Former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has firmly stated that no country has the right to dictate what India should or should not do. Speaking on The General & The Journalist podcast with General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn, he underlined India’s long-standing policy of “strategic autonomy.”
He questioned why India is singled out for buying from Russia when Europe still buys gas and the US continues its trade with Moscow. “We will buy from whoever we want to. Should we pay higher prices elsewhere and fuel inflation in our own country? That is not in the interest of our people,” he said.
On concerns about energy dependence on Russia, Naravane clarified that India imports from many countries. He rejected restrictions from the West, asking why India should only buy from sources that suit others’ selfish interests.
Speaking about Prime Minister Modi meeting Putin and Xi Jinping at the SCO Summit, he said it was not about teaching lessons but about maintaining strategic autonomy. Naravane also stressed that India’s relationship with the US has had ups and downs, but ties remain strong across political, trade, diplomatic, and military levels.
