India for inclusive global security to fight modern threats

NEW DELHI - India Thursday sought an “open, balanced and inclusive” global security architecture to fight modern threats like hi-tech terrorism and cyber warfare in the wake of a possible limited war in a nuclear world.

“What India seeks is a new security architecture an open, balanced and inclusive architecture to correspond to the new situation that is emerging,” National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon said at a seminar here.

Delivering the key-note address at the National Defence College Golden Jubilee celebrations, Menon called for a study of India’s practices in the use of force as a statecraft, keeping in mind that values and justice have always dictated its doctrines.

“It also seems from the recent experiences that the utility of force as traditionally configured and conceived is of limited value in protecting society or achieving some policy goals. But one can hardly jump to conclusions about the futility of force when limited war under nuclear conditions remains possible and when adversaries need to be deterred,” the NSA said.

Stating that the emergence of technology had enabled terrorists to have sophisticated systems, alongside cyberspace emerging as a domain for conflict, Menon said these non-state actors were also drawing strength from state institutions.

“Unfortunately, we have seen technology place increasingly lethal power at the hands of non-state actors. Terrorism is technologically enabled and knows no boundaries today, even drawing on support from state systems,” he pointed out.

He said Indian traditions recognised that use of force was not always the most effective or efficient means, but essentially a defensive use when other means were exhausted.