New Delhi
15 August 2007
Two years ago, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, fresh from signing
the July 18, 2005 Joint Statement with the United States, held forth extensively on
India's foreign policy in his Independence Day address to the nation. He showcased
India's relations with the US, Russia and China, he spoke about the composite dialogue
with Pakistan, and he did not forget to mention the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.
Two years later, speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he dismissed the foreign
policy of his government in a few lines. Gone were the long paragraphs outlining the
government's vision. Also gone were the specifics.
Prime Minister Singh merely said: "India wants to have good relations with all the
countries of the world. Big and small. Countries of the East and the West, the North and
the South. Today, we enjoy good relations with all major powers and all developing
countries. We have emerged as a bridge between the many extremes of the world. Our
composite culture is living proof of the possibility of a confluence of civilisations."
He added: "India will always be a nation bridging the many global divides. India wants to
live in a neighbourhood of peace and prosperity. I assure all our neighbours that we in
India want peace and the best of relations with all of them. I sincerely believe that in the
prosperity and well-being of our neighbours lies the key to our own security and
progress."
Wednesday morning's speech was unlike any he has delivered since becoming Prime
Minister on May 22, 2004.
His Independence Day address last year was delivered in the aftermath of the July 7
train bombings in Mumbai. Predictably, he dwelled at some length on national security
and terrorism. He said that Pakistan must take concrete steps to prevent cross-border
terrorism. He focussed on other issues too, like India's relations with the US, China,
Japan, the European Union and Russia. South-East Asia, the Gulf and the Arab world,
and the continents of Africa and Latin America, came in for particular mention.
His 2005 speech was even more elaborate. He said: "My visit to the United States has
been a major step in promoting friendship with that country. By deepening our economic
and technological relations, we will be accelerating our own growth. Simultaneously, our
two democracies can work together to strengthen democracy in the world."
He added: "In my visit to the United States, we have managed to reduce some of the
constraints which have been hampering the growth of our nuclear energy programme
and in the next 10 years, in addition to the 1,50,000 MW of capacity being added in the
thermal and hydro sectors, another 40,000 MW could be generated through nuclear
energy."
The 2004 speech, which was his first as prime minister, had spelt out his foreign policy
priorities. He favoured a "purposive" bilateral dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all
outstanding issues. The only other country to find a mention in his speech was China.
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