Chennai: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Friday said India has every right to defend its people when it comes to “bad neighbours” and asserted that a neighbouring country cannot ask New Delhi to share water if it continues to spread terrorism in the country.
At the same time, he said with “good neighbours”, India invests, helps and shares, whether it was vaccines during COVID-19 pandemic, fuel and food support during the Ukraine conflict, or the USD four billion assistance to Sri Lanka during its financial crisis.
Without naming Pakistan, Jaishankar said India has every right to defend its people when it comes to “bad neighbours”.
“India’s growth is a lifting tide for the region, and most of our neighbours recognise that if India grows, they grow with us. But when it comes to bad neighbours who persist with terrorism, India has every right to defend its people and will do whatever is necessary. You cannot request us to share our water with you and also spread terrorism in our country,” he said while interacting with students at IIT Madras here.
The Union minister said it is important to communicate with other countries to avoid a situation where India’s intentions are misread.
“How to prevent people from misreading you is to communicate. If you communicate well, clearly and honestly, other countries and other people respect it and accept it.
A lot of people across the world are proud of their culture, tradition and heritage. I see no reason why we should not be,” he said.
He pointed out that there are “really very few” ancient civilisations that have survived to become major modern nation states, and India is one of them.
“We have a sense of our past which very few countries have… It was our decision to opt for a democratic political model, which made the very idea of democracy as a universal political concept.
“Had we not gone that way, the democratic model, as we know it, would have been regional and narrow… Partnership with the West is also important, and that is how we shape the world,” he added.
Jaishankar noted that he was in Bangladesh just two days ago to represent India at the funeral of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
“But more broadly, our approach to the neighbourhood is guided by common sense. With good neighbours, India invests, helps and shares – whether it was vaccines during COVID, fuel and food support during the Ukraine conflict, or the USD 4 billion assistance to Sri Lanka during its financial crisis,” he said.
Jaishankar also launched ‘IITM Global Research Foundation’, a landmark international initiative of Indian Institute of Technology Madras aimed at positioning the institute as a globally-networked hub for education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
He said countries have advanced by growing at home and then engaging abroad, leveraging the international environment in a way that contributes to the growth and also gains from it.
“When we say ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, the term is we have never considered the world as an inimical or hostile place from which we have to defensively protect ourselves. We have limitations on our resources. With limited resources, how do you have maximum impact? That is actually the problem that has to be solved,” he underlined.
“What we try to do in Indian foreign policy and diplomacy today is solve that problem. We try to do that partly using our competitiveness and strengths and leveraging other institutions and possibilities,” he added.
PTI
