New Delhi: The 2024 edition of Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2024 brought together the country’s leading policymakers, scholars, and experts to examine the interplay between strategic partnerships and national security in today’s rapidly evolving global landscape.
Addressing the audience, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi highlighted the Indian Army’s significant contributions to nation-building.
General Dwivedi said Pakistan has found itself caught in a downward spiral after embracing terrorism as an instrument of State policy. “In the multiple lines of effort towards nation building, the linkages to ‘security’ remain a constant. We all have been witness to various manifestations that have brought up the relevance of this linkage – the post-Apartheid inclusive development of South Africa, the post genocide emergence of Rwanda – which today stands as a beacon of progress in Africa, the experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan – that highlight the implications of prolonged insecurity, or the collective security mechanism to enhance development – as fostered by the European Union and the downward spiral that
Pakistan has enveloped herself in, consequent to embracing terrorism as an instrument of State policy,” elaborated the Chief of Army Staff.
Looking back at ancient Indian history, General Dwivedi recounted how practitioners of statecraft had looked at the construct of nation-building. “Chanakya, in his ‘Saptanga Theory’, defines the seven limbs of a State as ‘Swami’ – the king, ‘Amatya’ – the ministers, ‘Janapada’ – the people and territory, ‘Durga’ – the fort or fortifications, ‘Kosha’ – the treasury, ‘Danda’ – the army or the force and ‘Mitra’ – the allies. Chanakya also highlighted the importance of inter-se relationships between these elements towards the existence, safety, welfare, growth and prosperity of the State,” he said during his address.
Today’s security challenges
While physical security from the hard power perspective may gain prominence,
the relevance of other components is no less, said General Dwivedi. “The recent [Covid-19] pandemic, which was a health security challenge, had a fallout on the economy the world over. The impact of rising sea levels – an environmental sustainability challenge, on many island nations in the coming years, can be well appreciated. On science and technological security, a fine example can be picked up from Israel, a nation which since its inception chose to view
its multifarious challenges as catalysts for innovation – and today stands with the
ownership of many core technologies. Many examples of Energy security’s significance also stand out – take Germany for example; its transition in a major way to renewable energy contributed profoundly to its economic growth, yet its part reliance on fossil fuels manifested as a restraining factor, consequent to the Russia – Ukraine war,” he explained.
Defence diplomacy
Underlining the growing importance of defence diplomacy, it can help further a nation’s interests with a new-found rigour. “Defence diplomacy too plays a key role. The mandate it encompasses, of furthering a nation’s interests across expanding strategic horizons, brings along with it increasing responsibilities, opportunities and expectations. From building bridges of trust to fostering partnerships – this line of effort can accrue strategic payoffs for a country towards achieving its envisioned place in the comity of nations,” he said.
Summing up, General Dwivedi invoked Swami Vivekanand. “I would like to quote Swami Vivekanand, who said: “Every nation has a message to deliver, a mission to fulfil, a destiny to reach.”
