You can’t say ‘please share water with us’ and then continue terrorism: EAM S Jaishankar
“Many years ago, we agreed to a water sharing arrangement, but if you had decades of terrorism, there is no good neighbourliness," he said.
- Jan 2, 2026,
- Updated Jan 2, 2026 1:47 PM IST
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said if a country has “bad neighbours”, it is entitled to defend itself however it wishes. If there is no good neighbourliness, then a country does not get the benefit of good neighbourliness.
Speaking at IIT-Madras, Jaishankar said, “You can also have bad neighbours…unfortunately, we do. If you look to the one to the west...if a country decides that it will deliberately, persistently, and unrepentantly continue with terrorism, we have a right to defend our people against terrorism. We will exercise that right. How we exercise that right is up to us. Nobody can tell us what we should or should not do. We will do whatever we have to do to defend ourselves…”
Without naming Pakistan, Jaishankar spoke of the Indus Water Treaty signed between New Delhi and Islamabad in 1960. “Many years ago, we agreed to a water sharing arrangement, but if you had decades of terrorism, there is no good neighbourliness. If there is no good neighbourliness, you don't get the benefits of that good neighbourliness. You can't say, ‘Please share water with me, but I will continue terrorism with you’. That's not reconcilable." India had put the water treaty in abeyance after the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam.
Speaking more on India’s neighbourhood policy, Jaishankar referred to his visit to Bangladesh to attend Begum Khaleda Zia’s funeral. “If you have a neighbour who is good to you or at least who is not harmful to you, your natural instinct is to be kind, to help that neighbour, and that's what we do as a country. When you look around our neighbourhood, wherever there is a sense of good neighbourliness, India invests, India helps, India shares” he said.
Jaishankar spoke about India’s vaccine deliveries during COVID-19 pandemic. Most of India’s neighbours received the first vaccine shipment from India, he said. Some countries, like Sri Lanka, was exceptionally stressed, and India stepped up with a package of $4 billion.
Most of India’s neighbours realise that India’ growth is a lifting tide, he added. “If India grows, all our neighbours will grow with us. I think that's the message which I also took to Bangladesh,” said Jaishankar.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said if a country has “bad neighbours”, it is entitled to defend itself however it wishes. If there is no good neighbourliness, then a country does not get the benefit of good neighbourliness.
Speaking at IIT-Madras, Jaishankar said, “You can also have bad neighbours…unfortunately, we do. If you look to the one to the west...if a country decides that it will deliberately, persistently, and unrepentantly continue with terrorism, we have a right to defend our people against terrorism. We will exercise that right. How we exercise that right is up to us. Nobody can tell us what we should or should not do. We will do whatever we have to do to defend ourselves…”
Without naming Pakistan, Jaishankar spoke of the Indus Water Treaty signed between New Delhi and Islamabad in 1960. “Many years ago, we agreed to a water sharing arrangement, but if you had decades of terrorism, there is no good neighbourliness. If there is no good neighbourliness, you don't get the benefits of that good neighbourliness. You can't say, ‘Please share water with me, but I will continue terrorism with you’. That's not reconcilable." India had put the water treaty in abeyance after the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam.
Speaking more on India’s neighbourhood policy, Jaishankar referred to his visit to Bangladesh to attend Begum Khaleda Zia’s funeral. “If you have a neighbour who is good to you or at least who is not harmful to you, your natural instinct is to be kind, to help that neighbour, and that's what we do as a country. When you look around our neighbourhood, wherever there is a sense of good neighbourliness, India invests, India helps, India shares” he said.
Jaishankar spoke about India’s vaccine deliveries during COVID-19 pandemic. Most of India’s neighbours received the first vaccine shipment from India, he said. Some countries, like Sri Lanka, was exceptionally stressed, and India stepped up with a package of $4 billion.
Most of India’s neighbours realise that India’ growth is a lifting tide, he added. “If India grows, all our neighbours will grow with us. I think that's the message which I also took to Bangladesh,” said Jaishankar.