NEW DELHI: India desires good relations with the whole world but will make no compromise on its foreign and security policies when it comes to the security of the country’s borders and its citizens, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Monday.
While India has emerged as a provider of solutions to the world in areas such as environment and digital infrastructure, all countries will have to come together on a common platform to tackle terrorism and its financing, Shah said at an event to mark the release of the Foreign Policy Survey 2023 by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
“There is no gap between foreign policy and security policy. We want good relations with the whole world, but we also want respect for our borders and the security of our nationals,” Shah said, speaking in Hindi.
“If there is a question of a choice between these two, our priority is our borders and the security of our citizens. But we also want friendship with the world, there is no confusion or contradiction in this.”
Shah contended that there was no policy for internal and external security till 2014, and the BJP-led government created infrastructure to strengthen internal and external security in the past 10 years.
“Security policy was buried under the weight of India’s foreign policy. Now our foreign policy is clear – we want friendship with the whole world and we will make no compromise on the security of our borders, our country and our citizens,” he said.
ORF’s Foreign Policy Survey 2023, with the theme of “Young India and the multilateral world order”, said 83% of the country’s urban youth supported the government’s foreign policy. Respondents were satisfied with India’s relations with global powers, except for China, and 81% of respondents rated the relationship with the US as the most positive.
The urban youth said the US (81%), Russia (77%), Australia (77%) and Japan (76%) are likely to be India’s leading partners in the coming decade. Eighty percent of respondents said the 2020 Galwan clash severely reduced trust in China, while 84% believe border conflicts with China are a significant challenge.
Asked about India’s position if US-China tensions were to escalate, 44% said the country should adopt a neutral stance while an equal percentage advocated for cooperation with the US.
Shah said the endorsement for India’s foreign policy was due to several factors, including the country’s ability to bring together a divided G20 at the bloc’s summit in New Delhi last September to adopt a unanimous leaders’ declaration and its handling of the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He asserted that the BJP is set for a third consecutive term in power following this year’s general election because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in key areas such as counter-terrorism, climate change and renewable energy. India has achieved political stability, corruption-free governance, public welfare, an investor-friendly agenda and a peaceful environment under Modi’s leadership, he said.
Shah highlighted the government’s success in tackling three security-related “hotspots” – the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeastern states and left-wing extremism – and said terrorism had been at a peak due to the “wrong policies” of the previous UPA government. In this context, he said the total incidents of violence declined by 62% from 33,000 during 2004-14 to 12,666 during 2014-23. A total of 11,900 civilians and security personnel were killed in the past decade while the number for this decade is 3,276, he added.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
