Jaishankar: India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday said that while having difficult neighbours is unfortunate, India has the full right to protect its people if terrorism is used against the country. He made these remarks at an interaction held at IIT Madras, where he spoke about India’s foreign policy, neighbourhood relations, and global role.
Jaishankar said that if any country deliberately and repeatedly supports terrorism without regret, India will take steps to defend itself. He stressed that how India chooses to do this is its own decision. “No one can tell us what we should or should not do. We will do whatever it takes to protect our people,” he said.
Jaishankar: Remarks on neighbours and Bangladesh
Speaking about relations with neighbouring countries, Jaishankar said that not all neighbours are a problem. Referring to recent developments in Bangladesh, he said he had visited the country two days earlier to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
He said that when neighbours are friendly or at least not harmful, there is no issue. “Where there is good neighbourly spirit, India invests, India helps, and India shares,” he said. He added that India deals with each neighbour based on their behaviour and actions.
Key ideas from Jaishankar’s speech
Jaishankar highlighted that India is one of the world’s oldest civilizations and continues today as a modern nation. He said India understands its history and culture deeply, which gives it a strong identity. India also chose democracy on its own, helping democracy become a global idea.
He said partnerships with Western countries are important and can be built in a positive way. Referring to the idea of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” he said India has never seen the world as an enemy. India’s foreign policy, he explained, focuses on using its strengths wisely to have a strong global presence despite limited resources.
Vaccine diplomacy and global role
The Foreign Minister spoke about India’s vaccine support during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the emotional response in many countries was strong, with people moved to tears when vaccines arrived. While some rich nations stored more vaccines than they needed, India supplied vaccines to many poorer countries. He noted that India is among the world’s most efficient vaccine producers and depends on global cooperation for supply chains.
Statement on Arunachal Pradesh
Jaishankar also firmly stated that Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India and will remain so. He strongly objected to the harassment of a woman from Arunachal by Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai airport. He said India has officially protested and made it clear that such actions will not change facts on the ground.
