The daily lives of Indians are increasingly being influenced by developments abroad, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in a speech at the St Stephens College in the University of Delhi. Delivering the MRF Distinguished Alumni Annual Lecture on Thursday, he highlighted the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine and said the foreign policy of India was aimed at serving the people.
“Think for a moment as an Indian student who happened to be in Ukraine on February 24 this year. Concerned about your educational prospects and you found yourself in the middle of a serious conflict and it’s not just you but also 20,000 fellow nationals and millions of Ukrainians who are trying to get out of the country; and in the highly impacted cities there are physical dangers. This is when you look for support from your government and extrication and indeed this is when the entire foreign policy apparatus that swings into action,” said Mr. Jaishankar, elaborating on the way the Indian leadership reached out to the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine.
The Minister said people should be alert to external developments as they mattered at home. “Foreign policy matters not just in distress situations. It could determine your security and your job, the quality of your life and as we discovered recently, even your health. It shapes what you hold dear like pride, values, your reputation and image,” said Mr. Jaishankar.
