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Round The World
New Delhi, 19 August
2022
PM’s I-Day Speech
MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
By Dr. D.K. Giri
(Prof. International
Relations, JIMMC)
As usual, in his ninth
address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a powerful speech on
the 76th Independence Day. As a student of international
politics, I was scanning the text, as reported in the media, to see if there
was any allusion to India and the world or any development in international
politics. To my surprise, there was nothing in particular that drew my
attention except his commendatory reference to the Commonwealth Games.
The Prime Minister
urged the people to support sports while praising India's ‘stellar’ performance
in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games 2022. He said, “Our stellar
performances at international sporting events are an example of India's shining
talent. We need to promote and support such talent.”
Acknowledging the
accomplishment in the Commonwealth Games was right in order as sports adds to
commitment, discipline and unity among the sportsmen, which can be, by
extension to the wider society, a contribution to nation building. Not only our
sportspersons, those who organise the sports events also deserve to be
commended. In the recently-concluded world Chess championship held in Tamil
Nadu, India got worldwide appreciation for her warmth and hospitality. The
Indian maxim, Atithi Devo Bhavo(a guest is akin to God)was evident
in practice. Seventeen hundred and thirty seven chess players from 186
countries participated.
India is becoming a
hub of world events in sports. Odisha hosted the world hockey tournament in
2018. World championship in quite a few games will be hosted in India in coming
years. That is a good sign if we learn a few principles from sports in our
public life. While there is a demand in some corners for conscription in the
army in order to prepare the youth for nation building, encouraging them into
games is a similar practice. Using the cricket terminology, ‘team India’, Modi
called upon the collective spirit of 130 crore of “Team India”, to
take the country forward and ensure that it is a developed nation in the next
25 years.
Back to the
Independence Day speech of the Prime Minister, the omission of mention of India
beyond the boundaries defies understanding of PMO’s thinking as India is said
to be aspiring to be a Vishwa Guru (world leader). That said,
whatever Modi said about our country and to the citizens could apply to any
country in the world. On women, he urged the nation to take a pledge. “It's
important that in speech and conduct, we do nothing that lowers the dignity of
women”. Underlining the importance of native language, the Prime Minister
reminded the nation that, “Sometimes our talent is restricted by language
barriers. This is an example of Imperialism. When we are connected to our
roots, then only can we fly high; and when we fly high, we will provide
solutions to the entire world”.
Modi highlighted the
importance of green jobs which sustain the environment.He said there are
multiple employment opportunities which can be opened with the creation of
Green Jobs. He enlarged the national slogan given by Lal Bahadur
Shastri and later improved by Atal Behari Vajpayee, “Jai Jawan, Jai
Kisaan, Jai Vigyaan, Jai Anusandhan”. The last but one was added by
Vajpayee and the last one was by Prime Minister Modi which emphasises the quest
for new things - research and innovation.
The country is fast
going the digital way. The Prime Minister made the country aware of the digital
revolution silently underway. He said, “today, we are seeing the Digital India
initiative, start-ups grow in the country, and a lot of talent is coming from Tier
2 & 3 cities. We have to believe in our abilities.’ He added, “techade’ is
here as the government is focusing on technologies such as 5G, semiconductor
manufacturing and optical fibre cables. These technologies, Modi said, will
bring about a revolution at the grassroots level.
Once again, true to
his innovative style, Modi enunciated the five principles which the citizens
should embrace in building the country. Before we engage with these principles,
one is reminded of Panchsheel – five principles which constituted the
foundation for India-China relationship. It is worth remembering that those
principles enshrined in the Panchsheel Agreement became a part of similar other
multilateral agreements for world politics. The five principles were: mutual
respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression,
mutual non-interference in internal affairs, equality and co-operation for
mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.
In 1955, the Bandung
Conference of 29 Afro-Asian countries reflected, or rather incorporated the
five principles of Panchsheel. The result of the 1955 Asian-African Conference
was known as the Ten Principles of Bandung, a political statement containing
the basic principles in the efforts to promote peace and cooperation in the
world.
The following were the
Ten Principles of Bandung: Respect for fundamental human rights and for the
purposes and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations; Respect for
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations; Recognition of the
equality of all races and of the equality ofall nations large and small;
Abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another
country; Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself singly
orcollectively, in conformity with the Charter of the United
Nations; Abstention from the use of arrangements of collective
defence to serve the particular interests of any of the big powers, abstention
by any country from exerting pressures on other countries; Refraining from acts
or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity
or political independence of any country; Settlement of all international
disputes by peaceful means, such as negotiation, conciliation, arbitration or
judicial settlement as well as other peaceful means of the parties' own choice,
in conformity with the Charter of the UN; Promotion of mutual interests and
cooperation, and Respect for justice and international obligation.
The universal
relevance of Panchsheel was also taken into consideration when its principles
were incorporated in a resolution on peaceful coexistence presented by India,
Yugoslavia & Sweden, and adopted on December 11, 1957, by the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The Resolution was, Recommendations Concerning
International Respect for the Right of Peoples and Nations to
Self-Determination (1957) UNGA 129; A/RES/1188 (XII) (11 December 1957).
Sadly, the spirit of
Panchsheel that manifested in a few international resolutions is missing these
days. International politics is increasingly being dominated by the concept of
national interest defined in their respective ways by big powers. That should
change. It should return to rule-based order and tointernational transactions
based on shared principles.
Interestingly, the
Prime Minister Modi came up with Panchpran (five
determinations) that the citizens should make. These determinations listed are;
first, to move forward with bigger resolves and resolve of developed India;
second, erase all traces of servitude; third, be proud of our legacy; fourth,
strength of unity and fifth, duties of citizens which includes the Prime
Minister and Chief Ministers. Modi asked, “In coming years, we’ve to focus on
the foregoing five determinations which he called 'Panchpran'. Let
us take that pledge.” Shall we? ---INFA
(Copyright, India News
& Feature Alliance)
17 August 2022
New Delhi
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