The Jaishankar doctrine: Bharat charts its own course in a fractured world

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was Bharat’s Ambassador to China between 2009 and 2013. In those days, Indian foreign policy was widely seen as less assertive, and its diplomats often prided themselves on being soft-spoken, non-confrontational and restrained even in the face of provocation. Jaishankar’s Beijing tenure coincided with China’s staple visa move. Beijing began issuing stapled visas to Indian citizens from Arunachal Pradesh in 2005-06, and extended the practice to residents of Jammu and Kashmir in 2008-09, questioning Bharat’s sovereignty over the region. The conventional diplomatic response might have been to reach out to Beijing and politely reiterate the country’s position and…