Kumar Bahukhandi
External Affairs Minister with the new batch of civil service entrants-Photo Credit- PTI
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that his interview was scheduled first on that day. This was the date when Indira Gandhi had announced the removal of emergency from the country. The results of the Lok Sabha elections held during the emergency were coming and Indira was leaving power. On this important day, Jaishankar was at an important turning point in his career.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has recalled his UPSC days. He has told the story of the day when he had to give the UPSC interview. The date was 21 March 1977. Twenty-one March was not a normal date. This was the day when Indira Gandhi had announced the removal of emergency from the country. The results of the elections held during the emergency were coming on this day.
On this morning, 22-year-old S Jaishankar, who had passed the UPSC Mains, had arrived to give the interview.
Addressing the new batch of civil service entrants at Sankalp Foundation, the External Affairs Minister described the UPSC exam as akin to an ‘agni pariksha’ and said it is a “very unique” examination system in the world to select candidates for these services.
Jaishankar, who is 70 years old, recalled that day and said, “My interview was on 21 March 1977. The same day the Emergency was lifted, I went to Shahjahan Road for the interview. I was the first to reach there that morning.” Jaishankar said, “I was a student of Political Science, the first question they asked me was, you study political science, please tell us what happened in this election?” The Foreign Minister said, ‘I got two lessons from this interview. First – very senior people, many of whom had been secretaries in the government, some were pioneers of political science and intellectuals. These people are asking a 22-year-old student, brother, explain to us what happened in this election?’ Let us tell you that the 21-month Emergency was imposed on 25 June 1975 and was lifted on 21 March 1977. In this election, the alliance of opposition leaders, Janata Party, emerged victorious. Indira had to face defeat
He further said, “Here I was lucky. People of India are interested in politics and if you are in JNU then you are even more interested. Apart from this I was a student of political science. We took part in the election campaign of 77. We worked to defeat the Emergency. I forgot that I was giving an interview, I started giving them ‘gyaan’. Even though I was only 22 years old.”
The second thing I learnt there was that they learnt about this “Lutyens bubble”, the External Affairs Minister said.
Recalling the interview experience, the External Affairs Minister said, “These people were really shocked, they could not believe that this election result has come, while we ordinary students could see that there was a wave of emergency.”
He said that from that day he learnt to communicate under pressure and do so without hurting people.
The Union Minister said, “How you put your point across, how you explain. That was one thing. The other thing was that important people are probably living in a bubble and they do not realise what is happening in the country.”
The Union Minister also asked in his address what is the yardstick to assess a successful democracy? It is not by the record voting or voting percentage. Jaishankar said, “For me a successful democracy is when the entire society is given an opportunity; that is when democracy is working. They have the right to express their views, but it is not the right of some people to express their views on behalf of the entire society.”
