Jaishankar reveals he is not mass communicator like PM Modi, Amit Shah, says 'I am much more comfortable in town hall kind of thing'

External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday revealed that he is more comfortable in attending townhall sessions with much lesser crowd as compared to doing election campaigns. In an interview with Hindustan Times, he said Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are capable of handling large crowds as they have impeccable mass communication skills, he can only conduct townhall type of addresses.

"I find I am much more comfortable and much more effective in doing more of a town hall kind of thing. Sure, town halls can be pretty big. I did one in Mumbai, a day before yesterday, there must have been about 2,000 people," Jaishankar said.

Speaking about the myths related to foreign policy, Jaishankar explained that the distinction between foreign and domestic policy is becoming less clear. For example, when India buys oil from Russia, it is a foreign policy decision. However, the impact is felt by Indian consumers at petrol pumps, making it a domestic issue as well.

"I find it very interesting because when I have gone to about nine or 10 states during the elections, I almost invariably get a set of questions on foreign policy. So I think somewhere it has seeped into people’s consciousness. What has seeped into it? One, a sense of pride about where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the country. Two, an understanding that some danger outside, it could be a pandemic, it could be terrorism, will not stay outside, and will come home. So it’s very interesting. If you look at the BJP manifesto, I think we have given much more space to foreign policy than we have ever given before," Jaishankar said.

While further explaining about talking to young people and understanding their concerns and interests, he said, "Since I became a minister, I have actually spent a lot of my time talking to young people. So, in that sense, a lot of their concerns and interests have been absorbed over the last five years. I find young people are actually very, very taken with what they believe is greater respect today for India at the world stage. They are fascinated. You have no idea how many times this Ukraine issue has come up. And sometimes, I actually talk to them about other operations. You know we did a very risky operation in Sudan. Our embassy was actually physically occupied by one of the combatant sides. I tell them how for example we organised oxygen supply, the kind of effort we made abroad or how you know there was a time when the US had put a ban on any vaccine ingredients going out…, how we persuaded the US. I think it’s good to see that sense of nationalism in young people because often when I travel out, my peer group ministers, they don’t have that same degree of optimism in their societies."