00:00And let me cut across to my colleague Pranay Upadhyay, joining us on the phone line.
00:05Pranay, very important message coming in from External Affairs Minister Esher Shankar, urging for peace and sending out that message
00:13to the entire world.
00:16You're absolutely right. In fact, Dr. Jai Shankar's speech not only reiterated what Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised in his
00:23interaction with U.S. President Donald Trump,
00:25with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Iranian President Masood Pazashkian, the issue of Indian seafarers,
00:33how these battle zones of the Russia-Ukraine conflict or West Asia conflict, the ever-expanding scope and horizon of
00:40this conflict,
00:41how it is jeopardizing the lives of Indian seafarers and those who are becoming co-naceal of these conflicts.
00:49So Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted this issue.
00:52And in fact, Dr. Jai Shankar from the Forum of the United Nations General Assembly during this speech also highlighted
00:58the plight of these Indian seafarers
01:00and in fact urged the global community to address these issues because this is not only jeopardizing the Indian life
01:07or risking the lives of Indian seafarers,
01:10but also this highlights these challenges and the problems being faced by the sea lanes of communication, how the international
01:18trade is getting impacted.
01:19On the other side, you know, if you see Dr. Jai Shankar's speech, you can see the consistency of India's
01:26stand as far as the issue of terrorism is concerned.
01:28Yesterday we heard, you know, how blatantly Pakistan's Prime Minister, you know, tried putting onus on India
01:35and in fact, you know, tried projecting an image of, you know, victory at the United Nations General Assembly.
01:42But clearly, India's external affairs minister not only called out Pakistan for its deeds and its act of terrorism,
01:49but also made it very clear the consistent viewpoint of India that there cannot be any compromise with terrorism.
01:57And in fact, no act of goodwill or friendship can be made sustainable if the other side is, you know,
02:05retorting to the tools of terrorism
02:07and pursuing and using terrorism as matters of their foreign policy.
02:15Can I request you to stay on with us? Let's listen into more excerpts of what the EAM said.
02:24New challenges in the maritime domain have added to long-standing ones on land.
02:31There have been attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers in the Gulf and from the Red Sea to the Black
02:37Sea.
02:38Indian seafarers have lost their lives, as indeed have others from other nations.
02:49India has joined Liberia and 23 other partners in an initiative to rally global public opinion against such unwarranted targeting.
03:01We must ensure that the safety and security of shipping and seafarers is never compromised.
03:09Scrupulously observing international law is an integral element of that endeavor.
03:16Can I want to come back to you, especially on the important message given out by EAM on the issue
03:24of seafarers,
03:25what Indian seafarers face during these turbulent times and how any risk to their lives is unacceptable?
03:34Absolutely. You know, as I mentioned earlier as well, and in fact, as you have heard,
03:39Prime Minister Nareem Modi is reiterating and highlighting this issue at multiple forums.
03:43Dr. Jai Shankar only extended the same argument in calling out the international community to collaborate, to coordinate.
03:50And in fact, he highlighted the challenge which all these battle zones are posing for the lives and safety of
03:57the seafading community
03:59because they are the civilians.
04:01They are the guardians of global, you know, trade lines, the same lanes of communication.
04:06And in fact, this clearly highlights that what challenges being posed by these battle zones,
04:13by these battle theaters to the international trade.
04:17And what we are witnessing is a serious situation right now because in the West Asia crisis or beat,
04:24you know, the battle zone or the battle theater of the Red Sea to Black Sea,
04:30many multiple, you know, incidents happen involving lots of life of Indian seafarers.
04:37And in fact, Dr. Jai Shankar mentioned the fact that how India is not only spearheading the call for better
04:45coordination
04:45and for making a public opinion, building and shaping a public opinion against such attacks
04:53because the commercial vessels are being attacked.
04:56And in fact, this is causing great disruption to energy supply, to international trade.
05:01And in fact, this is causing damage to various economies, including Indian economy.
05:06And that's why India, which always solicited the case of resolving issues through dialogue and diplomacy,
05:12has called upon international communities from the United Nations General Assembly
05:16and mentioned the fact that how India is paying a pivotal role in rallying public opinion regarding this issue.
05:23And in fact, Dr. Jai Shankar, through his engagement with the GCC country,
05:27Gulf, you know, cooperation countries of the Arabian Peninsula or the African nations,
05:33at every forum and in every interaction, Dr. Jai Shankar not only highlighted this issue,
05:40but asked these global leaders to come forward, step forward and have, you know,
05:45better coordination on this issue so that, you know, this can be stopped
05:50or the measures which are required to stop such attacks on commercial vessels can be taken.
05:57Absolutely. Pranis, stay on. We also have Rohit Sharma joining us on the phone line.
06:02Rohit, one of the biggest headlines that also came out of UNGA
06:05was the strong response given by EAM2, that Pakistani journalist,
06:10where he said that a terrorist country is asking me that question
06:13and how he's also, as part of his address, said that the sponsors of terror
06:19must be punished in equal manner. They must be called out.
06:25Absolutely. And I think, you know, again, I don't think he was, again, this is my opinion,
06:29I don't think he was responding to that one journalist. I think he was responding to the
06:33Pakistani prime minister and essentially saying that, you know, he's a serial practitioner of
06:39terrorism and they are the ones, you know, misrepresenting facts in front of the assembly.
06:45Again, again, mincing no words, right? I mean, talking about how they have been the ones who've
06:50state-sponsored terrorism, again, making it a part of how they govern and how they conduct
06:56their foreign policy, and then making it clear that India has the right and India will always
07:00defend itself against terrorism. So basically coming out, you know, owning the new role that
07:07India talks about that being a global leader of the South, talking about everything from,
07:12you talk about, you know, the war in Ukraine and Russia, the conflict that's ongoing in Iran,
07:19talking about the lives of seafarers and asking that, you know, the targeting of commercial shipping
07:26in seafarers, it cannot be done, and it's unacceptable. So I think a very measured, very important speech
07:31by E.M. Jashankar, hitting all the right notes, and as I was saying earlier, embracing the mantle
07:37of the leader of the global South.
07:41Oh, yes, absolutely. And that statement made very clearly where he said, goodwill and terror
07:47cannot go hand in hand. Like you said, strong message given to Pakistan and indirectly, directly,
07:54also, the entire world, been told about the sponsors of terror, and how we need to have
08:05a very constructive approach to it.
08:11Exactly. And look, you know, we are talking in the year, this is the 25th anniversary of 9-11.
08:16You know, one would assume that the world would be as willing to call on terrorism. There are still
08:23people in the world, countries, leaders, who sort of hesitate to talk about it, but Jashankar,
08:27you know, clearly targeting Pakistan, letting the world know that they are responsible for
08:31cross-border terrorism. They use terrorism as a policy, as a state policy, and if they do so in
08:38future, India is not going to hold back. India is going to defend itself against terrorism.
08:42And the brilliant thing is, you know, I just, one has to go back and look at this, you know,
08:46what he said. He said, the essential thing here is that these guys are serial practitioners of
08:53terrorism, and that is something big. You know, you're calling, you're basically not only asking
08:58them about, calling them out for the penal government attacks, but going back all the way,
09:02decades, that they have practiced terrorism as a state policy, and that India would never, ever,
09:07you know, back down from essentially calling them out, and again, defending themselves against
09:13Pakistan.
09:15Alright, Rohit and Pranay, many thanks for getting us those details.
