“Is nationalism the new normal and can India make a difference by being different?'' asked foreign secretary S. Jaishankar as he delivered his address at Raisina Dialogue on Wednesday.
Jaishankar noted that after decades of American internationalism, the world was face to face with its nationalism. Russia and Europe have become less international in outlook and emerging powers show little inclination towards internationalism except India.
He elaborated upon India's outreach in its immediate neighbourhood (for development and relief) as well as the larger world, playing a larger role in consensus building on climate change or sustainable development goals.
The foreign secretary pointed out that there was a marked difference in the western and eastern hemispheres as the world entered 2017. While the US is ready for change, US-Russian ties are on the brink of a transformation and Europe is reconfiguring itself after domestic challenges. In Asia, the picture is rosier; the economic outlook is more positive.
So, while in the west, voices of globalisation and interdependence are becoming muted, from the Asian perspective, it is less a world in disarray than one in a flux. Globalisation has not stopped – indeed cannot stop, just because someone somewhere has called “time out''.
“We understand that there is a global stock taking going on and must approach it with empathy rather than anxiety,'' he said.