Prior to leading a tour of five countries abroad as part of the Operation Sindoor outreach campaign to emphasize India's position against terrorism, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor underscored that India symbolizes values like peace, democracy, and freedom—values that need to be safeguarded across the world from the specter of hatred, violence, and terror.
In a late Friday video message on the social media site X, Tharoor stated, "I'm off to five nations heading an all-party delegation to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, Brazil and the US, and the reason we are going is to voice for the country, to voice regarding this atrocious crisis we were put through in which our nation was assaulted by terrorists in the most barbaric manner."
Tharoor, along with other MPs constituting the fifth all-party delegation, will travel to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, and the United States.
The Congress party chief leads this delegation that the Indian government has sent out to expose Pakistan and its terror outfits backed, funded, and flourishing on its soil before the international community.
Friday night saw the Tharoor-led delegation reach Delhi airport and leave soon for Guyana. From there, they will travel to their first destination via New York, where they intend to go to the 9/11 Memorial.
Tharoor posted on X, "Members of the delegation whom I have the honor to lead, departing from Delhi Airport right now. Others are joining us along the way."
Addressing the press on May 19, Tharoor clarified that the departure of the delegation was planned for the Memorial Day weekend in the US, when the US Congress is not in session until June 2. "So, the delegation headed by me will depart on May 24 (IST) and travel to Georgetown (Guyana), Panama, Colombia, Brazil, and ultimately the US," he stated.
Heading one of the seven teams that will go and deliver India's message of zero tolerance towards terror to the world, Tharoor said, "My briefing for my delegation is going to take place only on Friday (May 23). So, frankly, I am not going to speak anything today. Some of the teams are going early and hence they must have their meeting tomorrow.". But our delegation is departing a little later since the US has a large Memorial Day weekend and the US Congress is not in session until June 2. Therefore, no use going there too early. So, we are getting there later and departing later… May 24, I think (when his delegation departs)… We are traveling first to Georgetown (Guyana), Panama, Columbia, Brazil and then ultimately to the US…
Tharoor added further, "We have to stand up in clarity and confidence for our nation, for our reaction and to send a message to the world that we will not be intimidated by terrorism and we don't want the world to turn away either. We don't want to let indifference prevail over the truth. It's a cause of peace. It's a cause of hope.". And it's a mission that will one day make the world remember that India believes in all the ideals we must uphold in the world today of peace, of democracy, of freedom, and not of hatred, killing and of terror. Jai Hind.
The delegation with Tharoor comprises BJP's Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Tejasvi Surya; Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) member Shambhavi Choudhary; Telugu Desam Party member G.M. Harish Balayogi; Shiv Sena member Milind Deora; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha member Sarfaraz Ahmad; and former US Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
Before the left for their mission, the delegation was briefed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on the agenda of the global outreach for India's stance against terrorism.
Tharoor explained that the delegations will strive to heighten awareness and sensitivity towards India's point of view. "We are seeing government persons, legislators, think-tanks, and media and are having public engagement. We are actually going to go around and speak to everyone. The entire proposition is that we would like to sensitize public opinion, parliamentary opinion, and legislative opinion in all these countries. So we will see whoever wishes to see us," he informed the press at Parliament.
These all-party delegations will reflect India's national cohesion and strong position in fighting terrorism in all its manifestations and forms.
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