A menu for the new Government
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India has emerged and stands tall. Major countries of the world seek to be its partner and room has been made for it at global high tables, like the G-20. But while its role has enlarged, its voice remains muffled. Foreign policy has become predictable, reactive, low key. A more assured and assertive India needs to be rediscovered. The first requirement, then, is a vision of where the country sees itself and where it is going. Foreign policy principles and priorities need updating and effective projection. This is no easy task: the essential ideas must come from the top and bear the stamp of the leader. India must make a difference when it comes to the great issues of today: the environment and climate change are now centre stage; nuclear disarmament is beginning to claim major attention. A sluggish India has become a target for activists in....
More about Salman Haidar
Salman Haidar is a former foreign secretary to the Government of India. A former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Haidar served as the Indian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, China, and Bhutan, and as first secretary and deputy to the Ambassador in Afghanistan. Ambassador Salman Haidar directs the South Asian Political Initiative, a Ford Foundation-funded project to promote dialogue in South Asia through academic conferences. While in New Delhi, he served as the foreign secretary, head of the Diplomatic Service, Secretary East, and spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs and later chief of protocol, among other diplomatic positions. In 1977–80, Haidar was the minister/deputy permanent representative of India at the United Nations in New York. He also writes a weekly column on political affairs for The Statesman, since 2000. Haidar received a B.A. with honours in English from the University of Delhi and a B.A., with honours, in English from Cambridge UniversityRecent Posts
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