India’s response to terrorism, border skirmish shows country won’t be coerced by anybody: Jaishankar

PTI, Jan 15, 2023, 9:48 AM IST

India’s counter response to terrorism emanating from Pakistan and to aggressive cross-border skirmish with China displayed that the nation will not be coerced by anybody, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

He added that the country will do everything to ensure its security.

The Balakot air strikes conducted by the Air Force in response to the Pulwama terror attack had sent the much-needed message across, he said referring to the incident in 2019.

“On the northern borders, China is today seeking to change the status quo by bringing in large forces and violating our borders. Despite COVID-19, our counter response was strong and firm. Our troops deployed in thousands safeguarded our frontiers in extreme terrain and harsh border and (protection of borders) continues to this day,” Jaishankar said while addressing the Tamil weekly Thuglak’s 53rd anniversary here on Saturday evening.

“The national wellbeing has many facets and national security is without question the basic foundation. All countries are tested in this regard but we perhaps had more than our fair share of problems ranging from insurgency to cross-border terrorism, especially terrorism. The Balakot air strikes sent the much-needed message,” the External Affairs Minister said.

“India is a nation that will not be coerced by anybody and it will do everything to ensure its security,” Jaishankar said.

At the same time, the Central government is working to create a full spectrum of relations and stronger economic linkages buttressed by closer security coordination, he added.

The Central minister asserted that India would have been the largest country in the world, not China, had the partition not taken place in 1947 that reduced the nation’s stature cutting off many regions.

“You may wonder why the External Affairs Minister is talking about all these. During my travels abroad, I have heard warm words on our (COVID-19) vaccines supplied to many developed countries and interest in our technology-enabled governance. My counterparts told me that they also have some issues. But since there’s only one Modi (Prime Minister), I had to tell them to find solutions through technology,” Jaishankar said.

India mattered on a global perspective too, because the country is always the first to respond to regional crisis. “India also matters in global security,” Jaishankar added.