Amit Shah attributed the support for India’s foreign policy to various factors, including the nation’s skill in unifying a divided G20 during the bloc’s summit.
India aspires for amicable global relations but stands firm on its foreign and security policies, with no concessions on safeguarding the nation’s borders and its citizens, emphasized Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday.
Addressing an event marking the release of the Foreign Policy Survey 2023 by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Amit Shah highlighted India’s role as a global solutions provider in areas like the environment and digital infrastructure. He stressed the necessity for all nations to unite on a shared platform to combat terrorism and its financing.
Amit Shah emphasized the seamless integration of foreign and security policies, declaring in Hindi, “We seek positive relations globally, yet paramount importance lies in the respect for our borders and the security of our citizens. If faced with a choice, our priority is unequivocally our borders and citizens’ security. However, we also aspire for global friendship, devoid of any confusion or contradiction in our stance.”
Shah argued that before 2014, there was no distinct policy for internal and external security. Over the past decade, the BJP-led government has developed infrastructure to bolster both aspects.
“The security policy was overshadowed by India’s foreign policy. Now, our foreign policy is unequivocal – we seek friendship globally without compromising on the security of our borders, nation, and citizens,” he asserted.
The Observer Research Foundation’s (ORF) Foreign Policy Survey 2023, centered on “Young India and the multilateral world order,” revealed that 83% of urban youth in the country endorsed the government’s foreign policy. The respondents expressed contentment with India’s global relations, excluding China, with 81% rating the relationship with the US as the most positive.
The urban youth indicated that the US (81%), Russia (77%), Australia (77%), and Japan (76%) are poised to be India’s primary partners in the next decade. A significant 80% of respondents noted that the 2020 Galwan clash substantially diminished trust in China, with 84% identifying border conflicts with China as a major challenge.
Regarding India’s stance in the event of escalating US-China tensions, 44% favored a neutral position, while an equal percentage advocated for cooperation with the US.
Shah attributed the support for India’s foreign policy to various factors, including the nation’s success in unifying a divided G20 during the bloc’s summit in New Delhi last September, leading to the adoption of a unanimous leaders’ declaration. Additionally, he highlighted India’s effective management of the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He declared that the BJP is poised for a third consecutive term in power in this year’s general election, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in crucial domains like counter-terrorism, climate change, and renewable energy. Amit Shah highlighted the achievements of political stability, corruption-free governance, public welfare, an investor-friendly agenda, and a peaceful environment fostered under Modi’s leadership.
Shah underscored the government’s success in addressing three security-related “hotspots” – the situations in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeastern states, and left-wing extremism. He attributed the peak in terrorism to the “wrong policies” of the previous UPA government. In this context, he noted a 62% decline in total incidents of violence, from 33,000 during 2004-14 to 12,666 during 2014-23. Shah added that the past decade saw 11,900 casualties among civilians and security personnel, while the current decade recorded 3,276 such incidents.
