Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said India is recalibrating its neighbourhood policy by balancing humanitarian assistance, development cooperation and firm responses to security threats.

Jaishankar, while speaking at the inauguration of Shaastra 2026- IIT Madras Techno-Entertainment fest, said that India has "naturally invested" in countries that share cooperative relations.

He noted that many neighbouring nations received their first COVID-19 vaccine consignments from India and the country also provided food support during the Ukraine conflict, when supply chains were strained.

Referring to Sri Lanka, he said India extended USD 4 billion in financial assistance during its economic crisis and responded immediately during a recent cyclone with rescue and relief efforts. "That is what good neighbours do," he said.

However, Jaishankar added that persistent cross-border terrorism remains a barrier to normal ties with certain neighbours.

"We have the right to defend our people. If you face terrorism for decades, you cannot have a good neighbourhood relationship. You cannot share water or cooperation with someone who continues terrorism," he said.

On Bangladesh, Jaishankar said India wishes the country well in its elections and hopes that "once things settle down, good neighbourliness will continue."

Jaishankar reiterated India's longstanding civilisational ties with Afghanistan, acknowledging the challenges faced by the Afghan people. He said he had a constructive discussion with his counterpart and expressed optimism that "things will improve over time."

Commenting on reports that a woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed by Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai airport in November, Jaishankar said India had formally protested the incident.

"A lady from Arunachal Pradesh was detained and harassed. We protested. Arunachal Pradesh is, and will always remain, a part of India. We expect other countries to respect laws and norms," he asserted.

On a light-hearted note Jaishankar said that his life is 'balanced' despite not having 'off days', but his wife might contradict him!

"In my life, I don't have off days. It's not like I work Monday to Friday and say Saturday-Sunday I won't do anything because the world doesn't accommodate that. The world still runs on Saturday-Sunday.

My life is very mixed up; it doesn't operate on a single time zone, and there is no off switch and no on switch. What I try to do is, within that, build habits and practices and indulgences which make you a stable, reasonable and congenial person who can deal with the rest of the world," he said.

"I listen to music, I read books, I watch movies, I see sports, most of the time I am very normal... If you build a physical routine into your cycle, give yourself some time to read, write, think, talk, watch I can tell you your daily routine itself is so balanced that you don't need to unplug, but my wife is sitting here and she may contradict me," he added.