Jammu 28 May (KNS): S. Jaishankar's statement in US reflects India's geopolitical maturity & axis in the changed global scenario of political and diplomatic priorities", said Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, senior BJP and KP leader and in Incharge, Deptt of political affairs and Feedback, J&K-BJP.
He in a statement issued to Kashmir news service (KNS), reacting on the meeting of the Minister External Affairs, Government of India, S. Jaishanker in New York, remarked that the assertion of the MEA is correspondent to the ground realities to dispel the notion that India was a soft-state and dependable on aid and support. The way the government has been fighting the hard challenge of the Covid19 pandemic scenario is a guiding light for the world to emulate.
"India has a population base of almost 90 countries of America and Europe, and keeping the pressure of the challenge into view, the government has set examples of its work, vision and finesse. Feeding 800 million people free of cost, giving free medical care, hospitalisation and compensation to the families of the frontline workers who lost their lives is a monumental history of the hour. In addition to this, the government's persistent policy in regard to 'Vaccine-Maitri' have paid rich dividends to India", added Chrungoo.
The world leaders and statesmen need to appreciate India's positive contribution towards fight, force, grit and challenge of the huge pandemic despite all unwanted happenings all around the world. India's profound policy of "Vasudhaiva-Kutumbakam" has made big advances on all sides of the international scenario in this context.
The External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that there is “a political effort” to depict the current government in India in a certain way and there is a difference between the political imagery that has been “concocted” and actually the governance records are out there.
During a conversation with former US National Security Advisor General HR McMaster in ‘Battlegrounds’ session on ‘India: Opportunities And Challenges For A Strategic Partnership’ presented by the Hoover Institution, Jaishankar on Wednesday also said that India is going through “a very stressful time” right now because of the pandemic.
“So I think when you come down to real governance judgments, you find that there is a difference between the political imagery that has been concocted and actually the governance record out there.
“So I think you should take it for what it is, which is really politics at play. You can agree with it, you can disagree with it but I would certainly see that very much as part of a political effort to depict our current government in a certain way and obviously I have a very profound difference with that,” the MEA added. “We Indians are extremely confident about our democracy… India is a deeply pluralistic society,” the minister said.
Chrungoo, the BJP leader added that the political answer given by the MEA was apt. In the past, there was a great reliance on what’s called vote-bank politics, which is appealing to vote banks on the basis of their identity, or their beliefs or whatever it is. And the fact that we have departed from it has obviously been a welcome situation that has overwhelming support in India.
He appreciated S. Jaishankar's bold view that “Now in our society, we define secularism as equal respect for all faiths. Secularism doesn’t mean that you are in denial of your own faith or anybody else’s faith for that matter. I think what you are seeing in India, in many ways, is the deepening of democracy if you would call it, a much broader representation in politics and in leadership positions and in civil society of people. Of people who are much more confident about their culture, about their language, about their beliefs.
Jaishankar, who arrived in New York Sunday and met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, travelled to Washington on Wednesday where he is expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It is the first visit by a senior Indian minister to the US after President Joe Biden assumed office in January this year.(KNS)