1962 conflict with China significantly damaged India's standing at world stage: Jaishankar

India's position at the world stage seemed assured but the 1962 conflict with China significantly damaged the country's standing, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. Delivering the fourth Ramnath Goenka memorial lecture, he also said the Simla agreement of 1972 resulted in a revanchist Pakistan continuing problems in Jammu and Kashmir.

In his address, Jaishankar touched upon a variety of issues while giving a rundown of India's external engagement over the last few decades. "If the world is different (today), we need to think, talk and engage accordingly. Falling back is unlikely to help," he said, adding "purposeful pursuit of national interest is shifting global dynamics."

Highlighting India's new approach in dealing with terrorism, he compared "lack of response" to the Mumbai terror attack to the way the country responded to the Uri and Pulwama strikes. On India walking away from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the external affairs minister said no agreement was better than having a bad agreement.

Giving a historical perspective to geopolitical issues, Jaishankar said, "For years India's position on the world state seemed assured, but the 1962 conflict with China significantly damaged India's standing." The Ramnath Goenka memorial lecture has been organized by the Indian Express Group.

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