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Watch: ‘Nehru’s Handling Of 1962 Conflict Significantly Damaged India’s Standing At World Stage’, Says S Jaishankar
S. Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs. (Photo credit:BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages)
Delivering the fourth Ramnath Goenka memorial lecture, India’s External Affair Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday (14 November) said that the 1962 conflict with China significantly damaged the country's standing, , reports Economic Times.
Jaishankar said, "For years India's position on the world state seemed assured, but the 1962 conflict with China significantly damaged India's standing."
He also pointed out that the Simla agreement of 1972 resulted in a revanchist Pakistan continuing problems in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jaishankar spoke on variety of issues and challenges India faces while giving a rundown of India's external engagement over the last few decades.
"If the world is different (today), we need to think, talk and engage accordingly. Falling back is unlikely to help," he said, adding "purposeful pursuit of national interest is shifting global dynamics."
He was critical on the "lack of response" to the Mumbai terror attack (2008 26/11) and contrasted it with the way the country responded to the Uri and Pulwama strikes.
He also said that we need to do a dispassionate assessment of our performance in foreign policy, defence preparedness and after seven decades of independence many of our border remain unsettled and we must develop a sharp awareness of our own performance.
Jaishankar also talked about ‘liberal fundamentalism at work’ and he said, “My reputation is not decided by a newspaper in New York”, over the criticism of the government on the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir and Article 370.
On India walking away from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), he said, “No agreement was better than having a bad agreement.”
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