India, China's growing strength will lead to a new Asia: Advani

Leader of Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani, while delivering a key note address in a conclave organised by the Hindi daily Jagaran, said that India and China's rapidly growing economic strength and political clout will lead to a new Asia.

"It is priceless civilisational, cultural and spiritual resource, rooted in the values of peace, harmony, justice, respect for pluralism, co-existence and dialogue. I am optimistic that Asia will be able to rewrite not only its own history but also contribute greatly to building a better future for the world as a whole," he said.

He hoped that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to China will take the proposed effort forward. "Indeed, the effort to bring about a rapprochement in India-China relations was initiated when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the foreign minister in Morarji Desai's government. His historic meeting with Deng Xiaoping in 1979 broke the ice and resumed top-level dialogue that had been frozen since the 1962 Indo-China war. Shri Vajpayee also gave a big boost to this effort when he became the Prime Minister," he said.

He also warned the world of the disastrous consequences of jehaadi terrorism and termed it as Bhasmasur.

"The latest victim of this Bhasmasur is Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. We must remember that her assassination in a terrorist attack took place in the context of the Pakistani people's aspiration for the establishment of an effective and stable democratic system," Advani claimed.

He cautioned that in Pakistan, the word democracy is being manipulated to suit the self-serving purpose of preserving one's global domination and preserving one's spheres of influence.

Adavani raised five points to highlight India's role in the affairs of Asia and the world.

"First task is to ensure the success of India's own socio-political-economic story, which would in turn serve as a model for others to emulate.

The second task is to regain and rebuild pride in our own national heritage. Thirdly, India should further strengthen an omni directional foreign policy, which seeks to engage with all the major centres of power.

Fourthly, we have to vastly expand the size and strength of our foreign service personnel; business platforms; media organizations, think tanks with global reach, personalities associated with cinema, arts, music and literature.

Lastly, India must intensify its effort towards the restructuring of multilateral organisations, beginning with the United Nations," Advani said while winding up his speech.