Jaishankar was conferred the 27th SIES Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati National Eminence Award. The awards are given in four fields – Public Leadership, Community Leadership, Human endeavour, Science and Technology and Social Leadership – with primacy on spiritualism.
Asserting that New Delhi will do whatever is right in the national interest and for the global good, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that India can never permit others to have a veto on its choices. He said that India would pursue its national interest without being intimidated into conforming.
“Independence should never be confused with neutrality. We will do whatever is right in our national interest and for global good without being intimidated to conform. Bharat can never permit others to have a veto on its choices,” Jaishankar said. “For too long we were schooled to visualise progress and modernity as a rejection of our heritage and traditions,” he added.
“Bharat will inevitably progress but it must do so without losing its Bharatiyata. Only then can we truly emerge as a leading power in a multi-polar world,” the External Affairs Minister said, adding that in the age of globalisation, technology and tradition must march together.
Jaishankar said India is an exceptional nation because it is a civilisation state. Such a country will only exercise influence when it fully leverages its cultural strengths in the global arena, he said.