Jaishankar condemns US’ understanding of India’s history

The Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar on Saturday condemned the United States' criticism of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), pointing out that the comments were made without understanding the historical context of the law. While Speaking at the India Today Conclave, S Jaishankar said, “I am not questioning the imperfections of their democracy, their principles or lack of it. I am questioning their understanding of our history”.

He emphasized that the CAA was introduced to address the issues that surfaced from partition and remarked that the global response seems to overlook the realities of partition, News18 reported.

“If you hear the comments from many parts of the world, it is as if the partition of India never happened. And there were no consequential problems which the CAA is supposed to address,” the Minister said.

The foreign minister called on critics to examine their own policies, referencing the Jackson-Vanik amendment concerning Jews from the Soviet Union, the Lautenberg Amendment, the Specter Amendment, and the fast-tracking of Hungarians after the Hungarian revolution, as well as Cubans in the 1960s.

"So, if you were to ask me, have other countries, other democracies, fast-tracked on the basis of ethnicity, faith, social attributes, I can give you any number of examples," the minister said.

He added, that when something of a “very major” scale happens, it is "not possible to deal with all the consequences right then and there".

“The leadership of this country had promised to its minorities that if you have a problem, you are welcome to come to India. The leadership did not thereafter deliver the promises. It is not just our predicament,” the minister added.