National Defence College's single purpose is strengthening Mother India, said Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, visiting King of Bhutan, while participating in the golden jubilee celebration of the prestigious institution.
In a highly elegant event, Wangchuk also said, it was his 'destiny' that his last year before becoming the King of Bhutan was spent at the NDC.
He said NDC teaches one thing: optimism. His short speech was music in the ears of dignitaries present on the dais, which included President Pratibha Patil, National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, Chiefs of Defence Services and chief of NDC Lt Gen Prakash Menon.
King Wangchuk said, "I consider myself very much part of the Indian family. Nothing makes me happier." He said coming to the college is one of the best decisions he had made.
The King of Bhutan also released a book on the 50-year history of the college to mark its Golden Jubilee and presented it to President Patil.
NDC is celebrating its golden jubilee with a two-day international seminar on 'The Role of Force in Strategic Affairs' which began on Thursday after the inauguration by President Patil.
Many dignitaries from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan were present, as well. Arjan Singh, legendary marshal of the Indian Air force, was also present. The seminar has attracted attention also because of the list of its speakers, including Professor Shen Dingli from Shanghai, who is known for his bold views in diplomacy.
The National Defence College, an autonomous training institution, was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on April 27, 1960. It's considered country's highest seat of learning for soldiers.
At the event, President Patil, while talking about India's doctrine for use of force in strategic affairs, said, "We must always be guided by the philosophy that preventing wars is better than waging them. Guided by this philosophy, India has been one of the largest contributors to the peacekeeping operations of the United Nations throughout the world. Our men and women in uniform serve in very difficult and dangerous trouble spots of the world to harness the use of force for the maintenance of peace and security."
NSA Menon, while giving the keynote address on use of force in pursuing country's strategic aims, quoted Ramayan, Mahabharat, Kautilya and Gandhiji.
"Faced with the tribal raiders sent by Pakistan into Kashmir in October 1947, Gandhiji said that it was right for the Union government to save the fair city by rushing troops to Srinagar. He added that he would rather that the defenders be wiped out to the last man in clearing Kashmir's soil of the raiders rather than to submit." Menon said.
"What I am trying to say is that the Indian strategic culture has an indigenous construct on the role of force in statecraft, modified by our experience in the last two centuries. War and peace are continuing themes in Indian strategic culture. While not celebrating war, the culture treats defensive war as acceptable when good fights evil to secure justice. Indian strategic culture has been comfortable with this contradiction. While Gandhiji shunned the use of force and opposed violence in politics, he was politically steely and unyielding, and accepted violence as unavoidable and justified it in certain circumstances," the NSA noted.
He reminded the audience, which largely consisted of alumni of NDC, that the security challenges of the 21st century are radically different from those of the 20th.
Nuclear confrontation or war between major powers is not as likely as the threat from derivatives of nuclear deterrence, namely, terrorism and nuclear proliferation, which are being used to subvert the emergence of a plural, secular and democratic international order, said Menon.
Speaking about his views on using of force to enhance strategic affairs, Menon said, "In sum, there is an Indian way, an Indian view and an Indian practice in the use and role of force. We do not claim that it is better or worse than any other way that other nations adopt."
Image: King of Bhutan Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck
