Chennai: Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Friday said India’s foreign policy should be built on the foundation of our culture, tradition, strength, economy, trade, strategy and security.
Delivering the Nani Palkhivala memorial lecture here on “India and the World”, Modi stressed that the foreign policy should be drawn up with inputs from states and wondered why not give each Indian state one foreign country to develop better relationship with.
He said India’s freedom struggle was not just about getting independence from British rule but a global anti-colonial movement and these principles should shape up our foreign policy.
According to Modi, the other aspects of India’s foreign policy should be based on security and strategy which Atal Bihari Vajpayee showed when he was the prime minister.
Recalling the nuclear tests carried out by India during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime under Vajpayee, Modi said these were followed by international economic sanctions.
Vajpayee’s political will enabled the country carry out another test two days later showing the way of “shanti” (peace) and “shakti” (power), Modi said.
“It shows the leadership quality, political will and the commitment to security. Atalji even convinced Japan which is very sensitive when it comes to nuclear explosions,” Modi added.
According to him, Vajpayee could do that because he had the nation’s confidence and the people’s trust.
Despite the sanctions, the economy or the rupee did not suffer.
“Today, rupee is in ICU (intensive care unit). I do not know why Tamil people sent people like him to Delhi,” Modi obliquely referred to Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, without naming him.
Referring to the terror attacks that India suffered, Modi said Vajpayee made terrorism a global issue and the world was divided into two – countries that were anti-terrorism and nations that supported terrorism.
“Terrorism divides while tourism unites people,” Modi said to audience applause.
According to Modi, the country should focus on growing the tourism sector as India is nowhere in the $3-trillion global tourism market.
Coming down heavily on the United Progressive Alliance’s foreign policy, Modi said the government is satisfied with issuing press notes even when China carries out incursions into the country and Pakistan beheads Indian soldiers. (IANS)