Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who is currently in the United States, spoke out on the issue of Article 370 repeal in Kashmir on Monday, while also criticising those who have slammed the suspension of internet services in law and order situations.
“The big song and dance about the internet being cut…if you’ve reached a stage where you say that an internet cut is more dangerous than loss of human lives, then what can I say?” Jaishankar said, according to reports.
The External Affairs Ministers also addressed queries on Article 370 repeal. “What was a temporary provision of the constitution was finally put to rest. This was supposed to be an act of majoritarianism. Now tell me what was happening in Kashmir, was it not majoritarianism? I think the way facts are slanted.. What is right and wrong is debated. This is actually politics at work,” he said.
It has been three years since the NDA-led central government repealed Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special treatment to Jammu and Kashmir. On August 5, 2019, the state was also divided into two union territories: J&K and Ladakh. The government hailed the move as “historic,” and described it as an effort to “unite and integrate” India. Law and order issues in J&K, which borders Pakistan, have frequently been a source of concern, affecting internet services.
Jaishankar has often vociferous on defending Indian interests on the global forum. The Minister had earlier said India matters in the world today and its voice counts because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Referring to the series of meetings he had with the world leaders in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar had said he can say this based on the feedback from these meetings.
The voice of India matters and is being taken seriously at the world stage because of the leadership and policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaishankar said at an interactive dialogue with the Indian-American community organized by the US India Friendship Council and Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS). “Today our opinions count, our views matter and have actually today the ability to shape the big issues of our time. I think these are main takeaways from a very, very intensive set of interactions over the last six days,” he said about his New York meetings.
US Visit
Jaishankar is currently in the US on a visit and the EAM and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin have discussed new opportunities for bilateral defence industrial cooperation, a move which Pentagon said would enhance New Delhi’s contribution as a regional security provider. Jaishankar, who is on a four-day official trip to Washington, had driven down to the Pentagon on Monday for a meeting with Austin.
The two leaders reviewed priority lines of effort to deepen bilateral defense cooperation, as the United States and India progress toward a more advanced stage in their partnership, according to a Pentagon readout of the meeting. Austin and Jaishankar committed to expanding information-sharing and logistics cooperation to drive deeper operational coordination between the US and Indian militaries. “They also discussed new opportunities for bilateral defense industrial cooperation in support of India’s contributions as a regional security provider, including the launch of a new defense dialogue later this year as the United States and India work more closely together across space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and other technology areas,” the Pentagon said. During the meeting, the two leaders underscored the value of the deepening collaboration between the US, India, Australia, Japan, and European partners.
In this context, the US looks forward to working with India and like-minded partners to promote security, prosperity, and transparency throughout the region, including through the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, the Pentagon said.
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