National security is extremely important for the welfare of the people and the growth of the country and should not be used for personal aggrandisement or for gaining political mileage, said speakers at a roundtable on, “The foreign policies of the NDA government” organised by the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) at the Andhra Ratna Bhavan here on Tuesday.
Former Union Defence Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, presiding over the conference, said that it is not wise to brag about military operations as there was every danger of the rift between two countries that were in the midst of a conflict, growing.
The way the surgical strike was being highlighted now was not done in the past. Mr. Pallam Raju recalled how former Defence Minister A.K. Antony refused to politicise military operations even when questions were raised in Parliament.
Pak. duplicity
He recalled how Pakistan had been always charging India with “interfering” in the affairs of Baluchistan where a section of people were fighting for independence. India had always been denying the charges.
But Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, declared that India was a friend of Baluchistan. Such things showed the country in a poor light, he said.
Some times there was a need to be “covert” and some times “overt,” Mr. Pallam Raju said and added that Pakistan showed duplicity when it came to the boundary question.
It was not ready to accept the McMahon line saying it was drawn by the British, but it was acceptable to other lines drawn by the British displaying a “duplicity.”
Therefore, a lot of maturity was needed to deal with such issues, Mr. Pallam Raju said.
PCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy said never in the history of the country were such heavy casualties, both military and civilian witnessed. This was because of the faulty foreign policies of the NDA government.
Though different parties were at the helm of affairs, the foreign polices have been uniform, but with the NDA government the entire “system was being disturbed.” The number of enemies the country had was growing steadily, he said.
Earlier, Mr. Pallam Raju and Mr. Raghuveera Reddy took the opinions of the local intelligentsia on what aspects should be given priority while framing foreign policy.
