Congress member Shashi Tharoor has given a stern warning to Pakistan, stating that India will strike back hard if repeatedly taunted. Addressing a diplomatic conference in Guyana, Tharoor emphasized that India’s recent counter-terrorism operations were not a step towards war but a retaliatory action for the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Operation Sindoor was a retaliatory, not an escalatory operation
Tharoor made it clear that Operation Sindoor, which resulted in the targeting of nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was not the beginning of a long military campaign.
“We had no wish to give the impression that it was the opening shot in what was intended to be a kind of long war,” he said.
“Every strike was retaliatory, every action India took was only because of Pakistan.”
India prioritized peace in international diplomatic efforts
Tharoor highlighted that India made its peaceful intentions clear to global actors during the operation.
“When governments called us to convey concern, we made exactly this message clear throughout, that we are not interested in war,” he declared.
India’s diplomatic strategy in the military action underlined the country’s adherence to deterrence, not aggression. In Tharoor’s assertion, hostilities were stopped when Pakistan made contact.
“If Pakistan stopped, we had no reason to retaliate, and that finally is what happened on the morning of the 10th of May, Indian time, they called our Director General of Military Operations.”
Islamabad’s backchannel approach ended escalation
A turning point was reached when Pakistan established backchannel communication, looking for de-escalation. This saved the day after Operation Sindoor.
Inside Operation Sindoor: Focused, precise and targeted
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was India’s surgical strike against terrorist groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The operation was aimed against infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK and was crafted meticulously to be “focused, measured and non-escalatory.”
Tharoor’s last message: Peace with strength
While reaffirming India’s enthusiasm for peace, Tharoor also indicated severe repercussions in case of another attack.
“We are peaceful today, and we would like to continue being peaceful. That’s also a very powerful message, but we would like to continue being in peace with strength, as your President stated yesterday, and not through fear,” he said.
“We are not fearful that these individuals would strike us again. If they strike us again, they’re going to receive it back worse.”
Parliamentary delegation to visit Panama with united message
Tharoor is scheduled to head an all-party parliamentary delegation to Panama soon to emphasize India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. The delegation will interact with Panamanian leadership, media, strategic communities, and the Indian diaspora.
The delegation consists of members from prominent political parties like BJP, JMM, TDP, Shiv Sena, and India’s former ambassador to the US, Taranjit Sandhu. The Indian Embassy in its reports says the visit will reaffirm India’s solidarity and international position against terrorism in all its forms.
