New Delhi, Oct 25: The use of terrorism as an “instrument of statecraft” is simply unacceptable, and it can never be justified or rationalised, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday and flagged that it continues because “not all states really display zero tolerance” for the menace.
Despite history holding so many lessons on it, “some still allow political calculations to take precedence”, he said in his address at an event here without naming any country.
At an event held here to mark the 75th anniversary of Chinmaya Mission, the minister underlined the importance of peace, especially amid the ongoing conflicts in the world, and cautioned that “war anywhere threatens peace everywhere”.
He cited the two major conflicts going on in the world, in Ukraine and in West Asia, and said societies and economies and people far away who have little say in the matter are actually “paying the cost”.
“We cannot remain helpless spectators. India expresses global sentiment when we urge that dialogue and diplomacy are the only solution,” the EAM said.
The minister underlined that India is making efforts towards peace building and is open to working with other partners to that end.
“Terrorism is another deadly threat to peace. Its usage as an instrument of statecraft is simply unacceptable. It can never be justified. It can never be rationalised. Yet it continues because not all states really display zero tolerance. Despite history holding so many lessons, some still allow political calculations to take precedence,” Jaishankar said.
The world must, therefore, develop sharper awareness about this common threat, and it must come together with stronger resolve and counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, he said.
Jaishankar delivered the address in the presence of UN Resident Coordinator in India, Stefan Priesner, who also shared the dais with him.
The external affairs minister underlined that progress and prosperity are the flip side of conflicts and violence and are equally indivisible.
“The world cannot advance half prosperous and half denied. In an era of intricate supply chains, of globalised markets, and of common resources, this is simply a prescription for continuous instability,” he cautioned.
Jaishankar reiterated that the Global South today faces a ‘4F’ crisis — of finance, fuel, food and fertiliser and said the Global North must realise that it has “equal stakes” in finding solutions.
“The international economy must be urgently derisked and nations provided with more diversified options. Market distortions through constriction and chokepoints only add to suffering. A genuine dialogue in this regard is overdue,” the minister said.
In his address, he also said the United Nations must show leadership, and “not be a spectator” to global crises, while asserting that the case for “reformed multilateralism” gets stronger by the day.
“We know we live in an imperfect world. But we all continuously strive towards greater perfection,” Jaishankar said.
As far as the UN is concerned, that means “recognising its shortcomings and limitations” and seeking “improvement,” the minister added.
“The case for reformed multilateralism gets stronger by the day. Large parts of the world cannot be left out from decision-making. The UN must show leadership, not be a spectator to global crisis,” Jaishankar said.
The Union minister also emphasised that people have witnessed perpetual arguments between those who stress competitiveness and others who see a virtue in cooperation.
“These may be individual or even societal predicaments, but on the global stage, they translate into how nations behave with one another,” he said.
On the role of evolving technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI) in reshaping the world, Jaishankar said that humankind now really stands at the crossroads.
“AI promises to be the mother of all change. But something so sweeping, something so consequential, it cannot be left in the hands of just a few. That would go counter to the trends of freedom and democratisation that the world has seen over the last 80 years,” he said.
For this reason, India is a strong advocate of a “responsible, inclusive, and human-centric approach”, he said.
That is a recognition of AI’s universal applicability and of the need to develop a wider perspective, the EAM added.
Emphasising India’s development cooperation with a large number of countries, and helping them out in times of need and crises, he said, for India, the ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is practised, it is not merely preached”.
