‘Pace set by PM Modi’: NSA Doval says India will develop ‘even on autopilot’, reflects on global conflicts | India News

NEW DELHI: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Friday said that India is on track to become a developed nation at the pace set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even if the country runs on “autopilot”. He also reflected on current global situation, pointing to ongoing wars and conflicts across the world.Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue in New Delhi, Doval urged young people to strengthen their decision-making skills, saying the ability to take strong and timely decisions is essential for leadership in every field.“I’ve forgotten my youth, and your youth has changed so much that I’m not even aware of many things. But one thing is very common in both: when I was young, and now, I’ve observed that it always stays with you… That is your decision-making ability… India will definitely develop. India, at the pace and speed that PM Modi has set. Even if it runs on autopilot, it will still be developed,” Doval said.He stressed that the real question is who will lead a developed India in the future and how capable that leadership will be.“But the question is: who will lead this developed India? How capable will they be? The greatest strength of a leader is making the right decisions. They make decisions on time and implement those decisions with complete faith and conviction. So if you want to become a leader of developed India, in any field, science, technology, security, you will have to make decisions, and you will have to develop this decision-making ability from now on,” he said.Doval also said that a nation’s willpower is its greatest strength, adding that wars are fought to break an opponent’s morale rather than for violence itself.His remarks came amid recent global tensions, including the Donald Trump-led US military action in Venezuela that led to the removal of President Nicolas Maduro, and Trump’s repeated warnings to other nations.He said, “You can increase your willpower. That same willpower becomes national power. Why do we fight wars? We’re not psychopaths who get great satisfaction or pleasure from seeing enemy corpses, dead bodies, and severed limbs. That’s not why wars are fought. Wars are fought to break a country’s morale, so that it will surrender according to our wishes and accept our terms, allowing us to achieve what we want… The will of the nation is what wars are fought for. Even today, look at all the wars and conflicts that are happening; some countries want to impose their will on others, and for that, they are using force.”Doval added that strength alone is not enough without morale and leadership. He said, “If you are so powerful that no one can oppose you, then you will always remain independent. But if you have everything but without that morale, all your weapons and resources will be useless, and for that, you need leadership.”He also praised India’s current leadership and the country’s progress in recent years. Doval said, “Today, we are very fortunate to have such leadership in the country. A leadership that, in 10 years, has taken the country from where it was to where it is now, putting it on the path to rapid progress. Their commitment, their hard work, and their total dedication are an inspiration for all of us.”