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New Delhi, India
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday (Dec 22) that India can never allow others to veto its choices and would do everything right in its national interest and for the global welfare.
EAM Jaishankar further emphasised that independence could never be confused with neutrality.
"Independence should never be confused with neutrality. We will do whatever is right in our national interest and for the global good without being intimidated to conform. Bharat can never permit others to have a veto on its choices," he said in a video message for a function in Mumbai.
He further said that India had been "schooled too long to visualise progress and modernity as a rejection of our heritage and traditions."
He emphasised the need for India to embrace its traditions while progressing and believed that India's growing global presence has significant implications and that the world can learn from India's heritage.
Jaishankar further reiterated the importance of balancing tradition and technology in a globalised world.
"Bharat will inevitably progress, but it must do so without losing its Bharatiyata (Indianness). Only then can we truly emerge as a leading power in a multipolar world," he added.
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The minister stressed the need for having an impact at the societal level. "To that it is essential that we ourselves, the younger generation, are fully aware of the value and significance of our heritage. This can be articulated at various levels, but most importantly, it should have an impact at the societal level," he said.
He noted that in the last decade, India had shown everyone that it had the capabilities, confidence, and commitment to advance development across the board.
"It has shown that the age-old problems of poverty, discrimination, and lack of opportunities can indeed be addressed. On the global stage, it has established itself as an independent power, but one committed to global good, especially the well-being of the global south," he added.
(With inputs from agencies)