India has emerged as the first responder in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) at the global level, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan said on Tuesday.
Gen. Chauhan said this in a virtual message at a workshop organized by the Integrated Defense Staff (IDS) of the Ministry of Defense as part of India’s chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). It was attended by speakers from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Belarus, Mongolia, Pakistan, and China, along with representation from Russia in virtual mode, the defense ministry said.
“In keeping with our cultural beliefs that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the whole world is one family — India has been playing an important role in providing HADR in the region and beyond,” Gen. Chauhan said, citing India’s HADR operations in the region and beyond.
He said the timely launch of ‘Operation Dost’ following the recent earthquake in Turkey is a testimony to India’s willingness to extend help to all possible corners of the globe.
The CDS added that a collective approach is essential to mitigate the consequences of disasters, and with this objective, India has been holding multilateral exercises with various countries and multilateral organizations, such as the HADR exercise PANEX 21 for BIMSTEC members at Pune in 2021 and SMANVAY 22 for ASEAN members in Agra in 2022.
“By strengthening multilateral partnerships through engagement via regional mechanisms, improved interoperability, and faster response, we have played our role as the first responder in the region,” Gen. Chauhan said. The CDS further said that armed forces, along with dedicated organizational structures, are often the first responders in the event of any disaster.
