Those sponsoring, nurturing terrorism must be made to pay a high cost: Jaishankar

Speaking as the Chief Guest at Vadodara’s Parul University, which organised a Special Convocation Ceremony for 720 Foreign National Graduates on Friday, Jaishankar urged them to “take back a part of India” with them while exhorting them to “differentiate between daily concerns and perennial problems” faced by the global communities as they choose their career path.

Pleased to visit @ParulUniversity, Vadodara and deliver the convocation address for foreign national graduates of the class of 2025.

Spoke about the imperative of stronger international cooperation in a more diverse and pluralistic world, and 🇮🇳’s outlook driven by the ethos of… https://t.co/KaTba8XUhL pic.twitter.com/J8lAjkk92w

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 30, 2025

Stating that terrorism would be on the top of the list of issues faced by most nations, Jaishankar said, “The recent events have only sharpened our awareness. In Pahalgam, what we saw was an attempt to devastate the tourism economy of the Union Territory of J&K as well as an evil design to sow seeds of religious discord. 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, utilise and nurture terrorism for their ends are made to pay a high cost…”

Stating that India’s resolve is stronger than during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Jaishankar said, “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 to terror is manifested through its action… We will never give in to nuclear blackmail. Whatever decisions have to be taken in India’s national interest are taken and will continue to be taken. As we responded to the Pahalgam attack, it was also heartening to witness the understanding from other nations of our right to defend ourselves from terrorists.”

Earlier in his speech, Jaishankar stressed on international partnerships and collaborations and said that the global uncertainty necessitates self-reliance, which should not be confused with rejection of international friendships. He said, “Precisely because the world is so volatile and uncertain, it is essential that we consciously develop an approach of self-reliance, atmanirbharta… This should not be confused with a rejection of relationships or isolating ourselves from the world.”

He said, “In today’s context, it means having the essential capacities within our national control to the extent possible… In the recent counter-terrorism operation, Operation Sindoor, it was notable that our indigenous technology played a successful part. There could be no better refutation of those who ran down Make in India and undermined national self confidence.”

Stating that India’s “openness, pluralism and diversity” seeks “commonness rather than uniformity”, Jaishankar said, “We do have national interest and seek to advance them… This is sought to be done with mutual understanding and benefits… India is a rare civilisation state, which is reclaiming its rightful place in the comity of nations today. The return of pride in our heritage and traditions will surely be a message they will carry back to their respective countries.”

Jaishankar said that while several international relations were “transactional”, India belongs to a category of nations that values “sentiment”. He said, “It has become a fashion in some quarters to be openly transactional when it comes to dealing with other nations. Bear in mind that some are practising it even while preaching otherwise. There can be a legitimate debate about how best to engage the world. Some of it may be driven by cost benefit but among some societies, sentiment and value also count for a lot. India belongs to that category.”
He said, “Even while pursuing our national goals, we have always kept in mind our larger obligation to the world and the global community… as also our long tradition of growing with the world instead of distancing ourselves from it. We stand up, in many ways, by promoting commonness rather than seeking uniformity… languages, faiths, customs, traditions, cuisines, and practices… our openness to each other in India makes us open to the world… We do not build walls– real or metaphorical and do not impose ourselves on others.”