‘Neighbours need each other’: EAM Jaishankar on ‘India Out’ Campaign in Maldives
On the Red Sea crisis, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said the Navy has deployed ten ships in the region, adding that India won’t be “considered a responsible country” if we ignore such incidents in the neighbourhood.
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“Every country has problems in the neighbourhood,” said Jaishankar, adding that eventually they reach an understanding.Amid the recent tension with Maldives after three ministers in that country’s government posted derogatory comments on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi even as an ‘India Out’ campaign has been unfolding in the island nation, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, “At the end of the day, neighbours need each other.”
He was speaking to students at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Mumbai on Tuesday on ‘India’s role in the global stage’ and on his recently published book ‘Why Bharat Matters’.
“Every country has problems in the neighbourhood,” said Jaishankar, adding that eventually they reach an understanding. “It is in the nature of politics that we take strong stands, but diplomacy works differently,” he said.
Addressing a question on the crisis in the Red Sea, Jaishankar said that the Indian Navy has deployed ten ships in that region. Sharing how INS Visakhapatnam extinguished a fire onboard a commercial oil tanker, the Union minister added that the Indian navy rescued Pakistani and Iranian fishermen. “We will not be considered a responsible country when bad things are happening in the surrounding country and we say I have got nothing to do with this,” he said.
Jaishankar spoke about how his new book connects various diplomacy lessons with the Ramayana and urged the youth to take an interest in foreign policy. “In today’s globalised world, foreign policy matters to all of you,” he said.
When a student asked how an MBA-degree holder can really matter when it comes to foreign policy, Jaishankar said, “A large part of how the international economy will work is on how you build connections, businesses, logistics and supply chain management – how they work in real life, which is the forte of your institute.”
He also spoke about how the perception of India in the world is based on their experiences. Sharing how Indians heading global tech giants, banks etc will make the world think about it, he said, “Branding of the country is really important in geopolitics and networking.”
Talking about the Israel-Gaza situation, the minister said, “What happened on October 7 was a terrorist attack (by Hamas against Israel). As a country which has experienced so much terrorism, it is important that we recognise and accept it.”
Adding that there are various aspects to this crisis and a viable solution should be found, Jaishankar also acknowledged the civilian casualties and said, “There has to be a sustainable humanitarian corridor.”
Speaking about the common victim bonding among colonised countries in the global south, he said that India is looked at as one of these countries that shows strong development.
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