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India would be a south western power, says Jaishankar
PTI Updated on October 03, 2019
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
With India emerging as a powerful nation on the global stage and experts and analysts probing which way it would tilt, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said the largest democracy would be a blend of the west and the developed world.
“There’s often the question asked whether India, these are not my words, would be an Eastern power or a Western power, meaning would it be democratic or would it not be democratic? I think by now in 70 years, at least that question is answered, he said. “But I would also suggest to you that it would be a southern power, that it would be a power with very strong bonding with the developed world, which would enjoy as it goes up in the international order, the degree of trust and confidence of other developing states,” he added.
“And that would be reflected in our own activities and commitments to those states,” he said in response to a question during his appearance at The Heritage Foundation. This bounding can be seen in India’s development assistant commitments and disaster relief responses, he said.
“You can see that in our Africa story, which is not written about very much. So I kind of think it would be a south western power. This to my mind would be sort of where is the world and where is India in its mindset at this time,” he said. In his remarks, the Minister said that nationalism is an “X factor” in international relations today and cautioned that it means different things to different people.
Economic progress
“Here is the difference, nationalism has a certain connotation in Europe, which is not necessarily positive, but I think in Asia, nationalism is seen very much as a sort of natural corollary to economic progress, almost like you’re independent, you progress, you are prosperous and nationalism comes with all of that, he said.
He observed that nationalism in the 19th century defeated multinational empires in different parts of the world and in the 20th century, it helped to overcome colonialism. “It then was actually probably the most successful mindset against communists. It has in different parts of the world countered faith based transnational, and loyalties, he said.
It is also interestingly dealt with narrower royalties than national ones. Certainly in our part of the world, it’s been very effective in dealing with regionalism and separatists,” he added. “And today actually, when it set up as a counterpoise to globalism, it is actually, shall I say, the Westphalian construct has actually proved extraordinarily durable or over a very long time, and clearly continues to do so, the minister said.
Contemporary international relation
If you have some exceptions today, I wouldn’t put them in any category -- I think India and China largely because these are civilisational states who have been dominant on the global stage and likely to assume that role more.” “You have today a lot of reactive nationalism, nationalism coming out of insecurity, out of privileges which may not be maintainable, he said, adding that you see a lot of that in Europe.
You have expressive nationalism, I mean very identity driven, which shaped each other a lot of that in the Middle East. Somewhere today, this fusion of economics, politics, culture, faith, identity, this is actually, I would argue one of the difficult issues for contemporary international relation to grapple with, he said. There is an Indian exceptionalism to this nationalism, he argued.
In a sense there is Indian exceptionalism on this issue, but actually on many other issues as well. On the one hand you have a more nationalist India, more nationalist in the sense that, not just that the people, vote a certain way or think a certain way or stronger sense of collectivism, he said. I actually have found empirically that issues which normally would have stayed with people like us, which would not have had a resonance in public, are today doing so.”
“There is much greater interest in India, what’s happening in the world? what are the interests of India? What are the standing of India? How successful or not successful you will be? he said. So, it’s really that connect between the street and policy-making has actually become very much a sharper. But exceptionalism, because while all of this is going, actually the appetite of India for foreign affairs has grown,” he said.
“That’s quite remarkable because it’s pretty much contrary to what you see in many other parts of the world, he added. It’s not unique, by the way, he noted.
India would be a south western power, says Jaishankar
PTI Updated on October 03, 2019
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
With India emerging as a powerful nation on the global stage and experts and analysts probing which way it would tilt, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said the largest democracy would be a blend of the west and the developed world.
“There’s often the question asked whether India, these are not my words, would be an Eastern power or a Western power, meaning would it be democratic or would it not be democratic? I think by now in 70 years, at least that question is answered, he said. “But I would also suggest to you that it would be a southern power, that it would be a power with very strong bonding with the developed world, which would enjoy as it goes up in the international order, the degree of trust and confidence of other developing states,” he added.
“And that would be reflected in our own activities and commitments to those states,” he said in response to a question during his appearance at The Heritage Foundation. This bounding can be seen in India’s development assistant commitments and disaster relief responses, he said.
“You can see that in our Africa story, which is not written about very much. So I kind of think it would be a south western power. This to my mind would be sort of where is the world and where is India in its mindset at this time,” he said. In his remarks, the Minister said that nationalism is an “X factor” in international relations today and cautioned that it means different things to different people.
Economic progress
“Here is the difference, nationalism has a certain connotation in Europe, which is not necessarily positive, but I think in Asia, nationalism is seen very much as a sort of natural corollary to economic progress, almost like you’re independent, you progress, you are prosperous and nationalism comes with all of that, he said.
He observed that nationalism in the 19th century defeated multinational empires in different parts of the world and in the 20th century, it helped to overcome colonialism. “It then was actually probably the most successful mindset against communists. It has in different parts of the world countered faith based transnational, and loyalties, he said.
It is also interestingly dealt with narrower royalties than national ones. Certainly in our part of the world, it’s been very effective in dealing with regionalism and separatists,” he added. “And today actually, when it set up as a counterpoise to globalism, it is actually, shall I say, the Westphalian construct has actually proved extraordinarily durable or over a very long time, and clearly continues to do so, the minister said.
Contemporary international relation
If you have some exceptions today, I wouldn’t put them in any category -- I think India and China largely because these are civilisational states who have been dominant on the global stage and likely to assume that role more.” “You have today a lot of reactive nationalism, nationalism coming out of insecurity, out of privileges which may not be maintainable, he said, adding that you see a lot of that in Europe.
You have expressive nationalism, I mean very identity driven, which shaped each other a lot of that in the Middle East. Somewhere today, this fusion of economics, politics, culture, faith, identity, this is actually, I would argue one of the difficult issues for contemporary international relation to grapple with, he said. There is an Indian exceptionalism to this nationalism, he argued.
In a sense there is Indian exceptionalism on this issue, but actually on many other issues as well. On the one hand you have a more nationalist India, more nationalist in the sense that, not just that the people, vote a certain way or think a certain way or stronger sense of collectivism, he said. I actually have found empirically that issues which normally would have stayed with people like us, which would not have had a resonance in public, are today doing so.”
“There is much greater interest in India, what’s happening in the world? what are the interests of India? What are the standing of India? How successful or not successful you will be? he said. So, it’s really that connect between the street and policy-making has actually become very much a sharper. But exceptionalism, because while all of this is going, actually the appetite of India for foreign affairs has grown,” he said.
“That’s quite remarkable because it’s pretty much contrary to what you see in many other parts of the world, he added. It’s not unique, by the way, he noted.
India would be a south western power, says Jaishankar
I’ve studied India for 30 years, when its foreign policy was largely hesitant, reactive and ineffectual. My takeaway from @DrSJaishankar 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. pic.twitter.com/iteEefyufr
— peter lavoy (@peter_lavoy) October 3, 2019
S Jaishankar: "not all nationalism is the same. Nationalism in Europe is fed by the fear that old privileges may not be viable in the future. Our nationalism is positive and dates back to the independence movement. We are also not turning away from the world. We are embracing it" https://t.co/zHgVuhsznH
— Jeff M. Smith (@Cold_Peace_) November 17, 2019
DER SPIEGEL: Many in the West see India as a counterweight to China...
— Jeff M. Smith (@Cold_Peace_) November 17, 2019
Jaishankar: I find the idea of being someone else's pawn in some "Great Game" terribly condescending. I certainly don't plan to play the counterweight to other people. I'm in it because of my own ambitions. https://t.co/9UiQ7lRdWt
Jaishankar: "We approach America as we approach many issues in international politics: with a high degree of realism. At the end of the day, President Trump is President Trump. We Indians are pragmatic people."
— Jeff M. Smith (@Cold_Peace_) November 17, 2019
Jaishankar: I think the world sees Pakistan for what it is. The country openly runs a terrorist industry.
— Jeff M. Smith (@Cold_Peace_) November 17, 2019
DER SPIEGEL: Which Islamabad would deny.
Jaishankar: Really? PM Imran Khan speaks openly about it. I must give him that. He acknowledges that he has a terrorism problem. https://t.co/9UiQ7lRdWt
Not a chance under the Gandhi family. Too many skeletons in the closet, they are easily blackmailed.
As always, Dr Ed Luttwak is a pleasure to hear for his sometimes radical views & a completely antithetical position he takes to Kissinger's doctrine on China - the prevailing view in Washington up until Trump rocked the boat followed by how the Wuhan virus forever altered those views.
Here's the recording of the session related to my new book @JaipurLitFest 2023. Begins with a rather kind introduction by @ShashiTharoor followed by an excellent discussion with @EswarSPrasadhttps://t.co/vsvxDiD34Q
— Saurav Jha (@SJha1618) March 7, 2023
As always S Jaishankar is a delight to listen to . The clarity with which he formulates his responses is perhaps a reflection of the skills he brings to policy framing & execution - nuanced & balanced , carefully avoiding the pitfalls while taking the necessary risks to maximize our benefits without antagonising anybody yet getting his PoV across . A good example of speaking softly but carrying a long stick & possessing a longer memory.
