India seen as reliable ‘Vishwa Bandhu’ infast-changing, conflict-ridden world: Murmu

STATE TIMES NEWS

NEW DELHI: Asserting that India is engaging the world with renewed vigour to find solutions to global challenges, including climate change or taking a principled stand against international terrorism, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said the country is seen as a reliable ‘Vishwa Bandhu’ in a fast-changing and conflict-ridden world.
Addressing officer trainees of the Indian Foreign Service (2023 batch), who had called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, she asked them to always be there for fellow Indians abroad.
“In my recent visits abroad, I have seen for myself, the immense goodwill generated by our development partnership projects, in the field of infrastructure, education, health and agriculture; particularly in countries of the Global South,” Murmu said.
There is also tremendous interest in Indian soft power, including films, Yoga, Ayurveda and Indian art, crafts, dance and music, she said.
“I have also sensed that our friends and partners abroad now have very high expectations from us, which we must deliver on. This is where your role becomes crucial. You must engage constructively with a wide range of stakeholders in your host country, including the business and scientific community, cultural representatives and the media,” the President said.
Equally importantly, “you have to carefully cultivate and promote the crucial role played by the vibrant Indian Diaspora”, she said. Murmu said, in her meetings with the Indian diaspora while travelling abroad, she has been impressed by their many achievements and their enthusiasm to connect and contribute to their motherland. “Please remember that in times of distress, the Indian Mission is a second home for Indian nationals abroad and you are their only hope,” the President said. Vande Bharat Mission (COVID), Operation Ganga (Ukraine), Operation Kaveri (Sudan) and Operation Ajay (Israel), where “our diplomats brought millions of Indians back home safely”, were exemplary efforts, she said.
“You must continue this proud tradition of always being there for our fellow Indians abroad,” Murmu said. She said the world today is in flux and in many places, “we have war-like situations, humanitarian crises and disorder, with new threats and non-conventional challenges”.
Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, and machine learning offer new tools for diplomacy and foreign policy, Murmu said.