The book ‘Why Bharat Matters’, written by Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, was discussed at a meeting organised jointly by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) and Visakhapatnam Public Library, here on Sunday evening.
Library secretary D.S. Varma welcomed the gathering and CPS president A. Prasanna Kumar presided the function. Senior advocate M. Ramdas initiated the discussion by referring to India’s strong and stable leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Secretary and correspondent of Dr. LB College G. Madhu Kumar narrated how the book can be classified into four conceptual compartments. First, the mechanism of making and implementing foreign policy, the practice of diplomacy, foreign policy and its relevance to the common man was brought out in detail by the author.
Secondly, the history of post-Independence Indian foreign policy affairs is traced with the paths followed by the successive government, and particularly that of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It is contended that there are fundamental flaws in the Nehruvian policy, particularly with regard to India’s relations with Pakistan, China and the United States, and handling of the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
The third was that there is a civilisational background to the practice of statecraft and diplomacy, where ‘The Ramayana’ finds mention and the fourth and final is that the author makes a political statement that the successive governments, particularly that of Nehru, had disadvantaged India’s international interests and the present government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, is successfully building the necessary strengths to make the nation matter to the world, using the civilisational heritage of Bharat.
The reviewer concluded that while the author’s well-presented arguments regarding building strengths in the areas of economy, defence, technology and human resources are probably acceptable to all, many would disagree with his assessment of Nehru.
