S Jaishankar cites Pew: 79% Sri Lankans view India positively
Turns out, 79% of Sri Lankans see India in a positive light, according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. He shared this at an Economic Times event, referencing a Pew survey.
For Jaishankar, who spent time in Sri Lanka during the tense IPKF mission years ago, this statistic felt especially meaningful.
Jaishankar rejects nostalgia over India ties
Jaishankar used these numbers to bust the myth that India's relationships with its neighbors were ever truly easy.
He recalled moments like an Indian company losing a Maldives airport contract mainly because it was an Indian company and the presence of Indian terrorists and separatists in Dhaka in the past.
His message: dealing with neighboring countries has always been complicated and calls for both cooperation and caution, not nostalgia for a simpler past.