New Delhi: India has been pursuing diplomacy that “serves” its people, says External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar
The Minister, on Monday (May 30), listed out several achievements in foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said there had been a few “sweeping changes”, and Indians exploring the global workplace also got the necessary assistance.
“Marking 8 Years of a Modi foreign policy that has the people at its centre. A diplomacy for our development, security and civilisation. A diplomacy that serves its people,” he tweeted.
Marking 8 Years of a Modi foreign policy that has the people at its centre.
A diplomacy for our development, security and civilisation. A diplomacy that serves its people. #8YearsOfSeva
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 30, 2022
“Sweeping changes in passport delivery: faster, corruption free and closer to your location. Ensuring safety and security of Indians abroad: Vande Bharat Mission during Covid, Operation Ganga in Ukraine, many more. Supporting our citizens as they explore the global workplace,” Dr Jaishankar said in a series of tweets.
Sweeping changes in passport delivery: faster, corruption free and closer to your location.
Ensuring safety and security of Indians abroad: Vande Bharat Mission during Covid, Operation Ganga in Ukraine, many more.
Supporting our citizens as they explore the global workplace.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 30, 2022
Among other achievements and milestones, the Minister wrote – “Expanded welfare fund for workers and the vulnerable. Greater work opportunities for Indian talent, professionals, workers and students. Supporting Indian investments and exports, creating employment at home.”
Expanded welfare fund for workers and the vulnerable.
Greater work opportunities, for Indian talent, professionals, workers and students.
Supporting Indian investments and exports, creating employment at home.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 30, 2022
Using the hashtag ‘8YearsofSeva’, he wrote in another missive that the MEA and the Modi government also ensured India’s “National Security through trusted relationships and international support” and were also able to project Indian culture and raise the national global standing.
Ensuring our National Security through trusted relationships and international support.
Projecting Indian culture and raising our global standing. #8YearsOfSeva
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 30, 2022
For the first time, the Modi government took charge on May 26, 2014. In 2019, after a landslide victory and enhanced mandate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for the second time on May 30, 2019.
Dr Jaishankar, a career diplomat and former foreign secretary, joined the Modi cabinet on May 30, 2019.
In the first five years, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj was the External Affairs Minister, and she had made a niche for herself for ‘Twitter Diplomacy’.
Dr Jaishankar has also made his mark by projecting both his ministry’s and the government’s points of view assertively.
Peter Lavoy, a former senior official in the Obama administration, said in 2019 – “My takeaway from Dr S Jaishankar is that India now has a firm grasp of its interests around the world and an assertive, self-confident and purposeful strategy to advance them.”
Dr Jaishankar has been vocal and assertive with clarity on key issues like the Kashmir situation and India’s positioning on major global issues, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and global handling on Covid related challenges.
“The reality is that the space yielded by the West has been filled by many players, not just China. Some like India can aspire to an improved position, others like Germany could increase the weight through collective endeavours….,” said the External Affairs Minister at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, in 2019.
The McKinsey Global Institute research showed that the ‘Frontier Asia and India’ – including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and India will play a new game-turning themselves collectively into a ‘new stage’ of globalisation.
“For years, observers have breathlessly discussed Asia’s future potential. The future has arrived. We have entered the Asian century,” remarked Jonathan Woetzel, a director of the McKinsey Global Institute.
In April 2022, Dr Jaishankar, when asked about India’s stand on the Russia-Ukraine war, he said: “When rules-based order was under challenge in Asia, the advice we got from Europe was; do more trade. At least we are not giving you that advice.”
He also stated that what happened in Afghanistan clearly stated what the rules-based order was.
“We have to find a way to return to diplomacy,” Dr Jaishankar had underlined, sharing PM Modi’s clear vision and a roadmap treading the path of democracy and diplomacy.
