'Not working with India has a cost': Jaishankar on ties with neighbours; mentions Pakistan
S Jaishankar (PTI photo)
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister has said that India should not expect 'smooth sailing' all the time when it comes to relations with neighbouring countries.
Speaking in an interview on DD India, he said that New Delhi has worked to create a 'collective interest' with its neighbours—so that even if governments change, the relationship stays steady.
'At the end of the day, the logic every one of our neighbours must realise is that working with India will give you benefits, and not working with India has a cost,' Jaishankar said.
He added that while most neighbours understand this, 'some take longer to realise, some understand it better.' But Pakistan is an exception, he explained, because its military controls the country and has built 'in-built hostility' towards India.
On global powers, Jaishankar said the United States can be unpredictable, so India has built strong ties with it through many connections. Talking about China, he said India must be ready to 'stand up' to it, especially since the Galwan clash in 2020 worsened ties.
He pointed out that one of the big mistakes in the past was ignoring India's border infrastructure. 'To have a China policy and neglect your border infrastructure was absurd,' he said.
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He added that today, India is able to defend its interests along the LAC because 'we have built the border infrastructure to make that possible.'
Jaishankar also talked about India's growing ties with its neighbours, Gulf countries, Asean, and the Indo-Pacific region. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only set goals but 'charted a path to get there.'
He mentioned India's ongoing Operation Sindhu to rescue citizens from the Israel-Iran conflict zone, and remembered Operation Ganga as the 'most complex one' during the war in Ukraine.
On political instability in neighbouring countries, he said changes are natural, but India has tried to create a culture and system where 'the collective interest is stronger than those who are advocating distancing.' He gave examples of Sri Lanka and Maldives, where ties remain good despite regime changes. About Nepal, he admitted, 'We are often in their internal politics... We should not expect smooth sailing all the time.
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'But you should also not throw up your hands when things get difficult. That's poor planning,' he said.
On terrorism and Pakistan, Jaishankar said the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks were a 'turning point.' He said the attack was 'let unpunished' and that India had followed the same policy toward Pakistan for decades—until the Modi government changed that.
He pointed to the 2016 Uri surgical strike, the 2019 Balakot air strike, and the recent Operation Sindoor as examples of a 'new normal,' where India shows it won't just sit back.
'You can do horrible things and think there is impunity because you are on that side,' he said, but now 'the initiative will not always be with you.'
He also said India's actions on terrorism and the removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir should be seen as part of a bigger strategy, not separate steps.
Calling PM Modi a 'leader of his times,' Jaishankar said the public mood has changed, and Modi reflects the country's 'self-confidence.'
Talking about global changes, he said, 'What you are talking about are trendlines, which didn't happen one fine day, they developed over many years.' India has worked to build strong relations with major powers and different regions, aiming to be in the best position in a 'multipolar world.'
In the last 11 years, India's foreign policy has focused on this idea of multipolarity, EAM Jaishankar said. 'You need to envision the world today… multiple poles are competing but cooperating with each other,' he added. India, he said, is trying to ensure it faces 'the least problems and most benefits.'
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