In Geneva, S Jaishankar says past govts ‘neglected’ manufacturing in India

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while addressing the Indian diaspora in Geneva, took a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, explaining why India missed the opportunity in manufacturing. Jaishankar stated, “There are people who would say, why are we importing so much from China? Throughout the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, governments neglected manufacturing... Now people wanted to find a fix.”

He added, “People said we are incapable and should not attempt. How can you be a major power in the world without strong manufacturing?” Jaishankar also inaugurated a new building in Geneva that houses India’s Permanent Missions to the UN and the Indian Consulate.

Reveals his father was on 1984 hijacked flight

Answering a question, he said, “I haven’t seen the film on IC814 hijacking, so I don’t want to comment.” “I was part of the team dealing with 1984 hijacking. I informed my mother that I couldn’t come home because of the hijacking, only to discover that my father was on the same flight. Fortunately, nobody got killed.”