India Has Right to Defend Itself Against Terrorism, Says EAM Jaishankar

Chennai: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday delivered a firm message on India’s approach to terrorism and neighbourhood relations, asserting that New Delhi has every right to defend itself against countries that support terror while simultaneously seeking cooperation from India. Without naming Pakistan directly, he said that good neighbourly relations cannot coexist with the persistent sponsorship of terrorism.

Speaking at an event at IIT Madras, Jaishankar said India’s neighbourhood policy is guided by pragmatism and “common sense,” clearly distinguishing between cooperative neighbours and hostile ones. “When it comes to bad neighbours who persist with terrorism, India has every right to defend its people and will do whatever is necessary,” he said. “You cannot ask us to share our water and at the same time spread terrorism in our country.”

Referring to India’s western neighbour, the minister said that deliberate, persistent and unrepentant support for terrorism leaves India with no choice but to protect its citizens. “How we exercise that right is up to us. Nobody can tell us what we should or should not do. We will do whatever we have to do to defend ourselves,” he asserted.

Jaishankar linked the issue of terrorism with the breakdown of trust in regional cooperation, including water-sharing arrangements. He noted that while India had entered into agreements in the past in the spirit of good neighbourliness, decades of cross-border terrorism had eroded that foundation. “If there is no good neighbourliness, you don’t get the benefits of that good neighbourliness. You cannot say, ‘Please share water with me,’ while continuing terrorism. That is not reconcilable,” he said.

Contrasting this with India’s approach towards friendly neighbours, Jaishankar highlighted New Delhi’s record of extending support during times of crisis. He cited India’s supply of COVID-19 vaccines to countries across the world, fuel and food assistance during the Ukraine conflict, and the $4 billion support package extended to Sri Lanka during its recent financial crisis. “India’s growth is a rising tide for the region, and most of our neighbours recognise that when India grows, they grow with us,” he said.

The minister also noted that he had recently visited Bangladesh to represent India at the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, underscoring India’s continued engagement with its neighbours.

Expanding on India’s broader worldview, Jaishankar referred to the civilisational concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the idea of the world as one family. He said the phrase reflects India’s longstanding belief that the world is not an inherently hostile place. “Our diplomacy today focuses on problem-solving by leveraging our strengths, competitiveness and partnerships,” he added.

Highlighting India’s global outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaishankar said vaccine diplomacy had an unprecedented emotional impact worldwide, particularly among developing nations and small island states that depended on India when wealthier countries stockpiled doses.

Concluding his remarks, the external affairs minister reflected on India’s civilisational continuity and its evolving role in the global order. He said India, as one of the few ancient civilizations to emerge as a major modern nation-state, draws strength from its history, culture and values. “This is about rediscovering and expressing our own internal creativity — not in an anti-Western way, but a non-Western one — while coexisting with and reinforcing shared democratic values,” he said