When diplomacy is tested by tragedy, clarity matters. In the aftermath of the devastating Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 innocent lives, India launched a targeted operation—Operation Sindoor—aimed at neutralising terror infrastructure across the Line of Control. Yet, thousands of miles away, in Colombia, a condolence note for Pakistani casualties following India’s precision strikes struck a jarring note for New Delhi.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading a multi-party delegation to Latin America, chose candour and context over confrontation in responding. “We were a little disappointed,” he said, referring to the Colombian government’s message. But his next words were rooted not in criticism, but in strategic engagement. “There can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who defend themselves.”
Clarifying Context in a Complex World
Tharoor’s delegation is part of India’s diplomatic offensive following the Pahalgam attack, visiting 33 capitals to ensure the world understands the gravity and pattern of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. As a former diplomat, Tharoor knows the power of narrative. He is clear: Operation Sindoor was an act of self-defence, not escalation.
Speaking from Bogota, he laid out India’s position: that just as Colombia has suffered from domestic terrorism, India too has endured four decades of externally sponsored violence. The parallel wasn’t lost on his audience.
A Wider Pattern, A Deeper Challenge
Tharoor also highlighted Pakistan’s deep dependence on China for military support—81% of its defence equipment originates there—and pointed to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as a strategic alliance that adds further complication to the regional picture. Yet, India’s ask is simple: understand the source of the problem and recognise that military responses to terrorism are defensive, not offensive.
The message was reinforced by a diverse delegation, including members from the BJP, Shiv Sena, JMM, TDP, and a former ambassador. This unity across party lines reflects the seriousness with which India approaches its anti-terror narrative—not as a partisan issue, but as a national imperative.
Rewriting the Narrative, Gaining Understanding
India’s outreach is not just about rebuttal. It’s about shifting the international narrative. Tharoor made it clear that India is not interested in war and has no appetite for unnecessary escalation. “We are not the belligerent power in this particular equation,” he reiterated, noting that Pakistan’s retaliatory actions on May 8, 9, and 10 were met with a proportional but firm Indian response.
That response stopped when Pakistan stepped back—a fact that confirms India’s strikes were neither preemptive nor open-ended. They were deliberate, strategic, and meant to protect, not provoke.
Building Bridges, Not Just Borders
What sets this diplomatic effort apart is its tone. Tharoor and his team are not lecturing but engaging, not demanding but explaining. The mission is to ensure that misinterpretations—like Colombia’s initial condolence message—don’t become policy stances that equate victims with perpetrators.
This is a moment for nations like Colombia, which have their own bitter experiences with insurgency and violence, to understand that India’s response comes from decades of restraint, not aggression.
By visiting parliaments, think tanks, and media houses, India is telling its story face-to-face. And sometimes, all it takes to shift understanding is a voice at the table willing to say, “Let us explain.”
