‘A government’s role is seminal in nation building, ’ says India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Friday. (Seminal refers to something that has a great influence). NSA was speaking on the occasion of National Unity Day when he emphasised the role ‘governance’ plays in building a nation.
"I would like to share a perspective on how a security man looks at the process of governance. I believe governance plays a seminal role in the nation-building process, as well as in securing a nation and helping it achieve its goals and aspirations. It is indeed very befitting that in 2025, we should be reinventing Sardar Patel," Doval said while addressing the annually held Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture on Governance.
Expressing the desire to hold onto India's first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's vision, Doval argued that India was witnessing an "orbital shift" from a certain type of governance and its place in the global order.
"His (Sardar Patel's) vision is required in India today more than ever before. Not only is India in a transition, India is also having an orbital shift from a certain type of governance and government structures, societal structures, and its place in the global order. The world is also undergoing a great transformation. Whenever the change comes, the most important thing is clarity of vision; the noise and threats do not sway you. You are not getting subdued by the adversities and the possible threats. You have to prepare yourself and you have to equip yourself," the NSA said. Doval pointed out that India is undergoing a significant transformation, with changes in governance structures, societal dynamics, and its global standing."
|Converting the civilisation into a nation-state is a stupendous task. He knew that it could only be achieved through a highly effective governance mechanism. The government has got to think and do beyond what is normally expected," he added.
"Nations, whether they are powerful or weak, or they are a comprehensive national power, which is a very abstract word. In reality, it is the power of the governments. When governments are weak and confused, or when they are improved by self-interest, the consequences are also similar. These governments work through institutions. In the task of nation-building, the most important are the people who build and nurture these institutions, because these institutions provide governance, and governance creates nations and powerful states," the NSA said.
Citing an example of Bangladesh and Nepal in terms of poor governance, NSA said, "The rise and fall of the great empires, monarchies, oligarchies, aristocracies, or democracies is actually a history of their governance. In the recent cases of regime change through non-constitutional methods in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and others, these were actually cases of poor governance. And that is how the governance matters.”
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