S Jaishankar Expresses Affinity for Gujarat’s Vibrancy During Dubai Interaction

Dubai, December 10, 2023: India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, displayed his characteristic wit during an interaction with Indian students and young professionals in Dubai on Saturday. Responding to a question about how he feels being surrounded by Gujaratis, Jaishankar, who was elected unopposed in the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat, expressed his fondness for the state and its people.

Jaishankar humorously remarked, “I like it. For me, it’s quite interesting. In India, everyone has some friends from various parts of the country. Growing up, in various stages of my life, we had families from Gujarat in some way or the other with whom we had connections. But when I went there for elections (Rajya Sabha)…and after that, I go there obviously more often than any other state of India…I find it a very natural fit.”

Acknowledging the global outlook of Gujaratis, he said, “There’s a certain confidence and attitude among them.” He emphasized the strong sense of community among Gujaratis, describing it as particularly robust and positive. “So I would say it’s natural that the foreign minister should also be elected by the state of Gujarat,” he added with a smile.

Jaishankar later shared highlights of the event on social media, expressing his happiness about interacting with Indian students and young professionals in Dubai. He captioned the post, “Happy to interact with Indian students and young professionals in Dubai today. They will be at the forefront of building a Viksit Bharat in the Amritkaal.”

During the interaction, the External Affairs Minister shared insights into the transformations happening in India and their impact on the daily lives of Indians, both at home and abroad. He commended India’s ability to progress domestically and, during its G20 presidency, unite the world on common interests even amid challenging and divisive times.

“We today have not only shown an ability to progress at home, but we have shown also that India is capable of getting the world, at a very difficult, very divisive moment, around the table to agree on something common, you know something which is in our common interest. And that too, is something which says a lot about India,” Jaishankar remarked.