'Abhi Toh Khel Shuru Hua Hai...' S Jaishankar's Bold Messaging To China Amid Border Row, Says Quad WILL Grow

‘quad will grow, chinese may have objections, abhi toh khel shuru hua hai…’: s jaishankar

Nagpur: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today (Saturday, 13 January) reminded China that given the stand-off at the border, China should not expect other relations to move on normally.

While speaking on ‘Bharat’s Rise in Geopolitics’ at an event in Nagpur, the Foreign Minister touched upon several issues such as the manner in which India handled the oil trade issue when it came to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and explaining strongly to the world why India persisted in buying oil from Russia.

Jaishankar pointed out how in the last few years, from 2017, India has become a member of a grouping called Quad which believes in working together. “QUAD has grown now, as we think that we have a few common interests and hum miljulkar kuch kaam karenge (let us work together on a few issues). Now if the Chinese have objections, the fact is that I may sit down and listen to them, but ultimately I shall do what is in my interests. My decision cannot be made in China’s interests. There will be many such occasions. Abhi toh khel shuru hua hai (the game has only just begun) … there will be more,” the Foreign Minister said.

Asked whether being a part of two totally different sets of groupings of countries like BRICS and Quad is a complicated act for India, S Jaishankar said, yes – it is difficult but “not so complicated that we cannot do it.”

Speaking on China, S Jaishankar said that the borders between India and China are not mutually agreed and it was decided that both sides would not amass troops and would keep the other informed about their movements, he said. But the neighbouring nation violated this agreement in 2020, he added.

It brought its troops in large numbers to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Galwan incident happened, S Jaishankar said.

The Minister said he explained to his Chinese counterpart that “unless a solution is found at the border, they should not expect other relations to move on normally”.

“That is impossible. You don’t want to fight and do trade at the same time. Meanwhile, diplomacy is going on and sometimes solutions to difficult situations do not come in haste,” he asserted.

S Jaishankar also touched upon the recent diplomatic crisis with the Maldives. “Politics may go up and down but the people of that nation generally have good feelings towards India and understand the importance of having good relations,” he said, adding that India was involved in building roads, power transmission lines, fuel supply, providing trade access, investing and having people spend holidays in other countries.

These are parts of how a relationship is developed, though sometimes things do not go the right way and one has to reason with people to bring it back to where it should be, the Minister pointed out.

Speaking about India reclaiming its place under the sun, Jaishankar said that at the G20 meetings last year under India’s presidency “no one expected a united outcome after the G20 meetings last year under India’s presidency butwe managed.”

“Every passing year, the world feels India should be there but the world does not give things easily and generously. Kabhi kabhi lena padhta hai (sometimes we need to step forward and take it). We will keep moving on,” he said.

Asked about some of the prominent achievements of the country in foreign affairs, he said the relationship with the US was negative or difficult from 1947 for the next 50 years. But that began changing for the better under the prime ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. There is a difference in how the US views India today, he said.

“They recognise the importance India holds, especially in technology. The enthusiasm in American businesses for India has changed. They were never very strong earlier. The relationship with Australia has changed significantly,” he said.

One big plus and an achievement on the international relations front has been the progress in the trade, political, and security confidence with the Gulf nations, S Jaishankar pointed out. “Next month we will be seeing the opening of the Swaminarayan Temple in Abu Dhabi (in the UAE). To me there is a profound change in the way that country is looking at us,” he added.