Viktor Orban's Grand Strategy: An Example for India to Follow

In agreement with PM Orban, Samir Saran, president of the Observer Research Foundation - a think tank focused on foreign and security policy, gender, and other issues - emphasized the importance of peace in an interview with Magyar Nemzet at this year's MCC Fest. A supporter of the Hungarian prime minister's grand strategy, Mr. Saran underlined that international leaders must prioritize peace missions in their policies, warning that failure to do so would lead to widespread suffering. He also noted that Hungary is an important economic partner for rapidly developing India, adding that gender is not a major concern in Indian society.

Samir Saran, President of Observer Research Foundation, and Indian-based think tank (Photo: Istvan Mirko)

– I agree with Prime Minister Viktor Orban's message regarding Hungary's grand strategy, a central element of which is the need to commit to peace, Samir Saran, president of the Indian Observer Research Foundation (ORF), told Magyar Nemzet in a recent interview after an MCC panel discussion event. He explained that his organization addresses foreign and security policy, defense, technology, gender issues, space, and climate change. Their primary mission is to build partnerships and connect people around the world, which was also a key message in Mr. Orban's speech at this year's Balvanyos Free Summer University and Student Camp.

Peace comes first

The ORF chief went on to point out that since the early 2000s, violence and warfare have plagued many parts of the globe, while the world has forgotten that the purpose of the international order is to preserve peace and stability. "They've also forgotten the original purpose, why people have traditions, why the UN was created, and today it appears as if everyone is turning to violence, conflict, and war to settle disputes or to advance their own interests.

So that's why today all international leaders must put peace missions at the center of their agenda,

– ORF's president stated. 

We are betraying our citizens, our economies, and our societies because we have chosen conflict over peace," Samir Saran contended. "We must go back to the time when world leaders stopped fighting wars because they understood their respective costs and committed themselves to lasting peace. I am glad that some people in Europe think like that. For India, peace and stability are essential because the country is growing. We don't want pipelines to be destroyed or trade routes to be compromised. Peace is crucial, both morally and ethically, but it also has efficiency and economic aspects. If we don't find peace, we will all suffer," the think tank chief explained.

Facing an economic explosion

Asked how the Indian and Hungarian economies can work more closely together, Mr. Saran said India and Hungary already have a strong link, with major Indian companies operating in the country, having invested three billion dollars and eager to see more opportunities. "India is on the verge of a huge growth spurt, so it is essential that it trade with many more countries. We've established partnerships in our neighborhood that could not have been foreseen even five years ago. Beyond them, we are looking for new and important partners, and Hungary could be one of them, as we have not yet fully explored each other strategically and economically. As I follow the ongoing social debates here, I see that 

Hungary's government and society tend to think similarly. India and Hungary are similar in that they are building a future-oriented, modern technology in cooperation with a traditional and spiritual society.

For us, modernity and tradition are each other's cousins; there is no contradiction between the two, and Hungary's government and society share a similar mindset. Our time will come soon, whether in a year or a few years, but as our economic potential grows, we will seek links in different sectors," ORF's president stated.

Gender is not an issue in India

It's commendable that homosexuals are no longer criminalized and punished in India, Samir Saran said, adding, however, that

what's taking place in America - with teenagers defying their families and rejecting professional medical advice - is madness. In India, all this is not an issue, because it is not considered important in the public discourse, he said.

Instead, he explained, they are busy trying to solve some of their historical problems, as well as their development-, employment-, livelihood-, and security-related challenges. "Debates in the US about gender and pronoun use don't emerge as an issue, and people don't formulate opinions on these because they simply don't have time to deal with it," the think tank leader said.

The difference between Western and Eastern societies will always remain, he said. "Western culture is not homogeneous either, because it is made up of many subcultures, the best example being the United States: there are the progressives, the woke people, the right and left, and folks of all political preferences. The solution is not to find common ground, but to make sure that we avoid the emergence of additional fault lines and conflicts along the differences. Just because we are different, we don't have to punch each other in the face; we must respect different cultures, traditions, and views. We need a new form of peaceful coexistence in societies with different cultures," he said.

Commenting on the Olympics' scandalous, woke propaganda-infused opening ceremony, Mr. Saran said there were two reactions in India, just as all across the globe: most people found it very weird, while others found it downright embarrassing to witness such a ceremony.

He said he believes that very few people actually liked it, adding that he does not condemn, label, or try to abolish anyone, because that's part of the left's modus operandi. "Leftists like to call people out, labeling them right-wing, conservative, or even fascist. This is not healthy, and it is not useful either. We should not dismiss ideas just because they come from a source that we don't like. Instead, we should evaluate them based on their own merits," the ORF president explained.

Cover photo: The Indian think tank chief said what's taking place in America is madness (Photo: Istvan Mirko)