This story is from March 26, 2022
Syed Akbaruddin
, former permanent representative of India to the UN, on Thursday.Speaking at a meet organised by the CEO Club India in the city, he termed the council as a “beast of the past”, referring to its limited role in the wake of the Russian-Ukraine war.“India is an aspirational country. There is nothing wrong in trying for the permanent membership. But it’s not going to be helpful in wars of the future,” he said, adding that the council has not been able to keep up with the changes.Further, throwing light on the shift in definition of war and peace today, Akbaruddin –also the dean of Kautilya School of Public Policy -- said how several things can be weaponised in hybrid wars – war on trade, globalisation, communication, migration, or regularisations – but which people tend to miss. This, unlike regular wars where the consequences are visible to the naked eye.As a result, going forward, countries including India will see more localisation of businesses. “In a globalised world, interconnectivity is key but that can be weaponised…Though being local might be costly, it will be secure,” he said anticipating that India, at least for a brief period, will be cautious and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” will be on the rise.