NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Noting that power relationships are constantly changing, President Pranab Mukherjee today said unless a country understands and addresses itself to changes taking place around it, its own security would be seriously endangered.
Addressing members of the 53rd batch of National Defence College, the President said global environment poses numerous challenges to world leaders and policy-makers because of its dynamic nature.
“Astonishing pace at which the events have unfolded in the recent past could not have been foreseen even a decade earlier,” Mukherjee said in his speech to the batch which comprises officials from Defence, IPS, IAS and members from friendly foreign countries.
“Each country is guided in its actions by its national interests and objectives. The power relationships are constantly changing and unless a country understands and adjusts itself to the changes that are taking place around it, its own security will be seriously endangered,” he said.
The President said the success of any nation depends on how effectively it harnesses all the available resources at its disposal, foremost among these being the human resource.
“In a democratic system like ours, various organs of the State must understand the strengths and limitations of each other. Political leadership and senior civil services officers must be conversant with the capabilities and limitations of the Defence forces.
“Similarly, Armed Forces officers need to understand the limitations and constitutional framework under which political setup and civil services function. However, both of them should be aware of larger perspective of national security in order to take informed decision of vital importance,” he added.
The President listed the six studies being undertaken by this batch — Socio-Political Study, Economy, Science and Technology Study, International Security Environment, Global Issues and India’s Strategic Neighbourhood, India’s foreign policy and Strategies and Structures for National Security and said these will make officials more aware and well-informed individuals who can make well-reasoned decisions taking the country’s security perspectives into consideration.
Mukherjee also cited the quote of Kautilya who had said ‘an archer letting off an arrow may or may not kill a single man but a wise man using his intellect can kill even reaching unto the very womb.’
Even Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, while inaugurating the National Defence College in 1960, had articulated that ‘Defence is not an isolated subject. It is intimately connected with the economic, industrial and many other aspects in the country and is all encompassing.’
Therefore, the President said, the role of the armed forces has also expanded far beyond traditional military matters with the revolution in military affairs and globalisation.
“It is clear that future conflicts in the complex Defence and security environment will require a more integrated multi-state and multi-agency approach. Preparing military leaders, police officers and civil servants to deal with complex security environment of the future will necessarily have to be addressed in a holistic, integrated and comprehensive manner,” he said.
The President said security has many dimensions as it encompasses economic, energy, food, health, environmental and many other dimensions of security.
“Intensive research and quality analysis in all the fields and disciplines is thus a pre-requisite which calls for a holistic approach to studies across the vast spectrum of disciplines,” he said and called for a conscious effort to strengthen the underlying linkages and not divide them into watertight compartments.
While adopting such an approach will yield rich dividends, the President cautioned that at the same time, one must not lose sight of the larger picture and keep the primary objective of the research always in focus. (PTI)
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