On June 28, 2023, External Affairs Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar, taking a swipe at Pakistan, said that India cannot be a SAARC meeting (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) as long as one of the member nations continues to indulge in acts of terrorism. India will not tolerate a situation where “terrorism happens by night and trade happens in the day,” he added.
“You may not have heard much about the SAARC because, in the past few years, there is not much to hear about. We did not have meetings because you have a member of SAARC who does not conform to all the basic requirements of what a good membership is, and that is today an obstacle reality of the SAARC to meet. You know I said we cannot continue the acts of terrorism and say that cooperation will continue to happen nevertheless,” Jaishankar said.
“I think there are issues there, and there is time to recognise the seriousness of the issues and not allow terrorism to happen by night and trade by the day. I do not think that well serves the country,” the minister said.
Talking about having good relations with neighbouring countries but not with Pakistan, Jaishankar said they cannot have a normal relationship because of cross-border terrorism.
“I would say Pakistan obviously is the exception when it comes to the neighbourhood. Again, this needs very little explanation. The fact is that we cannot allow terrorism to be normalised We cannot allow terrorism to be normalised. We cannot allow that to become the basis of the discussion with Pakistan. So, I do not think to me it is a common-sense proposition,” Jaishankar said.
“In fact, if anything, I am a little perplexed by why we did not arrive at the position earlier, But we have arrived now, and the issue is that until there is a departure from what I would say an abrogation of this policy of cross border terrorism. Clearly, it is not possible to have a normal relationship with that particular neighbour,” he said.
On relations and ties with the US, Jaishankar described PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US as the most productive prime ministerial visit considering the solid outcome of the trip and that the relations with the US and India have become exceptionally well.
Concerning the Khalistan issue, Jaishankar said Canada’s response to the concern appeared to be constrained by its vote bank compulsions, and India will have to respond if the activity impinges on its national security and integrity. The Khalistani issue has impacted and severely damaged the ties between the two countries in many ways in the last few years, he added.
India has been asking Canada not to give asylum or space to the pro-Khalistani separatists and extremist elements. “For us, how Canada has dealt with the Khalistani issue is a long-standing concern, frankly, because they seem to be driven by vote bank politics,” Jaishankar said.
“Their responses have all been, to the best of my understanding, actually constrained by vote bank compulsions,” he said. The External Affairs Minister made it very clear to Canada that if the activities there impinge the national security,” India will respond.
“We made it very clear, and I have done so in public, which is that there are activities which are permitted by Canada on the territorial integrity and security, then we will have to respond,” he said.
“It is something which is a continuing conversation with Canada, not always a satisfactory conversation, but it is something which we have made very clear. You can see that in many ways in the last few years, it has impacted our ties,” he said.
The External Affairs Minister also spoke about the relations between India and China following the Ladakh standoff. “the state of the border today is still abnormal,” Jaishankar said. The EAM also expressed that the relationship between India and China is going through a difficult phase because of the violation of agreements related to the management of the border.
The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in the confrontation at certain friction points In Eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. “At the end of the day for us, we recognise that it China is a large neighbour. Today it is a very significant global economy and significant power,” Jaishankar said.
He said any relationship has to be based on a high degree of mutuality, and there has to be respect for each other’s interests and sensitivities.
“And there has to be an adherence to agreements which were reached between us, and that it is a departure from what was agreed between us is today at the heart of the difficult phase that we are passing through with China,” he said.
“The bottom line is that, at the end of the day, the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship and the state border today is still abnormal,” he said.
