The Land Of Hope And Promise
   Date :17-Sep-2022

Land Of Hope 
 
 
 
Dr. S. Jaishankar,
 
Minister of External Affairs, in an address to the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
THE statement of Dr. Subramanian Jaishankar is heavier than the weight of its words. For, it paints the picture of India as a land of optimism and positivism. It presents India as a place where the overall dismal picture of the world changes into one of bright colours of hope and energy.
The most important aspect of Dr. Jaishankar’s personality is that nobody takes him as a politician of the regular mode. Even as he handles the all-important portfolio of Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Jaishankar appears as an intellectual stalwart above normal politics. That is the reason why each of his words to the students at the IIM-Ahmedabad was taken seriously not just in the institute but also elsewhere.
Of course, in his address, Dr. Jaishankar did share with the audience most statistical details of the Government’s awesome achievements during the last 7-8 years., Yet, his was not a public relations address. His was an effort to paint before the young audience the picture of the country where iconic achievements were made possible when other countries kept tottering under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic Despite that, Dr. Jaishankar did not want to stay trapped in statistics; he took the young audience on a tour of hope and high spirit. His idea was to make the young people know what their country was capable of achieving. In that task, he succeeded.
Dr. Jaishankar’s assertion that he returns to India whenever he want to feel optimistic, therefore, has a special significance. Elsewhere in the world, he sees signs of despair. For a man steeped in the philosophy of Vasudheiva Kutumbakam, each of the despairing experiences must be hurting deep within. In such moments, Dr. Jaishankar chooses to return home -- to get re-energised, and go back on his tours around the world as a top diplomat.
In his Ahmedabad address, Dr. Jaishankar did refer indirectly to some of the noisy debates in the country. But he was quick enough to underline that such debates are often an integral part of democratic process. In his latest book The India Way, Dr. Jaishankar describes this process as democratic conversation -- among different groups. In the book, or in his addresses anywhere, Dr. Jaishankar appears to appreciate that at times, even cantankerous debates serve a purpose in democracy.
This cool consideration, this composure, is the speciality of all thoroughbred democrats anywhere -- and Dr. Jaishankar belongs to that class. Standing on that spiritual platform, Dr. Jaishankar paints the picture of India as a land of positive thought and action. He talks of one hundred unicorns in the start-up eco-system. He talks of 40 crore Jan Dhan accounts. He talks of Ujjwala Yojana. He talks of 2 billion-plus vaccinations. And he compares all these with what the world could not do. He talks of how India has become a pharmacy for the world. In the process, he tells the people in the audience to believe that they belong to a country of unparalleled achievements. The atmosphere in the auditorium gets charged with pride for the country as a land of hope and energy.
Of course, India is a land full of those -- which some of us may not realise. Dr. Jaishankar’s address is precisely for such people. Though he was addressing the young audience at the country’s premier B-school, Dr. Jaishankar was utilising that platform to spread the message of hope in the larger Indian society. For he knows that when he speaks, the country (and possibly the world) listens. This quiet confidence is Dr. Jaishankar’s main tool.
When one takes off one’s political glasses and looks at what is happening in the country, then one arrives at a conclusion that India is not just a land of hope but also a land of promise. Let alone what political opposition may have to say, factually, India’s achievements in the past 7-8 years are astounding on most fronts. Of course, the situation needs to be described as ‘work in progress,’ since a lot of distance is yet to be travelled. No matter that, it is obvious that whatever India has achieved is of phenomenal proportions by any definition.
It is true that the Opposition cacophony sometimes obliterates the clear and unbiased view of the situation. But despite that, bright signs of hope and promise also emerge. The common man is aware of all those signs -- good, bad, and indifferent. Fortunately, Indian democracy is so mature that the people can make a clear distinction between the right and the wrong. That reflects itself well in the electoral outcome -- giving us the reason to celebrate.
Dr. Jaishankar proposed to say exactly this -- and did that with characteristic aplomb. That he represents India as Foreign Minister and diplomat, is only one part of the story. The other part is that he is India’s ambassador at large.