<p>India is a symbol of peace and there is no need for it to adopt a hawkish foreign policy, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"Idea of India is symbol of peace. There is no need to adopt hawkish (foreign) policy. We are naturally a soft power. But soft does not mean weak. We have to be firm and strong in our resolve," he said at a function organised on the occasion of foundation day of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).<br /><br />Rijiju's comments came at a time when his senior in the Home Ministry, Rajnath Singh, has made it clear that India would give "befitting" reply to Pakistan's firing towards Indian posts and civilian areas.<br /><br />The Minister of State for Home said India's basic behaviours is soft and it must not adopt a hawkish agenda towards its neighbours.<br /><br />"We must not agree to posture of war but have to be firm and responsible, besides being a stable power," he said.<br /><br />Earlier, delivering the second R V Raju memorial lecture on 'Pakistan and Neighbourhood: A Hawkish Agenda', senior journalist Shekhar Gupta highlighted various aspects of India's influence, including its democracy, on the neighbouring countries. R V Raju, a former IPS officer was the first DG of NIA.<br /><br />"We can have good influence on our neighbours, we can have bad influence on our neighbours. Neighbours always look upon us," Gupta said.<br /><br />Gupta said peaceful change of government in India through democratic process is a clean idea for its neighbours to follow.<br /><br />"Every time a government is changed in India peacefully, it tells all its neighbours that this is what a country should do," he said.<br /><br />Gupta said India has been pursuing a particular foreign policy for Pakistan and another policy for the rest of its neighbours.<br /><br />He said New Delhi's approach towards Islamabad has to be changed as it would reduce temper and all insecurity will go away.</p>
<p>India is a symbol of peace and there is no need for it to adopt a hawkish foreign policy, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"Idea of India is symbol of peace. There is no need to adopt hawkish (foreign) policy. We are naturally a soft power. But soft does not mean weak. We have to be firm and strong in our resolve," he said at a function organised on the occasion of foundation day of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).<br /><br />Rijiju's comments came at a time when his senior in the Home Ministry, Rajnath Singh, has made it clear that India would give "befitting" reply to Pakistan's firing towards Indian posts and civilian areas.<br /><br />The Minister of State for Home said India's basic behaviours is soft and it must not adopt a hawkish agenda towards its neighbours.<br /><br />"We must not agree to posture of war but have to be firm and responsible, besides being a stable power," he said.<br /><br />Earlier, delivering the second R V Raju memorial lecture on 'Pakistan and Neighbourhood: A Hawkish Agenda', senior journalist Shekhar Gupta highlighted various aspects of India's influence, including its democracy, on the neighbouring countries. R V Raju, a former IPS officer was the first DG of NIA.<br /><br />"We can have good influence on our neighbours, we can have bad influence on our neighbours. Neighbours always look upon us," Gupta said.<br /><br />Gupta said peaceful change of government in India through democratic process is a clean idea for its neighbours to follow.<br /><br />"Every time a government is changed in India peacefully, it tells all its neighbours that this is what a country should do," he said.<br /><br />Gupta said India has been pursuing a particular foreign policy for Pakistan and another policy for the rest of its neighbours.<br /><br />He said New Delhi's approach towards Islamabad has to be changed as it would reduce temper and all insecurity will go away.</p>