BENGALURU: RSS national executive member Ram Madhav opined that India should build a strong economy first and have a strategic outlook to play a key role in the changing world order.
Speaking during an online discussion on ‘India’s Role In the Emerging World Order - Challenges & Opportunities’ organised by Samvada World on Sunday, Madhav said India has a role to play in the shifting world order but 2-3 significant handicaps are plaguing it. He said India had played a very limited role during the making of the previous world order and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to play a big role. Though he brought some countries together, the alliance had no agenda, which form the basis of any alliance, and hence it failed, he said.
“We should have strategic thinking and strategic outlook. You can not keep pumping money to Afghanistan without thinking the Taliban may be back and then cry billions of our investment is gone. India should build a strong economy. It is in a pitiable condition today and we just give rosy numbers. In no way we can invest heavily in the military. We need to have long-term plans,” he opined, adding that India should give importance to ASEAN countries.
Prof Madhav Das Nalapat, Director, Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, said technology companies are decoupling from China as they (Chinese) are capable of stealing the technology and beating them. “Like China took advantage of the Cold War between the US and the USSR, India should take advantage of the Cold War between China and the US,” he said. The book “The New World Order: Shifting Paradigms - Changing Narratives” edited by Prashanth Vaidyaraj was released.