Bengaluru: In a veiled attack on Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said things are changing for the better in Jammu and Kashmir but attempts will be made to disturb it as “there are interested parties, one lives right across.”
While speaking at an interactive session on the foreign policy of the Modi government, Jaishankar noted that there will be challenges when it comes to Jammu and Kashmir. However, he said that their efforts should be “to persevere, infuse that sense of confidence, to give that sense of hope, and to ensure there is security.”
When asked about the investment coming from the Middle East in Kashmir and also terror funding, Jaishankar said, “Clearly, things are changing for the better when it comes to Jammu and Kashmir. But, part of what needs to keep developing is actually the economy, the employment opportunities, the whole you know the ecosystem which comes which are much you know vibrant, economy, civil society. Attempts will be made to disturb it because there are interested parties, one lives right across, so we you know, we should not expect that there will not be challenges. There will be and it’s not necessarily limited to the western neighbours, there will be others as well.”
Emphasising that the government is working to instil a sense of confidence among people and is determined to overcome challenges, he said, “So, there will be challenges but our effort should be to persevere, to infuse that sense of confidence, to give that sense of hope, to ensure there is security and that is what really the government is doing. I mean, we have to also really recognise that men and women of this country make I mean they may be in the military, they may be in the security, they may be in the governance out there, they make sacrifices for all of this to happen. I think this is something we will do, we will continue doing.”
He further stated, “We know there will be obstacles but we are very very determined that we will overcome that.”
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Jaishankar stated, “Spoke in Mysuru on foreign policy of Modi Government. Thank the Thinkers Forum for organizing and the residents of the Palace City for attending in such large numbers. Their presence today is a statement that the world matters more to today’s India; that the Modi Government has changed the country and that involved citizens want to make informed choices in the world’s largest democracy.”
During the interactive session on the foreign policy of the Modi government in Mysuru, Jaishankar highlighted India’s response to global geopolitics.
“I think there are moments when it is, as I said, with nice people, you are nice. With difficult people, sometimes it’s necessary to push back. But I would say this because this has been my experience in the last year,” said Jaishankar while taking questions on former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan playing his speeches, lauding India for its independent foreign policy. (Agencies)