Indian statesman puts loyalty first
FORMER Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral says Thai citizens of Indian descent should give their first loyalty to the country in which they live.
''When you live in this hospitable country, your first loyalty has to be to this country and your assistance to its people, particularly to His Majesty the King,'' he said.
Speaking to members of the Indian community in Thailand at an inaugural ceremony to establish a World Punjabi Organisation, Gujral said it was their responsibility ''not to give any opportunity to anybody to feel that anything lesser than what is expected from a loyal Thai citizen''.
Indians who had settled in Thailand were an integral part of the local society and should contribute economically and socially to help in the development of the country.
Gujral, who is associated with various organisations aimed at forming an association between people of Punjabi origin, said the World Punjabi Organisation made no distinction between religious groups, be they Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims.
Indians were widely scattered throughout the world and many were of Punjabi descent.
''It is a pleasure for me to see that a large number of people of Indian origin are settled here and that they are so much absorbed in the local ethos,'' he said.
He stressed the close bilateral ties between Thailand and India, saying the relationship between the two countries was not only contemporary but went back to early civilisation.
The Thai Ambassador to India, Thawatjai Thavisri, said in Bangkok there was great potential for trade and investment between the two countries.
In the first half of the year, total trade volume amounted to about US$319 million, with Thai exports to India of $157 million and imports from India of $162 million. Total trade volume the previous year reached about $523 million, with Thai exports to India of $234 million and imports from India of $289 million.
Gujral said that when he served as prime minister and foreign minister, India had shown a lot of interest in friendship and cooperation with Asean.
''I think the future of the world lies in such regional cooperation,'' he said.
Gujral, 80 plans to publish a second volume of his book, ''A foreign policy for India'', in the middle of next year.
In the first volume, published by the Indian government last year, he describes the challenges facing India after 50 years of democracy.
''For our freedom fighters and our first prime minister, the independence of India was not an end in itself: it was part and parcel of the search for an equitable world order towards which India would have to lend its voice and weight,'' he said.
Gujral said this explains India's determination to remain non-aligned that had shaped its foreign policy.
India's foreign policy has been so closely associated with Gujral over the past few years that certain principles guiding India's relations with its neighbours have been termed the ''Gujral Doctrine''.
The doctrine has five basic principles: India does not ask for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates in good faith and trust; no South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interests of another country in the region; no country should interfere in the internal affairs of another; all South Asian countries must respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty; all their disputes should be settled through peaceful bilateral negotiations.
Gujral said that as India entered the new millennium, it could look back with satisfaction on its achievements.
''We are a large country of one billion people, with large elements of diversity, and our basic motto 'unity in diversity' has grown roots,'' he said.
India's experiment with democracy in which the people had given their mandate to a coalition government had been successful, he said.
India had a very bright future economically as about one third of the population has entered the middle class, thus creating one of the largest markets in the world.
''India's middle class is probably the largest in the world,'' he said.
Gujral added that the Indian government was discussing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, although it would not make any difference whether India signed it because three other nuclear powers had not yet ratified the treaty. Unless it was ratified by all, it would not come into force.
In 1988, the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had presented to the United Nations a phased programme aimed at universal nuclear disarmament by all countries of the world. India had stood firm that such a programme must begin with the nuclear powers.
''India's nuclear policy is a product of Pakistan's nuclear policy,'' he said. But he added that the Southeast Asian region had no reason to be concerned because India's policy rejected first use and encompassed non-proliferation and a minimum deterrent capability.
Gujral said world security was inter-linked and India did not want to encourage the formation of blocs. ''That will be India's contribution to world peace,'' he concluded.
FORMER Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral says Thai citizens of Indian descent should give their first loyalty to the country in which they live.
''When you live in this hospitable country, your first loyalty has to be to this country and your assistance to its people, particularly to His Majesty the King,'' he said.
Speaking to members of the Indian community in Thailand at an inaugural ceremony to establish a World Punjabi Organisation, Gujral said it was their responsibility ''not to give any opportunity to anybody to feel that anything lesser than what is expected from a loyal Thai citizen''.
Indians who had settled in Thailand were an integral part of the local society and should contribute economically and socially to help in the development of the country.
Gujral, who is associated with various organisations aimed at forming an association between people of Punjabi origin, said the World Punjabi Organisation made no distinction between religious groups, be they Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims.
Indians were widely scattered throughout the world and many were of Punjabi descent.
''It is a pleasure for me to see that a large number of people of Indian origin are settled here and that they are so much absorbed in the local ethos,'' he said.
He stressed the close bilateral ties between Thailand and India, saying the relationship between the two countries was not only contemporary but went back to early civilisation.
The Thai Ambassador to India, Thawatjai Thavisri, said in Bangkok there was great potential for trade and investment between the two countries.
In the first half of the year, total trade volume amounted to about US$319 million, with Thai exports to India of $157 million and imports from India of $162 million. Total trade volume the previous year reached about $523 million, with Thai exports to India of $234 million and imports from India of $289 million.
Gujral said that when he served as prime minister and foreign minister, India had shown a lot of interest in friendship and cooperation with Asean.
''I think the future of the world lies in such regional cooperation,'' he said.
Gujral, 80 plans to publish a second volume of his book, ''A foreign policy for India'', in the middle of next year.
In the first volume, published by the Indian government last year, he describes the challenges facing India after 50 years of democracy.
''For our freedom fighters and our first prime minister, the independence of India was not an end in itself: it was part and parcel of the search for an equitable world order towards which India would have to lend its voice and weight,'' he said.
Gujral said this explains India's determination to remain non-aligned that had shaped its foreign policy.
India's foreign policy has been so closely associated with Gujral over the past few years that certain principles guiding India's relations with its neighbours have been termed the ''Gujral Doctrine''.
The doctrine has five basic principles: India does not ask for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates in good faith and trust; no South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interests of another country in the region; no country should interfere in the internal affairs of another; all South Asian countries must respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty; all their disputes should be settled through peaceful bilateral negotiations.
Gujral said that as India entered the new millennium, it could look back with satisfaction on its achievements.
''We are a large country of one billion people, with large elements of diversity, and our basic motto 'unity in diversity' has grown roots,'' he said.
India's experiment with democracy in which the people had given their mandate to a coalition government had been successful, he said.
India had a very bright future economically as about one third of the population has entered the middle class, thus creating one of the largest markets in the world.
''India's middle class is probably the largest in the world,'' he said.
Gujral added that the Indian government was discussing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, although it would not make any difference whether India signed it because three other nuclear powers had not yet ratified the treaty. Unless it was ratified by all, it would not come into force.
In 1988, the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had presented to the United Nations a phased programme aimed at universal nuclear disarmament by all countries of the world. India had stood firm that such a programme must begin with the nuclear powers.
''India's nuclear policy is a product of Pakistan's nuclear policy,'' he said. But he added that the Southeast Asian region had no reason to be concerned because India's policy rejected first use and encompassed non-proliferation and a minimum deterrent capability.
Gujral said world security was inter-linked and India did not want to encourage the formation of blocs. ''That will be India's contribution to world peace,'' he concluded.
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