“I don’t know why that’s hard to understand.” These international journalists provoked an unusual response from S Jaishankar.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00That doesn't actually answer the journalist's question, so I want to ask you again.
00:04No, I think it answers the question, if you would be objective enough to understand it.
00:09UN experts have been dismissed by you as being presumptive and not providing the correct information about Manipur.
00:18Was that comment correct? My answer to you would be yes.
00:30You were asked about India's downgrading in Freedom House and V-Dem and other democracy scores and the journalist asked you,
00:55quote, how do you see this play itself out in terms of how India is being perceived by the world and these new reports?
01:03In your response, you said, quote, it is hypocrisy. I thought you were supposed to ask me a question.
01:06I am asking you a question. It is hypocrisy.
01:09We have a self-appointed custodians of the world who find it difficult to stomach that someone in India is not looking for their approval,
01:16is not willing to play the game they want to play. That doesn't actually answer the journalist's question.
01:21So I want to ask you again, are you concerned that perceived democratic backsliding in India is going to undermine its efforts to become a rising power in the world?
01:30And by the way, let me just add, this meeting is on the record.
01:33So I think it answers the question, if you would be objective enough to understand it.
01:39I think it says very clearly that the people who are writing these reports have a strong bias.
01:47Often they distort facts. Many of these reports are actually riddled with inaccuracies.
01:55So I put it to you, there's an ideological agenda out there. I don't know why that's hard to understand.
02:17I had a question about Manipur in particular.
02:25We want to know what your government is doing to address the divisive politics that's leading to attacks on minorities there.
02:32You have said that the comments from 18 independent UN experts who expressed concerns about Manipur were presumptive and misleading.
02:42However, it took three months before Prime Minister Modi spoke out on the issue.
02:47So instead of acknowledging that entire communities have been devastated, isn't it wrong that local officials,
02:53including the Home Minister and the Chief Minister of Manipur, are blaming the violence on infiltrators?
02:59What is the way the centre will take forward this issue at this time?
03:03So you're giving me a question or an answer or both?
03:06The question is, UN experts have been dismissed by you as being presumptive and not providing the correct information about Manipur.
03:17But isn't it the case that local officials have not responded adequately?
03:23And in fact, even the Prime Minister took three months before speaking out on the rape and parading of women in Manipur.
03:32So let me, if you ask me, I think the comment, which wasn't made by me personally, but was I think made by a spokesperson, if I understand it right.
03:42Was that comment correct? My answer to you would be yes.
03:45If you ask me, you know, what is happening today in Manipur?
03:49I think one part of the problem in Manipur has been the destabilizing impact of migrants who have come.
04:00That's one aspect of it.
04:01But there are also tensions which obviously have a long history which precede that.
04:08And today, I think the effort is on the part of the state government and the union government to find a way by which, you know, a sense of normalcy returns.
04:19That arms which were seized during that period are recovered.
04:23That there is an adequate law and order enforcement out there so that incidents of violence don't happen.