External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India will have no credibility if it does not treat terrorism as serious when it affects other countries.
The statement comes amid an ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, and India has abstained from a UN resolution on a ceasefire in Israel because it has not condemned Hamas for terror attacks. “We are taking a strong stance on terrorism because we are big victims of terrorism. We will not be credible if we say that when terrorism hits us, it is very serious; when it happens to someone else, it is not serious. We have to have a consistent stance,” Jaishankar said.
In a UN vote, India supported Canada’s motion to amend the resolution to include text condemning Hamas. However, as it was not accepted, India abstained from voting. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Yojana Patel said that terrorism is a malignant tumor and knows no borders, nation, or race. “The world should not indulge in any justification for acts of terrorism. Let us put our differences aside, unite, and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism,” Yojana Patel explained India’s position on the vote.
Speaking at an event in Bhopal, Jaishankar explained India’s different stances on external affairs and said that just as good governance is necessary at home, sound judgments abroad are essential.
“I’ll give you the example of Ukraine. I know a lot of attention has been paid to the fact that we’ve taken a strong position on our right to buy oil from Russia. But I want you to think about if we were to hide from pressure if we didn’t.” exercised this option, think how much higher the price of petroleum products would be. Imagine how much higher inflation would rise in the country. It’s not just about pride or a declaration of independence. A good government will stand up for its people,” Jaishankar said.
“The same countries in Europe that said they weren’t buying oil from Russia were buying it and making sure their people weren’t affected. We’re going to be under pressure. Because that’s the nature of the world. Strong government and good government are two sides of the same coin, Jaishankar added.
Image Source: Organiser
