India’s Response to Terrorism Praised by Shashi Tharoor at Indian Consulate in New York
A delegation of Indian lawmakers, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, visited the Indian Consulate in New York on Saturday, where they highlighted India’s measured and calibrated response to terrorism. The visit comes in the wake of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.
According to NDTV, Mr Tharoor noted that the visit to the 9/11 Memorial was a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of terrorism. "It was obviously a very moving moment for us, but it was also meant to send a very strong message that we are here in a city which is bearing still the scars of that savage terrorist attack in the wake of yet another terrorist attack in our own country," he said.
The delegation, which comprises members from various Indian political parties, aims to project India’s national consensus and firm stance on combating terrorism in all its forms. As NDTV reports, Mr Tharoor emphasised that the issue of terrorism is a global problem that requires a united response. "We came both as a reminder that this is a shared problem, but also out of a spirit of solidarity with the victims… It’s a global problem, it’s a scourge and we must all fight it unitedly," he said.
The Pahalgam terror attack, which occurred on May 18, 2025, was widely condemned for its brutality. According to NDTV, Mr Tharoor described the attack as an attempt to provoke a backlash in India. "It was a bunch of people going around identifying the religions of the people before them and killing them on that basis, which was clearly intended to provoke a backlash in the rest of India, since the victims were overwhelmingly Hindu," he said.
In response to the attack, India launched a series of precision strikes against terrorist bases and headquarters in Pakistan. As quoted by NDTV, Mr Tharoor praised India’s response, saying, "I don’t work for the government, as you know. I work for an opposition party, but I myself authored an op-ed in one of India’s leading papers, within a couple of days saying that the time had come to hit hard and hit smart and I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what India did."
The Indian government’s response was calibrated to convey a strong message to Pakistan. According to NDTV, Mr Tharoor outlined the details of the strikes, saying, "Those included those of the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke, Jaish-e-Mohammad in Bahawalpur, responsible amongst other things for the murder of Daniel Pearl…" The strikes were intended to convey that India would not tolerate terrorism, while also avoiding an escalation of the situation.
The delegation, which includes members from various Indian political parties, will engage with public and political opinion in several countries to raise awareness about India’s concerns regarding terrorism. As NDTV reports, Mr Tharoor said, "Our idea is very much to speak to a cross section of public and political opinion in each of the countries we’re going to about recent events which obviously trouble a number of people around the world."
The issue of terrorism remains a pressing concern for India and the global community. According to NDTV, Mr Tharoor emphasised the need for a united response to combat terrorism. The delegation’s visit to the Indian Consulate in New York is part of a broader effort to engage with the international community on this critical issue.
The all-party delegation led by Mr Tharoor comprises of Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayagi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar K Lata (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena) and Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
