Bhubaneswar: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday asserted that India has every right to defend its people when faced with hostile neighbours, stressing that cooperation and goodwill cannot coexist with terrorism and sustained hostility.
Addressing an event, Jaishankar said a neighbouring country cannot expect India to share critical resources such as water while continuing to sponsor or spread terrorism within Indian territory. National security and the safety of Indian citizens, he emphasised, remain non-negotiable for New Delhi.
“India has the right to defend its people. You cannot ask for cooperation on one hand and promote terrorism on the other,” the External Affairs Minister said, without naming any country.
Referring to the now-suspended Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan, Jaishankar said goodwill-based agreements cannot survive in an atmosphere of prolonged violence and distrust.
“Many years ago, we agreed to a water-sharing arrangement. But if you have decades of terrorism, there is no good neighbourliness,” he said. “If there is no good neighbourliness, you do not get the benefits of that good neighbourliness. You cannot say, ‘Please share water with me, but I will continue terrorism against you.’ That is simply not reconcilable.”
The minister drew a clear distinction between India’s approach towards hostile neighbours and its engagement with friendly ones. He said India has consistently demonstrated responsibility and generosity towards countries that maintain constructive relations.
“With good neighbours, India shares, helps, and invests,” Jaishankar said, citing India’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it supplied vaccines, medicines, food grains, and fuel to several countries, often even while managing domestic challenges.
He also referred to India’s continued assistance to neighbouring nations during times of crisis, reiterating that New Delhi remains committed to regional stability, cooperation, and humanitarian support—provided such engagement is based on mutual trust and respect.
Jaishankar’s remarks come amid ongoing regional security concerns and underscore India’s firm foreign policy position that dialogue, development, and resource-sharing are possible only in an environment free from cross-border terrorism.
-OdishaAge
