PTI
Pune
Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar, on Saturday, said the global political situation was like “coalition politics” with constantly shifting alignments, and India should focus on its own interests while remaining nimble.
Despite the debate about immigration in places such as Europe, Indian workers are in demand outside the country, the minister stated while interacting with Yuvraj Malik, director of the National Book Trust, on `Diplomacy to Discourse’ at the Pune Literature Festival.
“In our country, there was an era of coalition politics. The world today is like coalition politics. There is no majority of anyone. No coalition enjoys a majority. So what is happening is that constantly combinations are formed, deals are struck, somebody is up, somebody is down. This is completely a multipolar world where there are multiple partners,” said Jaishankar.
His mantra for dealing with this fluid situation was to choose what serves India’s interests, he said.
“….We have to be very nimble. Sometimes, you are with someone with one issue and with another on another issue. All the while I have one principle — what is helping my country. Whatever helps my country, that would be my choice,” the minister said.
The literature festival has been organised on the sidelines of the ongoing Pune Book Festival.
Asked about an excerpt from one of his books where he talks about India’s relations with major powers, Jaishankar said managing the country’s foreign policy has become far more complex over the past five years.
“While I was writing, I was thinking about the choice of words to describe India’s overall foreign policy in one sentence,” he said, adding that engaging the US, managing China, and reassuring Russia have all become more complicated in the current environment.
“Reassuring Russia” has been particularly challenging due to the Ukraine war and pressure on India to distance itself from Moscow, he noted.
“Bringing Japan into play has also become more complicated. They move at their own pace and we are trying to make them move faster,” he said, while adding that Europe has emerged as an important partner for India and requires greater engagement.
On India’s neighbourhood, he said New Delhi’s relations with its neighbours are shaped by asymmetry and fluctuating domestic politics in those countries.
“Our neighbours are smaller than us and are closely linked to India. Their internal politics go up and down. Sometimes they praise us, sometimes they criticise us. In such a scenario, the challenge is how to keep these relationships as steady as possible,” he said.
Citing examples, Jaishankar said India responded immediately to a recent cyclone in Sri Lanka and was the first responder.
“During Covid, ask our neighbours where they got vaccines from – it was India. When supplies of petrol and fertilisers were disrupted during the Ukraine war, India stepped in,” he said.
India must act like the head of a family, the external affairs minister said.
“One or two members may get upset, but it is our responsibility to look after the neighbourhood,” he added.
Asked during the question-answer segment about how India reacts to different situations at the global level, Jaishankar jokingly said that he would rephrase the question as “when do you shut your mouth, and when do you open”.
“It actually depends on the situation. Today in the multi-polar world, if you don’t speak, the world will suppress you. They think that by pushing you, you will be defensive, marginalised, so it is important to raise your voice,” he said.
Asked about the supposed `brain-drain’ because of young Indian professionals opting to work in foreign countries after completing education, Jaishankar said he had also seen people “who go out for two years or three years or five years, but come back and set up businesses here.”
“The biggest shipping line in the world has a major workforce from India,” he said, adding that there is a demand for Indian talent.
“During the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, during the agreement, he was keen to get Indians to come and work in Russia,” he said.
“Even though there is an immigration debate in Europe, the Indians are regarded well. Indians are perceived as family people, hardworking. They are known as tech people. Today there is a global brand of India. The youth should look at the world as a global workplace,” he said.
