"No equivalence": Shashi Tharoor expresses scepticism on mediation in conflicts involving terrorism

India Gazette

2 days ago

New York [US], June 5 (ANI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation to the United States on Thursday, expressed scepticism about the role of mediation in conflicts involving terrorism, emphasising that there can be no equivalence between terrorists and their victims.
Tharoor stressed that there's no moral or factual equivalence between countries harbouring terrorism and those affected by it.
When asked if it is helpful to have the United States available as a mediator between India and Pakistan, Tharoor said, 'Mediation is not a term that we are particularly willing to entertain. You're implying an equivalence that simply doesn't exist. There is no equivalence between terrorists and their victims. There is no equivalence between a country that provides a safe haven to terrorism and a country that's a flourishing multi-party democracy that's trying to get on with its business.'
He highlighted the complexities of international diplomacy, suggesting that any influence the US might have had would be more effective if applied to the side supporting terrorism.
He acknowledged the US government's interest and concern, noting that diplomatic efforts might have been more impactful if directed at the party supporting terrorist activities.
Tharoor speculated that the US might have had more influence on the side that needed persuading to stop supporting terrorism.
'My government received a number of calls at high levels from the US government and we appreciated their concern and their interest. At the same time, they must have been making similar calls at the highest levels to the Pakistan side. Because that's the side that needed persuading to stop this process, that may well have been where their messages really had the greatest effect. But that's guesswork on my part. I don't know what they said to the Pakistanis...,' said Tharoor.
Speaking about how India, time and again, conveyed information through proper and authentic channels of communication, Tharoor noted that the Indian side had regular, systematic briefings by civil and military officers.
He brought to attention that the briefings were conducted by women officers from the military, one of whom is a Muslim, thereby stating, 'This is not a Hindu versus Muslim, it is United India against terror, and that message came across very well'.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is leading the all-party delegation which 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 all-party delegation reached the US after completing their visit to Brazil. Their purpose is to brief key US stakeholders on Operation Sindoor, India's diplomatic effort launched to combat terrorism and disinformation following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)