Cape Town (South Africa): An all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, led by NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, visited the South African Parliament on Wednesday as part of the Indian government’s global diplomatic outreach to raise awareness about India’s stance on terrorism, particularly in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
The delegation held discussions with Les Govender, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (Upper House), along with 13 other Members of Parliament from various South African political parties.
Terrorism and Social Cohesion Undermined: Akbaruddin
Delegation member and former Indian Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, addressed the Indian diaspora in South Africa, emphasizing the broader implications of the Pahalgam attack.
“Cricket is a passion for all of us. The only country before now that we refused to play was apartheid South Africa. I am raising this because we are now refusing to play cricket with another country. You need to understand the depth of our engagement and our revulsion at why we do this,” he said.
Akbaruddin added that the attack was not just about lives lost, but an attack on India’s foundational values:
“Yes, this terrorist act led to a loss of a large number of lives, but it was much more. We see this as an act of undermining our social cohesion. We are a pluralistic country with diversity as our signature, yet we saw an attempt to undermine that social cohesion. More importantly, we see this as an attempt to undermine our economic momentum.”
He also pointed to the stark economic contrast between India and Pakistan:
“India and Pakistan both started together as Midnight’s Children. Our economy is about ten times or more than their economy. The economy of Maharashtra is perhaps larger than the economy of Pakistan.”
Supriya Sule: Global Support for India Is Crucial
Speaking at the event, Supriya Sule conveyed the emotional impact of the Pahalgam attack on Indians worldwide:
“When PM Modi took oath in 2014, he invited every neighbour to his oath ceremony to send a message that we wanted the subcontinent to be peaceful and happy and to grow together. But, unfortunately, with the Pahalgam incident, it has not happened. This incident has shaken every Indian everywhere in the world. I am happy South Africa has stood by India.”
Sule further underlined the importance of internationalizing India’s message through Operation Sindoor:
“It’s PM Modi’s wish that Operation Sindoor must reach the global stage to show that India will not tolerate terrorism and will always stand for peace without sacrificing innocent lives.”
Delegation Members
The high-level delegation included:
- Supriya Sule (NCP-SCP)
- Rajiv Pratap Rudy
- Vikramjeet Singh Sahney
- Manish Tewari
- Anurag Singh Thakur
- Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu
- Anand Sharma, former Minister of Commerce & Industry
- V. Muraleedharan, former Minister of State for External Affairs
- Syed Akbaruddin, former Permanent Representative of India to the UN