How S Jaishankar has held up a mirror to the world with tough diplomacy

He’s everywhere and he always ensures that he shows India in the best light. With his bold and no-nonsense style, he’s become every Indian citizen’s dream minister and has also become an internet sensation. A cursory glance on X or Instagram and you will find many posts and memes celebrating his fine diplomatic skills.But who’s the he that we are writing about? We are talking about none other than External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar – who has since taken charge always put his best foot forward and been able to navigate the world of diplomacy with ease and flair, and reflecting India’s stance in a concise and efficient manner.At the United Nations General Assembly, he once again showed his diplomatic prowess when he asked member states not to allow “political convenience” to determine responses to terrorism, extremism and violence – what many are perceiving to be a veiled dig at Canada amid the diplomatic standoff over the killing of a Khalistani separatist.Later during a ‘Discussion at Council on Foreign Relations’, he spoke of organised crime in Canada and raised concerns over them being “very permissive” due to political reasons. “In the last few years, Canada actually has seen a lot of organised crime, relating to the secessionist forces, organised crime, violence and extremism. They’re all very, very deeply mixed up. So in fact, we have been talking about specifics and information.”Also read: How S Jaishankar's persuasive diplomacy at UNGA ensured India's diplomatic transformation on the world stageHe added, “Our concern is that it’s really been very permissive, because of political reasons. So we have a situation where our diplomats are threatened, our consulates have been attacked... A lot of this is often justified, as saying that’s how democracies work. If somebody gives me something specific, it doesn’t have to be restricted to Canada. But if there’s any incident which is an issue and somebody gives me something specific, as a government, I would look at it.”But the recent Canada standoff isn’t the only time that S Jaishankar has ensured that India isn’t pushed around. The erudite politician with his deep knowledge of diplomacy has mastered the game and has rewritten the country’s branding on a global stage.The Russia conundrumFor India and the world, the previous year, 2022, was especially difficult, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. For New Delhi, the choices became tougher and strategic ties were put to the test.When the war began and sanctions were imposed on Russia, India’s neutral stance – one that they continue to hold even today, with PM Modi even stating that it was “not a time for war” – was questioned by the West.[caption id="attachment_13176072" align="alignnone" width="640"] Since the Russia-Ukraine war began last year, India has maintained a neutral stance. When faced with criticism about its oil purchases, S Jaishankar has hit back, asking Europe to look at just how much gas they have purchased. File image/AP[/caption]In particular, was New Delhi’s decision to purchase oil from Moscow. In April of last year, Jaishankar in the presence of then UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had said, “If you look at the major buyers of oil and gas from Russia, I think you’ll find most of them are in Europe. We ourselves get the bulk of our energy supplies from the Middle East, about 7.5-8 per cent of our oil from the US in the past, maybe less than per cent from Russia.”He further added, “I am pretty sure if we wait two or three months and actually look at who are the big buyers of Russian gas and oil, I suspect the list won’t be very different from what it used to be. And I suspect we won’t be at the top 10 of that list.”In June 2022, he once played on the front foot (he’s fond of cricket) at the GlobeSec 2022 Bratislava Forum when he was questioned about New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil. “I don’t want to sound argumentative but then tell me if buying Russian gas is not funding the war [in Ukraine]. It’s only Indian money and oil coming to India which funds (the war) but it’s not gas coming to Europe which funds (it).”It was also at this forum that Jaishankar now uttered the words that are unforgettable: “Somewhere Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.“If I were to take Europe collectively which has been singularly silent on many things which were happening, for example in Asia, you could ask why would anybody in Asia trust Europe on anything at all.”Smashing Western hypocrisyAnd Dr S Jaishankar hasn’t minced his words on the West’s hypocrisy, even if at the cost of sounding repetitive.In April 2022, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said his country was monitoring “a rise in human rights abuses in India by some officials” after the 2+2 dialogue was addressed by Blinken, Jaishankar, defence minister Rajnath Singh and US defence secretary Lloyd Austin.Reacting to it, the external affairs minister had said: “Look, people are entitled to have views about us. But we are also equally entitled to have views about their views and about the interests, and the lobbies and the vote banks which drive that. So, whenever there is a discussion, I can tell you that we will not be reticent about speaking out.”Even when Sweden-based Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute categorised India as an “electoral autocracy” in 2021, Jaishankar, when asked about it, questioned the rating. “It is hypocrisy. We have a set of self-appointed custodians of the world who find it very difficult to stomach that somebody in India is not looking for their approval, is not willing to play the game they want to play. So they invent their rules, their parameters, pass their judgements and make it look as if it is some kind of global exercise,” he had then said.And as recently as April of this year, Jaishankar had said that the West thinks it has a “God-given right” to comment on internal matters of other countries.Tough on ChinaDr Jaishankar has also in his tenure held his own against China, what many perceive as India’s biggest worry. The minister has had tough words for India’s neighbour, which many term as indicative of termed as the “Jaishankar Doctrine”.While addressing a media event in March, Jaishankar didn’t pull back and said on China: “The China situation is very fragile and the situation is very challenging. You cannot violate agreements and pretend that everything is normal.“There will be no normal ties with China if border agreements are breached. You have to mutually agree on patrolling in certain areas. In the 1970s, we chose areas where we wouldn’t patrol,” he had said.[caption id="attachment_13176122" align="alignnone" width="640"] External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shakes hands with Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi. The external affairs minister has maintained that since the 2020 standoff in Galwan, India-China ties are not normal. PTI[/caption]When Beijing resorted to old tactics and released a ‘standard map’ in August, laying claim to Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region, it was S Jaishankar who once again called out the Asian Dragon.“It is an old habit. China has put out maps claiming other countries’ territories since (the) 1950s. The territories are part of India. We are very clear about our territories, and we will defend it. Just making absurd claims doesn't make others' territory yours,” he had told NDTV’s editor-in-chief Sanjay Pugalia.Calling out PakistanIn May, Jaishankar refused to cow down to Pakistan during the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Goa.His cold welcome of his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari became a meme and was applauded by netizens. But it didn’t just stop at that. The Cabinet minister also called out Pakistan’s Pakistan’s scandalous double-speak on terror. “As a Foreign Minister of an SCO member state, Mr Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terrorism industry, which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and they were countered including at the SCO meeting itself.”[caption id="attachment_13176162" align="alignnone" width="640"] Journalists watch live on a big screen as Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar shares cold vibes with his Pakistan counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari prior to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) council of foreign ministers' meeting, in Goa. File image/AP[/caption]In response to Zardari’s “let’s not get caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring, Jaishankar added: “What does weaponising something mean? …It means that the activity is legitimate. But it’s not. Now what are we doing? We are countering this, we are defending ourselves. We are calling it out. We are not scoring diplomatic points. We are politically and diplomatically exposing Pakistan before the world.”Earlier too, Jaishankar has engaged in a spade-a-spade diplomacy with Pakistan. Back in 2019, when addressing a press conference to mark 100 days of the Modi 2.0 sarkar, he had said, “Part of the problem is that Pakistan is only doing talking. It has not been doing anything other than this.”“They think that nice words are an answer to the real problem, and the real problem is the dismantlement of this industry (Islamist terrorism) that they have created.”But maybe his toughest response to the situation in Pakistan came in December last year when a journalist queried the foreign minister on India supporting terrorism.Jaishankar in a curt manner cut him down by saying, “You’re asking the wrong minister when you say ‘how long will we do this’.”He also shot back with a scathing rejoinder, saying that the world is neither stupid nor forgetful. He said that the journalist had chosen a wrong person about the duration of support for terrorism. It is the Pakistani ministers who will be able to clarify how long Pakistan plans to practise terrorism.And we can be assured that his hard-hitting words and no-nonsense style isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. As he himself said in an interview before, “I am very nice to people who are nice to me. When I get pushed, I think it’s natural to push back. And in the year or so we have been pushed back.”With inputs from agencies