The Raksha Anirveda team wishes all its readers a vibrant new year 2021 – one that brings robust growth through innovative ideas and successful endeavours.
The terrible and mind-boggling experience of the past year is behind us now. It brought an end to many things and gave rise to some unimaginable innovations. The year 2021 is special for us as it marks the third anniversary of our magazine at the start of the third decade of the 21st century. And for India, it’s another opportunity to let go off its balancing act for now and change its track, be attentive and alert, initiate permanent corrective measures taking note of the imbalances and myriad challenges, and reverse the course of its perilous economic downslide.
The geopolitical world has witnessed tectonic shifts. The intensified power tussle between the US and China has proven that the current world order is still a bipolar one. For India to emerge as a real global power in the ever-changing, complex world order, the path ahead will be a tightrope walk. It will have to overcome the multifaceted challenges it faces now. Moreover, how India counters its security and non-security threats this decade, including a looming two-front war with China and Pakistan, will decide its fate as a real global power.
With changing times, democracies around the world are experiencing multiple fissures. The absence of consensual decision-making is taking its toll as nations find it difficult to align national interests with their global ambitions.
Historically speaking, India’s priorities have always been safety and survival while being in a comfort zone. Moreover, the inability of the current Indian leadership to listen to other viewpoints and surrounding itself with people who eventually don’t speak out has resulted in a blurred understanding of the real challenges. This has to change now considering the multiple threats to its sovereignty. India has to shed its cocoon and rise to the occasion through good governance and economic development.
One hopes the country will make practical and realistic efforts to ensure steady economic progress that empowers it to face the ever-growing challenges from the Sino-Pak nexus. Similarly, a recalibrated and innovative approach in foreign policy is required to counter China’s sinister manoeuvring in the sub continental neighbourhood. India has to refocus and think long term to overcome the biggest fallacy of its planning – the belief and assumption of its planners that the outcome will follow their plan. In reality, a plan is just a best-case scenario. The real game-changer will be an economic policy that embeds defence as a key growth driver; a financial planning where the allocations are realistic for a cohesive, well-integrated national security requirement. Also, it goes without saying that a well-defined national security policy will be a force-multiplier for India’s power projection globally.
We have put in sincere efforts to make the Aero India 2021 edition a special one for our readers. Hope you will find it interesting, insightful and worthwhile. Just don’t forget to share your feedback with us.
Jai Hind!!.
