New Delhi: India has taken a strong stand at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the final communique of the meeting. The reason: it had no mention of terrorism.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar supported Singh’s move. He said India would not sign any document that ignored terrorism — the main reason SCO was formed.
Speaking at a press conference, Jaishankar said, “The SCO was created to fight terrorism. But one country opposed including the word ‘terrorism’ in the document. You can guess which one.”
India’s objection came after the communique left out any mention of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 people were killed. It also failed to address India’s concerns about cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan.
Sources said both China and Pakistan tried to divert attention from terrorism. Instead, the document mentioned unrest in Pakistan’s Balochistan province — a move seen as a veiled attack on India.
Pakistan has long accused India of backing Baloch armed groups. India denies this, saying Balochistan is an internal issue of Pakistan.
At the SCO meet, Rajnath Singh clearly voiced India’s position. He said terrorism and peace cannot go together.
“There should be no double standards,” he said. “Some countries use terrorism as a tool. They give shelter to terrorists. The SCO must not stay silent on this.”
He also called for united action against terrorism. He warned that non-state actors with weapons of mass destruction pose a major threat to peace in the region.
The SCO was set up in 2001. It now has 10 members, including India, Pakistan, China, Russia, and recently added Iran and Belarus. Decisions in the group are taken unanimously.
Since even one country opposed the mention of terrorism, the statement was blocked. India’s firm stand sends a message: fighting terrorism is non-negotiable.
