Jaishankar sees politics behind India's slip in global indices

Hubballi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar criticised global indices on hunger, freedom of press, and other factors that rank India lower than neighboring countries, dismissing them as disguised politics. He asserted that those who struggle in domestic politics seek support from foreign allies who then write critical reports about India.

"A lot of these reports are actually politics by other names. Sometime, when those who do not do well in politics within the country go and get friends abroad who start writing about India. This is also a way of doing politics. Some people in India are now feeling that we should bring out reports about rest of the world. May be you will see one day that how do you arrive at something which is much more balanced and objective rather than something which has a very political agenda," he said.

Responding to a student's query regarding India's global rankings, Jaishankar questioned, "Do any of you actually believe that our democracy and hunger situation is poorer than that of our neighbour, when we are exporting food to them in many cases?" A report saying that freedom of press is better in Afghanistan than in India would make you laugh, he added.

Jaishankar was interacting with students in Hubballi on Wednesday evening, after releasing a book on development works implemented under Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi's leadership in Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency in last 10 years.

Highlighting the essence of diplomacy, Jaishankar emphasised that it revolves around building relationships with other nations. The course changes from defensive to offensive when they are not nice to you or start pressuring you. It is politics with foreign countries, and you would not get the answer you want if you don't listen to them and have relationship, Jaishankar noted.