India’s humanitarian missions are guided by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

Synopsis: The Indian government is coordinating and executing a round-the-clock evacuation of not just Indians but also nationals of other countries during various relief operations.

Introduction

India’s humanitarian mission is guided by the principle of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family). There are several stories of India’s grit and successful diplomatic interventions during the crisis.

The recent example of India following “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”:

The latest such example comes from Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of foreign troops, Afghanistan has plunged into a humanitarian crisis. By evaluating the situation there, the Indian government has launched,

Operation Devi Shakti: It is launched to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from war-torn Afghanistan.  Also under this operation, the evacuation of three of the last six “Saroop” of the Sikh holy book has also been done.

What are the earlier operations carried out by India to fulfil “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”?

Some of the missions conducted by India are:

Vande Bharat Mission:  It brought back the Indian nationals stranded abroad due to COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns.

Operation Sankat Mochan: Under this mission, 46 Indian nurses were rescued from a Tikrit hospital from the clutches of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in war-ravaged Iraq.

Operation Raahat: It was launched by the Indian Navy and Airforce, to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals of 41 countries from Yemen during the 2015 Yemen Crisis.

In March 2016:  India carried out the successful evacuation of 250 Indians following multiple bombings at Brussels airport in Belgium.

What does this signify?

Such massive and successful operations, boost the morale of the Indian diaspora and people around the world, that wherever they are, India will do all that is necessary to ensure their safety.

Source: This post is based on the article “India’s humanitarian missions are guided by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” published in the Indian Express on 3^rd September 2021.

Terms to know

• Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam