In a forthright interview with the Dutch daily De Volkskrant, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar denounced Pakistan's deep-rooted involvement in terrorism, asserting that its state apparatus and military are complicit. While on an official visit to the Netherlands to strengthen bilateral trade relations, Jaishankar underscored India’s zero-tolerance approach to terror, referencing the recent Operation Sindoor as a calibrated strike against cross-border militancy. He dismissed Pakistan’s denials, emphasized the international visibility of terrorist operations within its territory, and reaffirmed that the Jammu and Kashmir issue remains strictly bilateral—excluding any third-party mediation.
Jaishankar in Europe: Diplomacy with a Dose of Realism
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent trip to the Netherlands was intended to bolster strategic and economic ties with one of India’s largest trade partners in the European Union. However, the headlines from his visit were dominated by his unapologetic remarks about Pakistan’s institutional support for terrorism. Speaking to De Volkskrant, Jaishankar firmly rejected the narrative that Islamabad is unaware of terror cells operating on its soil, instead asserting that “the state is involved. The army is up to its neck in it.”
His remarks come at a time when India’s global diplomatic engagement is intertwined with its firm stance on counterterrorism. This message, delivered on European soil, appears calculated to rally international opinion against the normalization of terrorist safe havens in the subcontinent.
Operation Sindoor: A Strategic Response to Cross-Border Militancy
Jaishankar referenced the recent Operation Sindoor—India’s precision military action on May 7—as an example of its evolving security doctrine. The operation was a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Srinagar that killed 26 civilians and targeted Jammu and Kashmir’s growing tourism sector. The attackers, according to Indian intelligence, intended to stoke communal tensions and derail economic revival in the region.
Jaishankar called for international recognition of India’s right to act in self-defense. “If the terrorists are in Pakistan, we will hit them where they are,” he said, reaffirming India’s readiness to carry out targeted responses against threats beyond its borders.
Deconstructing Pakistan’s Narrative
When asked whether Pakistan’s leadership is genuinely unaware of these terrorist activities, Jaishankar drew a compelling parallel. “Suppose there were massive armed training camps in Amsterdam,” he posited, “would anyone believe that the Dutch government knew nothing?” He further pointed out that many individuals listed on United Nations terror sanctions reside openly in Pakistan’s major cities—known by name, address, and affiliation—yet operate with impunity.
Such statements signal India’s frustration with what it sees as a pattern of global double standards in addressing state-sponsored terrorism, especially when it originates from a nuclear-armed neighbor.
Ceasefire Agreement and Future Consequences
Despite recent hostilities culminating in Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar acknowledged that the May 10 ceasefire agreement has, for now, paused direct military escalation. However, he issued a pointed warning: should cross-border terrorism persist, consequences will follow. “The Pakistanis must understand that very well,” he said, adding that India will respond decisively to any attempt to destabilize its sovereignty.
Terrorism and Kashmir: Drawing the Line
One of the clearest themes in Jaishankar’s interview was India’s unwavering separation of terrorism from the Kashmir dialogue. He asserted that the two are not to be conflated. Terrorism, in his view, is a transnational crime that defies justification under any political or territorial context. Addressing the religious overtones of the recent Srinagar attack, he cautioned the international community against tolerating such targeted extremism.
Reinforcing India’s legal claim over Jammu and Kashmir, he stated, “The illegal occupiers should return their illegally occupied parts to the rightful owner. And that is us.” This reiteration aligns with India’s long-standing policy: while the Kashmir issue is open for bilateral discussion with Pakistan, any solution must exclude third-party involvement.
Rebuffing Foreign Mediation
In response to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of mediating the ceasefire following Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar reiterated India’s rejection of any external interference. “This is something that we will do together with Pakistan,” he said, maintaining New Delhi’s position that Kashmir remains an exclusively bilateral issue under the 1972 Simla Agreement.
Trump had credited trade leverage for influencing both nations toward a ceasefire, but Indian officials have consistently denied his claims. For India, external overtures—no matter how well-intentioned—are viewed as a threat to its sovereign decision-making.
A Nation Resolved
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking shortly after Jaishankar’s interview, further hardened the national tone. In a stern message to Pakistan and its proxies, he declared that any harm to India’s civilians would provoke a response aimed at “turning perpetrators into dust.” He described Operation Sindoor as a new paradigm in India’s counterterrorism playbook—assertive, targeted, and unapologetic.
Together, Modi and Jaishankar’s statements underscore India’s growing assertiveness in defining its regional security narrative. The message to both domestic audiences and the international community is clear: India will no longer tolerate ambiguity when it comes to state-sponsored terrorism.
Conclusion: Beyond Diplomacy, Toward Accountability
In a world increasingly burdened by geopolitical ambiguity, Jaishankar’s remarks stand out for their moral clarity and strategic precision. They not only reflect India’s evolving posture in regional security but also challenge global stakeholders to reassess the cost of inaction.
India, long the victim of trans-border terrorism, is reshaping the global conversation. With Operation Sindoor as a flashpoint and diplomacy as its compass, New Delhi is making clear that sovereignty, justice, and security are not negotiable.
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