Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, while leading an all-party delegation on Operation Sindhu, a global outreach mission, asserted in Panama City that although the leaders of his all-party unit come from different political backgrounds, they all stand united in national purpose. The leaders have come together, cutting across party lines, for a global outreach program to promote India’s stance on terrorism.
“We all come from different political backgrounds and different parts of India, but we are united in national purpose,” said Tharoor.
Tharoor addressed the Panama Assembly, its President Dana Castañeda, and other parliamentarians, stating that India launched Operation Sindhu on May 7 only after waiting to see whether the Pakistani government would take any action against the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack.
“Nothing was clearly being done. Two weeks later, on May 7, we attacked the known headquarters of terrorist bases inside Pakistan. We had no interest in starting a war, but we felt that a terror act must not go unpunished,” said MP Tharoor. He further added that the problem of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is not over yet, and if there is another terrorist incident tomorrow, the delegation might have to return for another global outreach mission.
While in Panama City
Shashi Tharoor appealed to Panama to help India in putting global pressure on the perpetrators to identify and prosecute the criminals. Speaking at the Indian Embassy in Panama City, Tharoor said, “It is just not acceptable for us to continue to bear the pain, the grief, the wounds, and the losses, and then go and tell the international community, ‘Look what is happening to us. Please help us. Please put pressure on the perpetrators to actually identify and prosecute the criminals.’”
The Congress MP also highlighted how India has had to endure consecutive attacks for almost four decades, starting with the first attack in Kashmir in 1989. According to him, terrorists and Pakistan have repeatedly chosen to attack India due to their belief that they are entitled to the territory of Kashmir that is governed by New Delhi.
“Unfortunately, our desire to just be left alone is not reciprocated by our friend on the other side of the border. They have chosen repeatedly to attack us because they believe they are entitled to territory which they do not control, but which we control. It is part of the sovereign border of united India, and we are not going to give it to them—even if we have to pay the price that we have repeatedly paid,” exclaimed Tharoor.
He warned terrorists that they would have to pay a price for the attacks they carry out, without any doubt.
