Jaishankar Slams West & UN for Kashmir ‘Invasion’ Stance: Raises Serious Questions

New Delhi, 18 March 2025: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday took a strong stance against what he called the West’s “double standards” on the Kashmir issue, stating that an initial “invasion” had been distorted into a dispute. He also underscored the necessity of a “fair and strong” United Nations. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue 2025, Jaishankar pointed out the inconsistency in how the West justifies interventions abroad in the name of “democratic freedoms” but perceives foreign influence in its own affairs as a threat.

Criticizing the UN’s handling of Kashmir, Jaishankar said that after World War II, the most prolonged unlawful occupation of a territory involved India in Kashmir. He highlighted that despite India approaching the UN, the invasion was misrepresented as a dispute, equating the aggressor and the victim. He also named several Western nations—including the UK, Canada, Belgium, Australia, and the US—as responsible for this mischaracterization.

“We all advocate for sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is a fundamental principle and a cornerstone of global order. Yet, post-World War II, the longest-standing unlawful occupation of another nation’s territory concerns India in Kashmir. We sought intervention from the UN, but what was an invasion was converted into a dispute. The attacker and the victim were treated equally. And who were the responsible nations? The UK, Canada, Belgium, Australia, the US? So excuse me, I have serious concerns about this entire narrative,” Jaishankar remarked at the ‘Thrones and Thorns: Defending the Integrity of Nations’ session at the Raisina Dialogue.

He also questioned the global inconsistencies in handling political interference. “Military coups in Myanmar are unacceptable, but in other parts of the world, they appear to be tolerated. It’s crucial to review the global order of the past eight decades with honesty and acknowledge that the world’s balance of power has shifted. We need a new discourse and a different global framework,” he asserted.

Jaishankar also criticized the shifting global stance on the Taliban, stating, “Look at Afghanistan. The same Taliban that was once an outcast was embraced during the Doha process and welcomed in Oslo. But now, the world is once again condemning their actions. If their behavior is problematic today, what exactly was being discussed in Oslo and Doha? A British general once referred to them as ‘country boys with their own honor code.’ When it suits global powers to engage with the Taliban, they are accepted. When it doesn’t, they are shunned. Similarly, an extremist who dons a suit and tie suddenly becomes acceptable. I find this hypocrisy troubling.”

The Raisina Dialogue, held in New Delhi from March 17-19, is India’s leading conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, organized by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs.