External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted how Sri Lankans perceive India, citing a recent Pew Research Center survey that found 79% of Sri Lankans had a favourable view of the country.
Speaking at an Economic Times event, EAM Jaishankar cited the findings while discussing India’s relations with its neighbours and the challenges New Delhi has faced in the region.
“If I were to ask this hall, which country do you think has the most favorable opinion of India? Would somebody like to guess? It’s a Pew poll. Okay, they look—you read the poll. Okay, somebody read the poll. Anyway, since you gave the answer, Sri Lanka, I think, if I’m not mistaken, had 79% favorable. So, 79% of Sri Lankans viewed India favorably," Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar Recalls Sri Lanka Experience
The Minister said the figure was particularly significant to him because of his own experience in Sri Lanka during his early career, when the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was deployed there.
“Now, that really touched me because, in my more youthful days, I served in Sri Lanka at a time when the Indian Peace Keeping Force was there. I saw the most difficult moments of that relationship. And for me, the idea that 79% of Sri Lankans would have a favorable view of India would be something beyond it."
He referred to the survey while arguing against the perception that India’s neighbourhood was more favourable in the past. He said relations with neighbouring countries have historically involved both cooperation and difficulties.
“You had, in Maldives, an Indian company expelled from a major airport contract, mainly because it was an Indian company," he said.
‘Let’s Not Create Political Fantasy’: EAM
Referring to Bangladesh, Jaishankar also pointed to the presence of Indian terrorists and separatists in Dhaka in the past. “So when you say, ‘Oh, there was, there was, you know, in the old days the neighbourhood was good,’ you know, let’s not create this political fantasy out here. The neighbourhood has had its problems," he said.
Jaishankar added that the challenge for India was finding the right balance in managing relations with its neighbours.
India aims to improve relations with its neighbours by basing them on mutual interest, rather than expecting them to act solely in India's interest. This approach seeks to find common ground for smoother relations. India also provides humanitarian and energy assistance to neighbouring countries, and is developing alternative connectivity routes that benefit these nations economically. Additionally, India is deepening strategic and economic ties through its "Neighbourhood First" policy.
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