"'Once fear is gone, beautiful things happen': BJP MP Shashank Mani on terrorism
Washington, DC [United States], June 5 (ANI): While addressing the Indian diaspora in Washington, DC, BJP MP Shashank Mani emphasized that eliminating fear is crucial to overcoming terrorism and building a citizen-driven path to India's development.
'The core idea of terrorism is to put fear in the minds of people and once fear is eliminated, beautiful things happen... Our path to Viksit Bharat is going to be citizen-driven. We are going to do it from the bottom up.... We are bringing in a bill that will put 33% of women legislators in the Parliament next time... We apologise that this table doesn't have a woman representative... All of this can only happen if there is no fear in the people's minds...' Mani said.
Highlighting the government's commitment to empowering women and citizens at all levels, Mani said removing fear is essential for progress and inclusive governance.
This sentiment resonated deeply with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who recalled the harrowing moment during the recent Pahalgam terror attack when a woman, horrified after witnessing her husband's killing, screamed out -- 'kill me too,' but the terrorists refused and told her to go back and tell the story, underscoring the brutal attempt to instill fear and division that the delegation aims to overcome.
Tharoor underlined the overwhelming and unconditional support India has received from US lawmakers following the attack.
Speaking as part of the all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, Tharoor said the visit's main aim was to share India's ordeal and seek solidarity in the fight against terrorism.
'There's been a very wide, impressive cross-section of legislators who met us, spoken to us. I must say our purpose in coming was actually very simple. Lay out what we've been through in India in the last few weeks, with the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and seek understanding and solidarity with us on these measures...' he said.
Describing the nature of engagement, Tharoor added, 'The relationship with India matters to all these people. The strategic partnership is real. We saw it in practice... There are always things going on. In fact, when our meeting was ending at the Senate, they had to rush off to a vote. There's always something going on, but they found the time for us and they engage with us in a very positive and constructive way.'
He also noted the strong bipartisan backing India received, stating, 'We came prepared for much more -- pushback or questions or even some skepticism -- we found none, there has been an unconditional support extended to us in our struggle against terrorism...'
The delegation, led by Tharoor, arrived in the US on Wednesday. It includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, and Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from the BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora.
The visit forms part of India's broader diplomatic outreach under Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)
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24 minutes ago
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Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Security After Pahalgam and Sindoor: Questions India Must Ask Itself Sanjiv Krishan Sood 4 minutes ago While India's armed response to the Pahalgam massacre was swift and strategically effective, the deeper questions about intelligence failures, foreign policy and the sustainability of retaliatory doctrine remain unresolved. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now If Operation Sindoor began as a limited attack on nine locations linked to Pakistan-based terrorist groups, the Pakistani response prompted the Indian defence forces to undertake a number of actions aimed at Pakistan's military establishment. Through precision strikes on militant infrastructure, followed by carefully calibrated aggression, the Indian Air Force and Army degraded key assets while preventing any substantial damage to our own military or civilian infrastructure. The response to the massacre at Pahalgam carried out by terrorists linked to Pakistan was measured but resolute. It was aimed as prompting Islamabad to reassess its state policy of harbouring and sponsoring terror. India's declaration that all acts of terrorism will now be treated as acts of war marks a significant shift in doctrine. That said, six weeks after the Pahalgam tragedy and nearly a month since the cessation of hostilities, several critical questions remain unanswered by both our security and political leadership. The first is whether Operation Sindoor achieved its stated objectives. The Prime Minister, in a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting, gave the armed forces a free hand to destroy the terror infrastructure in Pakistan. On the nights of May 6th and 7th, nine terrorist camps were reportedly neutralized, and numerous militants killed. But can we truly say the infrastructure has been dismantled? Is the deterrent strong enough to prevent future attacks? The evidence doesn't inspire confidence. Since the 2016 Uri surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot air strikes following Pulwama, Pakistan-based terrorists have continued to strike at Indian targets. Pathankot, Kathua, Udhampur, and other places have seen terror attacks even after high-profile retaliatory actions. Supporting terrorism in India appears to be entrenched in Pakistan's state doctrine. The reported decision of the Pakistani government to offer financial aid to the families of slain terrorists and rebuild destroyed camps signals no intent to step back. More troubling is the international silence. Aside from muted support from Russia, India has struggled to garner vocal backing from major global powers. In contrast, Pakistan received overt support from China and Turkey—both of whom extended diplomatic cover and material support, including drones and modern aircraft used during the brief conflict. Despite a two-week window before striking the terrorist camps, India failed to shape global opinion or present a compelling narrative. This diplomatic vacuum echoes the aftermath of Balakot, when Pakistan successfully projected its version of events internationally. The all-party delegations India dispatched to various countries gained limited traction, mostly among nations with marginal influence on global affairs. This stands in sharp contrast to India's success in 1971 and during the Kargil conflict in 1999, when it managed to effectively justify its actions and rally international opinion. Why the shift? The present government's handling of foreign policy and communication strategy deserves closer scrutiny. That brings us to the ceasefire itself. By May 10th, Indian forces reportedly had the upper hand. Yet it was the US president who first announced the ceasefire, followed by India's own foreign secretary. President Trump's repeated claims of having mediated the ceasefire raise uncomfortable questions. Has India, which long resisted international mediation and stood firmly for bilateralism, allowed itself to be hyphenated with Pakistan once again? While the decision to end hostilities may have been strategically sound, it was an anti-climax for a public whipped into a frenzy by media speculation and political rhetoric. Talk of reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and total victory created unrealistic expectations. The actual motivations for the ceasefire remain speculative. It may have been American pressure, given the escalatory risks between two nuclear powers. 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Indian Express
25 minutes ago
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