Holds bilateral meets with counterparts in Munich
Munich: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took a dig at the Western countries for treating democracy as a “Western characteristic”, accusing them of not practising abroad what they valued at home.
Jaishankar made these remarks on Friday at a panel discussion titled ‘Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience’ at the Munich Security Conference.
He also said that “if you do want democracy eventually to prevail, it’s important the West also embraces successful models (democracy) outside the West.”
“There was a time – I have to say this in all honesty – when the West treated democracy as a Western characteristic and was busy encouraging non-democratic forces in the Global South. It still does. Everything you value at home, you don’t practise abroad.”
“So, I do think the rest of the Global South will view the successes, shortcomings and the responses of other countries,” he said.
He also said India, for “all the challenges that we have had, even at a low income, we have stayed true to the democratic model, which is almost if you look at our part of the world. We are pretty much the only country that has done that.”
“So I think it’s something the West should look at, because if you do want democracy eventually to prevail, it’s important the West also embraces successful models outside the West,” he said at the conference.
“Started the #MSC2025 with a panel on ‘Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience’. Joined PM @jonasgahrstore, @ElissaSlotkin and @trzaskowski_. Highlighted India as a democracy that delivers. Differed with the prevailing political pessimism. Spoke my mind on foreign interference,” he posted on X.
Apart from Jaishankar, the panel comprised Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, US Senator Elissa Slotkin and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowsk.
On Saturday, Jaishankar met his counterparts from Austria, Romania, Denmark, Mongolia, Argentina and discussed cooperation in trade, mobility and challenges in security architecture.
Jaishankar also met the Norwegian Finance Minister on the margins of the Munich Security Conference 2025 here.
‘Democratic India able to feed 800 million’
Munich: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar challenged an American senator who said that democracy “doesn’t put food on the table” telling her that in India it does.
Jaishankar was apparently referring to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) at a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference, where he countered US Senator Elissa Slotkin.
“Senator, you said that democracy doesn’t put food on your table. Actually… in my part of the world, it does. Today, since we are a democratic society, we give nutrition support, and food to 800 million people,” Jaishankar said.
“That is a matter of how healthy they are and how full their stomachs are. So, the point I want to make is that different parts of the world are going through different conversations.
Please do not assume that this is a kind of universal phenomenon, it is not,” he said.
“There are parts where it is working well. Maybe there are parts where it’s not,” he said. “I think people need to have honest conversations about why it’s not.”
“But I would argue that to an extent, as someone dispassionately viewing it, a lot of it is an accumulated problem of the model of globalisation that we have followed for the last 25-30 years. I think a lot of chickens have come home to roost.”
“So, yes there are issues, but from our point of view, let’s not make that universal,” the External Affairs Minister added at the discussion.
The central government has been providing food grains free of cost under the PMGKAY since January 1, 2023 to two types of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and then extended it for five years from January 1, 2024.
Government data as of December 2024 shows 806.7 million people receive free food grains in two categories: 35 kg per Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households per month and 5 kg food grain per person per month in case of Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries.
