Calling for avenging India’s painful history of attacks and subjugation, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval Saturday said that the country has to be strong not only at the borders, but in every other aspect, including economically. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the ongoing Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue in New Delhi.
Invoking the sacrifices of freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh, Doval told the gathering of 3,000, “You are lucky that you were born in an independent India. I was born in a colonised India. Our ancestors fought for independence and went through so many trials and tribulations.”
“People like Bhagat Singh were hanged, Subhas Chandra Bose struggled all his life, and Mahatma Gandhi had to do satyagraha for us to gain Independence,” he said.
“Revenge is not a good word, but it can be a huge force. We have to avenge our history and take this country to the point where it is great again, not just in terms of border security, but economy, social development, every aspect,” he added.
At a time when the country marks Somnath Swabhiman Parv, to mark the resilience of India’s heritage in the face of attacks from external forces, including the Mughals and the Britishers, Doval said, ”We were a progressive society. We did not attack other civilisations or their temples, but since we were not self-aware when it came to security, history taught us a lesson. Did we learn that lesson?”
“It is important that we remember that lesson because if the youth forget it, then it would be tragic for the country,” he remarked.
He also weighed in on wars and conflicts around the world, saying they are born of one country’s will to impose its will on another. “Why do conflicts happen? It is not that people are psychopaths and enjoy seeing dead bodies. It is because you want to subjugate the enemy nation to protect yourself and make it agree to your terms,” he said.
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“Even today, look at all the wars and conflicts that are happening; some countries want to impose their will on others, and for that, they are using force,” he said, adding, “So, we also have to protect ourselves. It is a powerful sentiment; we should be inspired by it.”
Decisive leadership
Saying that India is on track to become a developed nation at the pace set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even if the country runs on “autopilot”, he called those present at the event leaders of the future. He urged young people to strengthen their decision-making skills, noting that the ability to make decisive, timely decisions is essential for leadership across all fields.
For a country to remain powerful, it requires leadership, said Doval, 81, citing former French general Napoleon Bonaparte. “Napoleon once said, ‘I am not afraid of 1,000 lions led by a sheep, but I am afraid of 1,000 sheep led by a lion’. That is how important leadership is,” Doval said.
He also said the youth should focus on innovation in technology and science. “No message is more powerful than performance. Innovate and achieve silently. Propaganda cannot deliver the message; only what you do gets it across. Remember that all courageous people are patient, all cowards are impatient and noisy,” he added.
