Describing the UPA government’s tenure at the Centre as a defensive era, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that the then Congress-led dispensation “accepted terrorism” as it decided to do nothing after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, with the justification that “it would cost more to attack Pakistan than not attacking it.”
Addressing the forum for Nationalist Thinkers-Hyderabad Chapter ‘Foreign Policy The India Way: From Diffidence To Confidence’, Jaishankar said, “In the defensive era, we accepted terrorism… The national security advisor of the previous UPA government wrote we sat, we debated, we considered all the options. Then we decided to do nothing… And the justification was we felt the cost of attacking Pakistan was more than the cost of not attacking Pakistan….”
He said India has some challenges at the borders and the key to defend them is not to just posture in public but to build infrastructure, support the military and create a system that will respond whenever the border is under threat.
“Now, there are other examples I can give you of confidence. One is how to defend your borders more strongly. Because we have challenges on our border. And the key to defending our borders is not to just posture in public. It requires a lot of homework. It requires building the infrastructure. It requires supporting the military, requires creating systems which will respond whenever the border is under threat…,” added the minister.
Jaishankar said for him every thing begins with national interest and it ends with national interest and at times such an approach can put you in a difficult position as it gets you into an argumentative position with other countries.
“If you ask me, what is the single test with which I view a situation, a problem, a decision. For me, it begins with national interest and it ends with national interest. It can be a very difficult situation. Sometimes, it can put you into an argumentative position with other countries. But for me, if I have to make a decision, what is the basis? I think today our country is very clear about it, the welfare of our people, and the interest of our society come first. The security of our country comes first and foremost…,” said the external affairs minister.
Talking about ‘Modi ki guarantee’, Jaishankar said ‘Modi ki guarantee’ is global and doesn’t stop at the borders of India.
“…This is also a globalised world. We have so many Indians (outside India)… We have to prepare for those challenges as well. The fact is, today there are almost two crore Indians, Indian nationals, and Indian passport holders who live and work outside India. About a crore and a half are citizens of other countries with whom we have linkages. Look at the responsibility that it gives to us… We have seen it in conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Israel… ‘Modi ki guarantee’ doesn’t stop at the borders of India. ‘Modi ki guarantee’ is global…,” said Jaishankar.
He said that the outside world is somehow showing a lot of interest today in accessing India and to work with India.
“…During our G-20 presidency, many countries, but particularly this was an initiative called IMEC through Saudi Arabia. They wanted to connect India to Europe. Russia and Iran also want a connectivity passage to Europe. In the east, countries like Vietnam, and Cambodia, wanted a passage through Myanmar to India. There is a lot of interest today in somehow accessing India, to work with India… The stature which the prime minister personally commands… When people speak about what happened with the G20, when we got our G20 chair presidency, it was on the 1 December 2022. Most of the world said we were going to have a really difficult time managing this. When the G 20 summit met, within the first day, we were able to forge a consensus… When the G 20 met, there was a lot of respect in the rest of the world for the prime minister personally and for Modi’s Bharat…,” added the minister.
On Western press criticising India’s democracy and electoral system, Jaishankar said that the criticism is not because they lack information, it is because they think they are also political players in our elections.
“I get a lot of noises from the Western press. If they criticize our democracy, it’s not because they lack information, it is because they think they are also political players in our election… I read an article today where some Western media said, it is so hot in India, why are they holding elections at this time? I read that article and I wanted to say, in that heat my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best record… These are the games that are being played with us… These are politics. These are our domestic politics which is going global, global politics which feels they must now intrude in India… So they actually think they are part of our electorate. It’s time today that we disabuse them. And the best way that we do that is by confidence…,” he said.
Talking about how the foreign policy moved from the times of “diffidence” to confidence, he said, “We moved from diffidence to confidence when we crossed that Line of Control. And, we did it again, when we crossed the boundary to go and hit Balakot”.
The country now deals with the United States much more confidently than it used to deal before, he said.
Asked should the country be exporting BrahMos missiles to other countries as well, after the Philippines, he said it is a very good example how Make in India and defence has got the country an important contact.
“But, it’s not just BrahMos. It would be other equipment as well. I think this is new area that India is entering. (PM) Modi ji has been very strongly motivating our defence producers saying we are good enough today to go out in the world. So, I am very confident that our defence exports will grow,” he said.
Describing India as a voice of the ‘Global South’ (comprising about 125 countries), he said the countries of the Global South trust India to take up their cause and positions in the world.
“We are a voice of the Global South, which is about a 125 countries in the world. These countries trust India to take up their cause, their positions in the world,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
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