India’s Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has once again taken a very tough stance on terrorism and double standards on the global stage. Speaking from the platform of ‘Chinmoy Amrit Mahotsav Global Conference’ organized on the special occasion of United Nations Day, he without any hesitation took on those forces who turn a blind eye to the scourge of terrorism for their narrow interests. This sharp statement of the Foreign Minister has come just after the recent statement of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which Rubio had openly advocated maintaining America’s diplomatic and strategic relations with Pakistan. Jaishankar in his address clearly underlined that terrorism cannot under any circumstances be recognized as an instrument of state policy or a means of diplomatic bargaining. Cautioning the international community, he said that history is witness to the fact that whenever terrorism has been ignored and short-term political gains have been sought, the entire humanity has had to pay a heavy price for it.
Dr. Jaishankar, while analyzing the threats facing global peace and stability, said that in today’s interconnected world, terrorism stands as the most deadly and serious challenge. This can never be justified under the guise of any logic, principle or compulsion. Expressing deep concern, the External Affairs Minister said that the international evil like terrorism is flourishing even today because not all nations on the global stage adopt a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ towards it in the real sense. Although he avoided taking the name of any one country directly in his address, the direction and context of his statements were completely clear that he was pointing towards Pakistan, which provides fodder for cross-border terrorism, and the Western attitude that encourages it. Jaishankar bluntly said that despite learning bitter lessons from history, unfortunately some nations are still following their old ways and putting narrow political gains and losses and strategic calculations above morality and global security. He called that unless all the countries come together and attack terrorism in every form and its roots, the dream of a safe world will remain incomplete.
The background of this entire diplomatic dispute was created when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly defended the existing relations between Washington and Islamabad in an interview given to an international television channel. While presenting his argument, Rubio had said that it is very important for America to maintain constant dialogue and dialogue even with those nations with which it has fundamental ideological differences. Rubio argued that since Pakistan is a nuclear weapons country and its geographical location is extremely sensitive, the US cannot leave it diplomatically isolated. Comparing this to the relations between India and Iran, the US Secretary of State said that just as New Delhi maintains relations with the leadership of Tehran in view of its energy security and strategic interests, America too has to continue dialogue with Pakistan. Rubio claimed that if America remains present at the negotiating table with Pakistan, it can prove helpful in controlling the security concerns about which India is always apprehensive. Rubio also described the India-US strategic partnership in trade, advanced technology and the Indo-Pacific region as the defining pillars of the 21st century.
In his lecture, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar did not limit his talk only to terrorism, but he also shared serious thoughts on the fierce military conflicts currently going on in different corners of the world. Making special mention of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in Eastern Europe and the ongoing severe tension in West Asia, he warned that if war breaks out in any corner of the world, it poses a direct threat to the peace and economic order of the entire earth. He underlined that the biggest impact of these geopolitical conflicts is falling on innocent societies, emerging economies and ordinary citizens who have no direct connection whatsoever with this geopolitical conflict. Developing countries are facing a serious crisis due to disruption in the supply chain of fuel, food items and fertilizers. Jaishankar stressed that India has always been in favor of dialogue, diplomacy and peace and is fully prepared to take concrete steps along with responsible partners of the world for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.