NEW DELHI: India’s rise will evoke its own reactions and responses, and there will be attempts to dilute the country’s influence and limit its interests, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday.
In a veiled reference to Pakistan, he said India continues to face “perennial problems” like cross-border terrorism and the national security challenges would be different in times to come.
Delivering the second Manohar Parrikar memorial lecture, Jaishankar said as India expands its global interests and reach, there is an even more compelling case to focus on its hard power.
“The national security challenges faced by this rising India are obviously also going to be different. At one level, some of the more perennial problems associated with our national consolidation and development will continue.”
“In particular, a long-standing political rivalry is today expressed as sustained cross-border terrorism by a neighbour,” he said.
Jaishankar made a mention of the Parliament attack, adding that “in some other cases, activities of insurgent groups need to be continuously monitored and neutralised.”