'If 26/11 happens now...': EAM S Jaishankar on India's response to terrorists
Addressing the nature of terrorism, Jaishankar said that terrorists should not perceive themselves as beyond repercussions simply because they operate from across the border. "Terrorists do not play by any rules. The answer to the terrorist cannot have any rules," he said.
FollowExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday (April 12) highlighted the imperative of swift action in response to terrorist threats during an interactive session in Pune, centered around his book "Why Bharat Matters". Reflecting on the potential recurrence of events akin to the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, Jaishankar stressed the necessity of a proactive approach and said, "If one does not react, then how can you prevent the next one from happening?"
Addressing the nature of terrorism, Jaishankar said that terrorists should not perceive themselves as beyond repercussions simply because they operate from across the border. "Terrorists do not play by any rules. The answer to the terrorist cannot have any rules," he said.
When questioned about the challenges in maintaining relations with certain countries, Jaishankar candidly referred to Pakistan as a significant hurdle. He attributed this difficulty, in part, to India's historical approach towards tackling terrorism emanating from its neighbor.
"One reason for this is us. If we had, from the very start, been clear that Pakistan is using terrorism, and this would not have been tolerated under any circumstances, we would have had a very different policy," Jaishankar remarked.
Highlighting the prolonged nature of India's struggle against terrorism, Jaishankar traced its origins back to the partition of India in 1947. He recounted instances of early terrorist incursions into Kashmir, stressing the continuity of the challenge. "This problem did not begin in 2014 nor when Mumbai was attacked in 2008. This started way back in 1947," Jaishankar noted.
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