▁" m aint aining ▁an ▁external ▁environment " ▁condu ci ve ▁to ▁India ’ s ▁" s ust ained ▁economic ▁growth ”. ▁ ▁L ask ar ▁has ▁also ▁written ▁on ▁foreign ▁policies ▁of ▁previous ▁Congress ▁govern ments ▁of ▁India . ▁On ▁the ▁foreign ▁policy ▁of ▁India ’ s ▁first ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁J aw ah ar l al ▁Ne h ru , ▁L ask ar ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁policy ▁of ▁Non - align ment ▁and ▁its ▁" de ft ▁implementation " ▁by ▁Ne h ru ▁has ▁" sec ured " ▁for ▁India ▁" a ▁leadership ▁role ▁in ▁world ▁affairs " ▁although ▁India ▁was ▁neither ▁major ▁economic ▁power ▁nor ▁a ▁major ▁military ▁power ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁On ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Raj iv ▁Gand hi ’ s ▁foreign ▁policy , ▁L ask ar ▁maintain s ▁that ▁former ’ s ▁neighbourhood ▁policy ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁" the ▁pre - em inent ▁position " ▁of ▁India ▁in ▁South ▁Asia ▁gives ▁it ▁" unique ▁and ▁special ▁respons ib ilities " ▁for ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁peace ▁and ▁stability ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁critique ▁of ▁the ▁foreign ▁policy ▁of ▁the ▁AB ▁V aj pay ee ▁led ▁N DA ▁Government ▁that ▁ruled ▁India ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁A part ▁from ▁foreign ▁policy , ▁he ▁has ▁also ▁written ▁on ▁other ▁policy ▁initi atives ▁of ▁the ▁U PA ▁Government ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁M GN RE GA , ▁Direct ▁Ben ef it ▁Transfer