India will never give in to nuclear blackmail: EAM Jaishankar

New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Friday reiterated that India will never give in to nuclear blackmail, asserting that those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism must pay a high price.

Addressing the Parul University Convocation in Gujarat’s Vadodara, EAM Jaishankar said that the recent events (Operation Sindoor) have only sharpened India’s awareness about terrorism.

“In Pahalgam, what we saw was an attempt to devastate the tourism economy of Kashmir, as well as an evil design of sowing religious discord,” he said.

EAM Jaishankar emphasised that the barbarity of the killings required an exemplary response, which was delivered by destroying terrorist command centres, especially in Bahawalpur and Muridke.

“It is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for their ends are made to pay a high cost. That it warranted a forceful response even after the 26/11 attack in Mumbai in 2008 is widely acknowledged. But times have changed, and our resolve is much stronger now. Terrorism epicentres are no longer immune. India’s zero tolerance for terrorism is manifest today through its actions. We will never give in to nuclear blackmail. And whatever decisions have to be taken in India’s national interest are taken and will continue to be taken,” he added.

He pointed out that India was not alone in its fight against terrorism, as the country had the understanding from other nations of India’s right to defend itself against terrorism.

“In an age of narratives, it is also to be expected that friendships will be professed by many. After all, one goal of diplomacy is to maximise solidarity with other nations to strengthen one’s own position. Some countries do that through collectives based on geography and history; some others invoke faith, language or culture,” he said.

EAM Jaishankar emphasised that in India, it has primarily taken the form of what we call “Make in India”, as well as greater usage of our products and practices.

“Capabilities and confidence develop together, and advocacy of our talent and skills is very much a part of India’s development,” he said.

He added that in the recent counter-terrorism operation – Operation Sindoor, it was notable that our indigenous technologies played a very successful part.

“There could be no better refutation of those who publicly ran down ‘Make in India’ and undermined national self-confidence. I really hope that students going back to their respective countries carry back this message, this lesson. It may enthuse them to think of similar endeavours at home,” he said.

Picture Courtesy: IANS