During an interactive session on Northeast India’s integration with Southeast Asia and Japan at Kirori Mal College, Delhi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India’s future will be semiconductors, electric mobility, space industry and drones.
When asked about India’s future, Jaishankar responded, “To me, the future will be semiconductors, it will be electric mobility, it will be space industry, it will be drones, it will be clean tech, it will be renewables. I would like the sunrise industries to be in the north-east.”
Further, during the session on Monday many questions were raised by the students about border policing and connectivity.
To which Jaishankar replied, “I think every country has a right to ensure that its borders are protected. Any migration that takes place is legal and it is regulated. This is the right of a state. This is an obligation of a state, he said, adding that India has failed in this for many years but now the things will be different.”
“It is a sad truth that we have failed for many years in this. I believe that the last decade has been different. I promise you the next decade will be different.” Jaishankar added.
During the interaction, he clarified that securing the border doesn’t mean cutting off connectivity, rather, it involves ensuring that connectivity remains intact.
“So I think there is a very clear consciousness today, both in the central government as well as in all the governments of the North East, that managing the border, securing the border is very important. Now securing the border doesn’t mean cutting off connectivity. In fact, on the contrary, if there is no connectivity, then people will come through various needs. said Jaishankar,”
“It is only when there is connectivity that you have created a pathway and then you regulate the pathway. So for me actually it’s not an either or. Securing the border and creating connectivity are part of a package. Neglecting the border and allowing uncontrolled migration is another package. Each one as you know has its, forgive my saying it, a political outlook and a certain history,” the minister added.
While getting along in the session, he spoke about creating employment in the state and creating opportunity for people of that region.
“So we certainly in the government believe today that there must be a conscious effort if something is happening in some other part of India, why doesn’t that also happen in the north?” EAM stated.
On the question asked by the students that how do they get a fair access, a fair opportunity of employment. How does one create, Jaishankar replied, “One is my direct responsibility, but one as a citizen, as a minister, as a politician. Also, I’m very deeply interested. The one which is my direct responsibility is really, how do I ensure when there is a global demand that our citizens get a fair shot at each other? not just at a fair point, it would get the right terms, the protection, the respect, which goes at times than the people.”
“And that’s a very big subject today in foreign policy, that we are looking at, you know, these mobility agreements with different countries. And the bottom line is allow our citizens to access your markets. Normally they’ll put some number, but often the numbers are in real life exceeded because the demand is very big. But ensure that they get the same protection, they get the same benefits and privileges that you would get.” he added.
Moreover some other questions were also asked like, how will the government ensure that the youth of the northeast has a fair shot at national employment opportunities?
In response Jaishankar said, I would say one answer to that is actually by investing more deeply in the north-east assets. That you know the more educational institutions, because that leads to the last question, the more educational institutions which come up there and you know the more business investments that there are there, there’s then a natural you know I would say ecosystem of capability and creativity which is built up.”
