Tharoor-led MPs team launches global anti-terrorism ‘peace mission’
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New York: A team of Indian MPs led by Congress Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor has embarked on a peace mission across the Americas aimed at spreading India’s message of zero tolerance towards terrorism. The delegation, comprising members from various political parties, began their journey in New York on Saturday, where they were welcomed by Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
The eight-member all-party team, accompanied by former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, plans to visit several countries, including Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil, before returning to the United States for meetings with leaders, lawmakers, and influential opinion-makers. The mission’s first stop was the 9/11 memorial at the World Trade Centre, where the team paid tribute to the victims of the worst terrorist attack on US soil and engaged with members of the Indian diaspora.
Speaking before the mission’s departure from India, Tharoor emphasised the purpose of the visit, stating, “The reason we are going is to speak for the nation, to speak about this horrendous crisis we were subjected to, in which our country was attacked by terrorists in the cruelest possible way. We need to speak up with clarity and conviction for our country, for our response, and to give the world the message that we will not be silenced by terrorism.”
The delegation reflects a united national front against terrorism, featuring members from both ruling and opposition parties, including Shambhavi from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Sarfaraz Ahmad from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Milind Murli Deora from the Shiv Sena, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Tejasvi Surya from the Bharatiya Janata Party, and GM Harish Balayogi of the Telugu Desam Party, an ally in the National Democratic Alliance.
This mission follows recent attacks by The Resistance Front, an affiliate of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which massacred 26 civilians in Pahalgam. In retaliation, India struck terrorist centres in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Pakistan further escalated tensions by targeting civilian infrastructure in India, including places of worship such as gurudwaras, temples, and convents, as well as medical facilities.
Beginning the delegation’s tour at the World Trade Centre memorial underscores Tharoor’s message that the world must not turn away or remain indifferent to terrorism and its consequences. The 9/11 attacks, which claimed 2,731 lives and had links to Pakistan, serve as a stark reminder. Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader responsible for the attacks, had been sheltered by the Pakistan government before being killed in Abbottabad by US Navy SEALs.
Colombia, a nation long afflicted by terrorism, is among the countries where the team’s anti-terrorism message is expected to resonate deeply. Tharoor remarked, “It’s a mission that will one day remind the world that India stands for all the values we need to preserve in the world today—peace, democracy, freedom—not hatred, killing, or terror.”
The delegation’s tour aims to reinforce India’s commitment to combating terrorism globally while promoting peace and unity.
With IANS inputs
