Overview
- Speaking at IIT Madras on January 2, the external affairs minister said India will decide how it defends itself and will not accept external prescriptions.
- Jaishankar linked cross-border terrorism to cooperative arrangements, stating that a country cannot expect water-sharing while facilitating terror.
- He referred to a persistently hostile western neighbor and used the phrase “deliberately, persistently and unrepentantly” to describe continued support for terrorism.
- Coverage recalled New Delhi’s punitive steps after the April 2025 Pahalgam killings, including the reported suspension of aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty.
- Contrasting approaches to neighbours, he highlighted vaccine deliveries and financial aid such as about $4 billion to Sri Lanka, and noted his recent visit to Bangladesh for Khaleda Zia’s funeral.