I am grateful to the hon. members who have made such a meaningful contribution to the debate. I also feel a little disappointed that this year the demands of the Ministry of External Affairs could not come before the House as they have always been coming year after year and I think this should be the last year in which such a thing has happened. From next year, we should see to it that the Ministry of External Affairs ensures India’s Foreign Policy is brought into focus as it has always been brought. We are really discussing something which has baffled (100) the whole world. The changes in the world during the last few years, and probably during the last few months, have been so quick, so difficult to explain in terms of time, in terms of motivation, in terms of immediate or remote cause. So, there is an element of bafflement, an element of the unknown, unforeseen, unanticipated in all these events. And therefore, when you are in the midst of such quick baffling changes, what you see in front of you is a new set of uncertainties. We do not know how this has happened and we do not know (200) equally what is going to happen next. At best, we can only make an assessment of the situation and on the basis of that assessment, we could perhaps in a vague manner, in a general way, determine the policy of our Government or determine the policies of other Governments, other powers in the world. So, the interaction also becomes full of uncertainties and, therefore, today when we talk of foreign policy, when we talk of the international situation, no one can be sure that what he is saying is bound to happen and what someone else is saying will never happen. (300) So, this is the kind of new uncertainty in which we find ourselves today. There is nothing wrong in owning this, in admitting this. Since we have had a consensus on foreign policy right from the beginning, it is good that all the speeches which I have had the occasion to listen to are having the same import. So, I would say that we are in the quest for a new policy framework for the country, both inside the movement of non-alignment as the founder member of the movement of non-alignment, and also as India per se. (400)It is for us to ensure that the ending of the cold war does not mean domination of any one power centre. Precisely on this point, we have had several speeches now. It will be India’s endeavour to see, that the end of the cold war or the emergence of only one power bloc or superpower does not mean the subjugation of all other countries who, on some issue or the other, do not see eye to eye with that superpower. I have no doubt in my mind that India will have to play that role. (500) It need not be confrontation. There is no need for confrontation. Even in a democratized United Nations, for instance, for which we are making all efforts, there is possibility, there is likelihood of a difference of opinion, and if that democratization continues on the right lines, India will have a role to play. There is no question of the role of India and similar countries coming to an end. Therefore, what we are looking for is a democratized functioning of the world community wherein the decision is not on the basis of armaments, on the basis of money power, on the basis of other considerations, (600) but on the basis of justice and fairplay, and that should be our endeavour. So, it is the same struggle in a different context, with different tools perhaps. Therefore, I do not think that the role of India which we have cherished so far will ever end and I am absolutely certain that we will continue this.We have also said it is for us to ensure that the emergence of new economic powers such as Germany and Japan works for the betterment of the poor and not only for the enrichment of the rich. (700) This is what my visit to Germany is all about. We have found that it is not a uni-polar world in all respects. Yes, in the military sense it is uni-polar; but in the economic sense it is multi-polar; it is multi-centric. Therefore, there is really no point in only emphasizing the uni-polar nature of the world. There are so many economic power centres in the world. India is not an economic power centre, but India has an importance which cannot be ignored by any economic power centre, and that came out loud and clear in my visit to Germany (800).
