‘No justification, no looking away’: EAM Jaishankar reaffirms India’s right to defend against terrorism at SCO meet

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday delivered a sharp message on India’s firm stance against terrorism, declaring that there can be “no justification, no looking away and no whitewashing” of terror in any form.

Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting in Moscow, the minister reiterated that India will continue to defend its citizens against terrorist threats and called for “zero tolerance” from the global community.

India urges SCO to stay true to its founding purpose

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Addressing leaders of the 10-nation grouping, Jaishankar reminded the forum that the SCO was created to counter the “three evils”—terrorism, separatism and extremism—challenges that, he said, have only intensified in recent years.

“We must never forget that the SCO was founded to combat the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. These threats have become even more serious in the years that have passed,” he said, emphasising that the world must show “zero tolerance” towards terrorism.

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His remarks come amid heightened concern in India over the recent rise in terror attacks. On April 22, 26 civilians were killed in a terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region by The Resistance Front, an LeT-linked group. Last week, a car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort killed at least 15 people, later confirmed by the Union Cabinet as a “terror incident”.

Calls for unified global action, reforms within SCO

Reiterating India’s sovereign right to respond to terrorism, the EAM said: “As India has demonstrated, we have the right to defend our people against terrorism and will exercise it.”

He urged member states to adopt a unified, uncompromising approach, adding that India remains willing to contribute constructively to strengthening cooperation among SCO members.

The minister also advocated for deeper reforms within the 24-year-old organisation. Stressing the need for flexibility and modernisation, he said the grouping must align with contemporary challenges, including organised crime, drug trafficking and cybersecurity.

Jaishankar renewed India’s push to make English an official language of the SCO — currently limited to Russian and Chinese — calling the decision “long-delayed” and essential for the organisation’s evolution.

Also Read: In last 6 months, India’s biggest anti-terror crackdown: Explosives, drone weapons and radical network spread across states busted

India pitches for innovation, youth-focused initiatives

Highlighting New Delhi’s recent contributions, the EAM pointed to the SCO Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and the SCO Startup Forum, which India initiated to encourage entrepreneurship and creativity among the youth.

“As the organisation becomes more diverse, the SCO must be more flexible and more adaptable,” he said, calling for “fresh thinking and new collaborations” to equip the grouping for current and emerging challenges.

Jaishankar concluded that the SCO must expand its agenda, reform its working methods and adapt to a changing global landscape, assuring that India will support these objectives “positively and fully”.