Dr. S. Jaishankar is a diplomat-turned-politician who has served as India’s External Affairs Minister since 2019. He is a member of the BJP and a member of parliament representing Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha.
Dr. Jaishankar had earlier served as India’s foreign secretary between 2015-2018, after serving as ambassador to the United States, China, and the Czech Republic and as high commissioner to Singapore. He is well known for his assertive speeches and comments in the international media, such as the one when he addressed the UN, advocating for India’s permanent membership in the UNSC. Jaishankar is said to have played a major role in negotiating the India-US civil nuclear agreement. He has authored over three books, including ‘The India Way’ and ‘Why Bharat Matters’.
In 2019, he was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in the country.
US still does not know the difference between religious freedom and spiritual freedom.
Religious freedom is like having a multitude of political parties in a democracy. Spiritual freedom is like the right to vote and most importantly the right not to vote to any of these political parties.
This is a key factor why democracy and spiritual freedom go hand in hand in India. The US still has to understand this.