S Jaishankar said that a country cannot be a great power in the world without manufacturing.
Geneva:
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, addressing the Indian diaspora in Geneva, said that life is not “khata-khat“(easy job), it requires a lot of work.” The use of the phrase was also a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had claimed that the Congress would solve the “Khata Khat” problems if it came to power.
Speaking about the human resources needed to build infrastructure, he said that people who have worked understand the importance of hard work and diligence.
“Until we develop the human resources, it requires hard work, until we build the infrastructure, until we have those policies. So life is not easy.” 'khata-khat“Life is hard work. Life is diligence. Anyone who has ever had a job and worked hard at it knows that. So that's my message to you: we have to work hard,” he said.
Mr. Jaishankar said that a country cannot be a great power in the world without manufacturing.
“There are people who say that we are not capable of doing it, that we should not even try. So now ask yourself: is it possible to be a great world power without manufacturing? Because a great power needs technology. No one can develop technology without developing manufacturing,” he said.
#LOOK In his interaction with the Indian community in Geneva, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, “…Until infrastructure and human resources are built and such policies are put in place, work is hard. Life is not 'khata-khat', life is hard work and diligence…”
(Video source: Ministry of… image.twitter.com/Bdcv76dNgJ
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2024
Mr. Jaishankar said that in terms of human resources, India has achieved a lot and the intention today is to improve it further.
“In terms of human resources… it is important to look back at the achievements. So I can tell you that the intention today is really to accelerate the process, to increase it, to keep telling ourselves that what we have done is just the beginning. I mean that we have no intention of resting at whatever levels,” he said.
Mr Jaishankar said that apart from the professional conversation, world leaders are interested in what is happening in India.
“When I travel around the world – and you'll notice I do this quite a bit – [chuckles]”Most of my counterparts, most presidents and prime ministers, they meet. Yes, we deal with foreign policy, but that is the professional part. But they are enormously interested, actually, in what is happening in India,” he said.
“Sometimes the conversation, even the words, are very similar. The leader of a very important Arab country told me, 'We have a food distribution system, and Mr. Minister, you don't know how much leakage we have. ' He was very interested in knowing how we manage food aid today, when today 830 million people are being covered. How do we manage that with much less leakage than in the past? People today who ask, 'How have you improved income tax collection? ' are asking because every president and prime minister is interested in increasing their income,” Jaishankar added, speaking about food aid in India.
Mr Jaishankar said what India is doing can serve as a lesson for the rest of the world.
“When I look back on these ten years, yes, there have been changes for the better in our country, but I will also tell all of you that those changes really resonate globally. Other countries are watching today with deep interest, they may not be able to copy it exactly, but there are lessons in what we are doing for the rest of the world. And people feel that this country, which, keep in mind, still has a per capita income $3,000 below that, is capable of doing a lot,” he said.
Mr. Jaishankar added that achievements are meant to motivate and not satiate.
“Achievements that don't satisfy, but rather motivate. Not to say that I've done well and that's it, but to say that I've done well and that I could have done much more. And if I was able to do this in two semesters, how much more can I do in a third?” he said.
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