‘No justification, no looking away’ - Jaishankar's hard-hitting message against terrorism at SCO meet in Russia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered a strong message against terrorism, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting in Russia on Tuesday. He declared that ‘there can be no justification,’ and ‘no looking away.'

“... We must never forget that the SCO was founded to combat the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. These threats have become even more serious in the years that have passed. It is imperative that the world displays zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justification, no looking away, no whitewashing of terrorism,” said Jaishankar – underscoring that India “has the right to defend its people against terrorism and will exercise it."

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

EAM S Jaishankar's remarks come amid investigations into the Delhi blast, which killed at least 12 people.

Delhi blast

On Monday evening, 10 November, at least 12 people were killed after a high-intensity explosion ripped through a slow-moving Hyundai i20 car near the Red Fort in central Delhi. The blast occurred around 7 pm at the Subhash Marg traffic signal, damaging nearby vehicles and prompting a nationwide alert.

Police sources, on Tuesday, confirmed that three cartridges had been recovered from the site, two live and one spent. The cartridges were of 9mm calibre, meant for firearms prohibited for civilian use.

A senior official told news agency ANI that no pistol or any of its parts were found at the scene, meaning that despite the recovery of cartridges, the weapon they were meant for has not been found yet. “These cartridges are usually only possessed by the armed forces or those with special permission,” police told the news agency.

Officials are now trying to determine how these cartridges reached the site, and whether the suspect possessed them.

In his address at the SCO meet, Jaishnkar also emphasised on the prevailing economic situation globally and the importance of fostering greater cultural ties in the influential bloc.

What did Jaishankar say about global economic situation?

“We assess the global economic situation to be particularly uncertain and volatile currently. Supply side risks have been aggravated by demand side complexities. There is consequently an urgent requirement to de-risk and diversify. This is best done by as many of us, forging the widest possible economic links,” said Jaishankar.

For that to happen, it is essential that this process be "fair, transparent and equitable," the EAM said.

"India's endeavours to conclude free trade agreements with many of us here are relevant," Jaishankar said. And, India's long-standing ties with SCO members makes it particularly pertinent, he added.

"As a civilisational state, India strongly believes that people-to-people exchanges lie at the core of any genuine relationship. Facilitating greater interaction between our intellectuals, artists, sports people and cultural icons will pave the way for greater understanding across the SCO," the external affairs minister said.