Priyanka Tiwari
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During a session at the Raisina Dialogue 2025, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed global governance issues, highlighting the longest-standing illegal occupation of a country’s territory, which pertains to India in Kashmir.
Jaishankar reaffirmed that sovereignty and territorial integrity remain fundamental principles of international order. He criticized how India's approach to the United Nations (UN) following the Kashmir invasion led to its transformation into a dispute rather than an act of aggression.
#WATCH | Raisina Dialogue 2025 | Delhi: At the 'Thrones and Thorns: Defending the Integrity of Nations' session, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "We all speak of sovereignty and territorial integrity. It's a vital principle and a bedrock of global rules. After World War II, the… pic.twitter.com/1iygclSxqu
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2025
"After World War II, the longest-standing illegal presence and occupation of a territory by another country pertains to India in Kashmir. We went to the UN. What was an invasion was made into a dispute. The attacker and the victim were put on par," he stated.
The Role of Western Nations and Political Interference
Jaishankar raised concerns about the role of Western nations, questioning their involvement in global conflicts. He pointed out that countries like the UK, Canada, Belgium, Australia, and the USA played a role in framing Kashmir as a dispute instead of an illegal occupation.
He also critiqued the double standards in global politics:
"We speak today of political interference. When the West goes out into other countries, it's in pursuance of democratic freedoms. When other countries come into the West, it seems to have a very malign intention," Jaishankar said.
Need for Fairness in Global Governance
The minister emphasized that a fair global order requires a strong and reformed UN. He highlighted inconsistencies in how military interventions and coups are viewed across different regions:
"If we need to have an order, there must be fairness... A strong UN requires a fair UN... A strong global order must have some basic consistency of standards. We have military coups to our east in Myanmar, they are a no, no. We have them even more regularly to the West where they seem to be okay."
Jaishankar urged the international community to re-evaluate the last eight decades of governance and recognize shifting power balances.
"It's important to audit the workings of the world for the last eight decades and be honest about it. We need a different conversation. We need a different order," he concluded.
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