External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India cannot wait for the US or other countries to acknowledge its concerns over terrorism, stressing that the country must have the conviction to respond to threats on its own.
Speaking to NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal and Senior Executive Editor Aditya Raj Kaul at the NDTV World Summit on Thursday, Jaishankar cited Operation Sindoor and the Balakot strikes as examples of India's response to terrorism.
He said India wants cordial relations with Pakistan but will not overlook terrorism to maintain better bilateral ties.
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'Don't Expect Somebody Else To Fight Terrorism For You'
Responding to a question about Pakistan's ties with the Donald Trump administration and Washington's understanding of India's concerns over cross-border terrorism, Jaishankar said the issue went beyond whether other countries recognised India's position.
"It's not all about Washington understanding or not understanding. If Washington understood it so well, why didn't we act in 2008, when 26/11 happened? And when we did act, we didn't act because Washington understood it; we acted because we understood it. First of all, forget about somebody else getting terrorism right. Get it right yourself. If you don't have the clarity of thought, the conviction to fight back against terrorism, don't think somebody else is going to do that job for you," the minister said.
Jaishankar reiterated that India seeks good relations with its neighbours but will not compromise on its position on terrorism.
“Of course we want good relations with Pakistan. We want good relations with all our neighbours. But you are asking me, will I overlook terrorism for good relations? I will not,” he said.
Jaishankar On The Impact Of The 26/11 Mumbai Attacks
Jaishankar also referred to the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, arguing that the response to the incident had shaped India's approach to Pakistan and influenced public opinion.
He said the absence of a forceful response after the attacks had sent a message to the international community and changed the national conversation on relations with Pakistan.
“This is not a political point,” he said, recalling that he was not in politics at the time of the attacks.
Jaishankar has repeatedly maintained that diplomatic engagement with Pakistan cannot be separated from the issue of cross-border terrorism. His remarks at the summit reiterated the government's stated position that normal relations depend on an environment free from terrorism.
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