Image Source: TWITTER/@DRSJAISHANKAR.
The Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, on Saturday, recalled India’s ‘Strong and Firm’ stands against China’s attempts to alter the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020 and the subsequent incident in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector in December 2021.
In a way, he was talking about the significant position of India in the region, its geographic location and its relevance to the globe. However, he added that India’s importance to the globe depends on how best it uses its position.
“In India’s case, geography has added to the case made by the history of its relevance. The Indian peninsula has a visible centrality to the ocean named after it, and there is a continental dimension. Without our active participation, no trans-Asia connectivity initiative can take off. The Indian Ocean is poised to assume even greater geopolitical significance today. How well India leverages its location is a considerable part of its relevance to the world. The more it influences and participates, the more its global stocks will rise,” he said.
He said that India’s response to Chinese aggression and its geopolitical and strategic standpoint profoundly increased India’s position on the international stage.
The Indian foreign minister has criticized China several times for trying to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally. Since India’s independence in 1947, India and China have been linked to a tag of war on geopolitical issues such as border disputes, territorial differences and water across northern frontiers.
The world, according to Jaishankar, provides vast opportunities. However, these opportunities come with new challenges and responsibilities. “India is significant because it counts on both metrics, and these cannot be separated. Although India’s size and population are the two indicators of its potential, neither measure is sufficient in and of itself, Said Jaishankar.
