression by fashioning its personal response after listening to everybody, he mentioned on the inaugural session of the ‘Asia Economic Dialogue’ organised by the Pune International Centre.

“Last year, we had three big developments which all impacted us nationally. They impacted the world as well — one was COVID-19, the second was its economic impact and the third was the challenges that we found on our border which obviously had implications,” the External Affairs Minister mentioned.

“In each of these cases, I would assert to you that they were difficult challenges. There were a lot of debates as indeed there should be, there were tough decisions, lot of second guessing and a lot of free advice given around. I would say, as a government we listened to everything and then we did what we thought was the right thing to do,” he asserted in his remarks throughout the session titled ‘Resilient Global Growth in a Post- Pandemic World. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne additionally participated within the session.

Elaborating on India’s responses to the three key developments final yr, Jaishankar mentioned that within the case of the COVID-19 outbreak, the federal government went for an early lockdown, induced a level of social self-discipline and arrange really spectacular well being infrastructure in a really quick area of time. 

“I mean to create 16,000 dedicated centres and to go from zero to becoming an exporter of PPE masks, ventilators and testing kits, I think, frankly, was a very big deal,” he mentioned.

On coping with the financial impression of the COVID-19, he mentioned that additionally concerned quite a lot of debates however the authorities consciously determined that there was a timing factor to what needs to be the response and didn’t get pressured into “front loaded stimulus measures”.

Talking about coping with the border challenge confronted by India, Jaishankar, with out naming any nation or going into particulars, mentioned, “You know again we did what we had to do. There was a very active debate which still continues to this day. It is natural for people to offer advice, often on matters which they may not have particular knowledge of, that is a human trait. But again if there was what came through it was that we were resolute, we were strong about protecting our interests.”

“And in each case I would suggest to you we thought through a very complicated issue. Listened to everybody but made up our mind and eventually fashioned a response which was effective,” Jaishankar mentioned.

India-China border standoff 

The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies erupted on May 5 final yr following a violent conflict within the Pangong lake areas and either side regularly enhanced their deployment by speeding in tens of hundreds of troopers in addition to heavy weaponry whilst the 2 sides continued army and diplomatic talks. Last week, armies of the 2 nations concluded withdrawal of troops and weapons from north and south banks of Pangong Tso within the high-altitude area.

On resilience within the post-COVID world, Jaishankar mentioned there are two issues that India must do — “manage home, in the most expansive sense of the word strongly and well, and to contribute more and more abroad”.

Jaishankar additionally defined the federal government’s  resolve to construct an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, saying step one in it’s “thinking it through for yourself and not letting others push you and pressure you”.

Underlining that the federal government has undertaken “deep reforms”, Jaishankar mentioned the COVID interval was not only a well being response interval, however was additionally a interval which authorities used to vogue new insurance policies and push via what have been much-needed reforms which earlier governments have been reluctant to take whether or not in agriculture, labour or eduction.

Loads of that mindset is mirrored within the price range offered by the federal government earlier this month, he mentioned. Looking forward, Jaishankar mentioned, “First of all going back to 1992 is not the answer. My sense is if you do not build more capabilities at home, openness by itself is not a solution for the society as it just means leaving oneself wide open to other people who may have far more predatory practices.”

“It is very important to be strong at home, to build capabilities at home,” Jaishankar mentioned. “We cannot be politically agnostic when we look at the world,” he added. 

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