Speaking at a BIMSTEC gathering on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah put forward two linked positions: that tolerance for terrorism has no place in India's policy, and that member states across the bloc need to build deeper trust with one another to tackle both organised crime and broader threats to regional stability. Speaking at the BIMSTEC Home Ministers' meeting, Shah told those gathered that he would be putting forward India's official position on the country's behalf.
India's hosting of the inaugural BIMSTEC Home Ministers' gathering — attended by ministers and special representatives — marked a formal step in the regional forum's development.
Describing BIMSTEC as a meaningful forum for regional ties, economic collaboration, and shared security, Shah conveyed that the philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' — the idea that all of humanity forms one family — continues to guide the country's approach, adding that a commitment to peaceful relations, mutual coexistence, and the welfare of people has remained a consistent feature of its conduct, and that initiating conflict or seeking dominance over other nations has never been part of its position. He went on to say that the country has consistently maintained a position of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, with differences to be settled through dialogue rather than conflict.
Drawing on remarks delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok that April — where he had cast the grouping as a vehicle for inclusive development and security rather than a conventional regional body — Shah told fellow ministers that the collective work ahead involved translating that stated cooperative intent into practical arrangements capable of protecting citizens and strengthening the operational capacity of national agencies.
Addressing the BIMSTEC security framework, Shah conveyed that the strides taken under that arrangement have drawn India's endorsement, and that the country intends to maintain active participation in tackling overlapping threats — among them cross-border organised crime, drug trafficking, and international terrorism — while working toward the full and effective application of the bloc's relevant agreements.
Calling for live data-sharing and coordinated action among intelligence, law enforcement, financial oversight, and border management bodies, Shah described such integration as indispensable to tackling the threats at hand, and added that a stance of zero tolerance toward terrorism has long defined the country's approach. He stated that the alliance draws its cohesion from a shared understanding that the defence of any one member nation reinforces the standing of all the others.
Shah called on all parties across the region to close off any avenues through which armed extremist networks might shelter, draw in new members, build financial resources, or conduct operations directed at neighbouring states. He further remarked that cooperation on extradition and mutual legal assistance, guided by national laws and any applicable treaties, flows between all parties involved.
Drawing on a speech he gave at the 2020 BIMSTEC Conference on Combating Drug Trafficking, Shah outlined how that address had focused on deepening cross-border cooperation against narcotics, and went on to characterise the drug trade as a force eroding young lives, community bonds, cultural identity, and the opportunities available to future generations. He stated that addressing the problem falls outside what any one country can accomplish through its own measures alone, and put forward a coordinated strategy spanning the entire region as the path forward.
Shah noted that revenue generated through drug trafficking flows into organised crime networks and has also been linked to the financing of extremist violence. He pointed out that precursor chemicals are sometimes obtained unlawfully and that transactions routed through anonymous online networks add further layers of difficulty to addressing the problem.
The Home Minister described human trafficking as a shared threat to both security and human rights, calling on member states to maintain coordinated work across the full chain of victim support — from identification and rescue through to rehabilitation and safe return home.
Seven nations — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand — make up the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, a regional body known by the acronym BIMSTEC. Drawn from the organisation's own published materials, BIMSTEC pursues joint efforts spanning a broad portfolio — from food security and agricultural development to fisheries, livestock, and the blue economy, alongside connectivity, cultural exchange, disaster preparedness, energy, environmental and climate-related concerns, fiscal and monetary coordination, health, human resource development, and the strengthening of ties between communities.
