Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation to Panama, strongly condemned Pakistan on Tuesday (local time) for perpetuating cross-border terrorism against India. Addressing the Indian diaspora at Sociedad Hindostana de Panama, a prominent cultural institution, Tharoor emphasized India’s hardened stance against terrorism, especially following the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
“Unfortunately, our desire to just be left alone is not reciprocated by our friends on the other side of the border. They have chosen repeatedly to attack us because they want territory which is not theirs. It is part of the sovereign borders of united India, and we are not going to give it to them—even if we must pay the price we have paid repeatedly,” Tharoor asserted.
Highlighting the long history of terrorism originating from across the border, Tharoor added:
“We have suffered attack after attack for almost four decades now—since the first incidents in Kashmir in 1989. Outrageous civilian casualties have been the pattern, and it is not acceptable for us to bear this pain and merely appeal to the international community for sympathy and justice.”
Tharoor cited India’s changing security doctrine through decisive actions like the Uri surgical strike (2016) and Balakot airstrikes (2019) to demonstrate a shift in policy.
“For the first time, during the Uri strike, we crossed the Line of Control. In Balakot, we went beyond even the international border. Now, with Operation Sindoor, we struck deep into Pakistan’s Punjabi heartland—targeting training centres and terror headquarters at nine locations,” he said.
Explaining the emotional and symbolic undertone behind Operation Sindoor, Tharoor said:
“The terrorists wiped the sindoor off the foreheads of 26 women by taking their husbands and fathers in Pahalgam. Our Prime Minister made it very clear—this attack would not go unanswered. Some women who survived said the killers had tried to kill them too. They were told, ‘Go back and tell the story.’ And we did hear. The blood of the perpetrators now matches the colour of our sindoor.”
A moment of silence was observed by the delegation and the Indian community in remembrance of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The all-party delegation, after concluding its visit to Guyana, arrived in Panama City for a three-day official visit. According to the Indian Embassy in Panama, the delegation is engaging with Panamanian leadership, Indian diaspora, strategic thinkers, and local media to convey India’s united resolve against terrorism.
The delegation includes MPs Sarfaraz Ahmed, G M Harish Balayogi, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejasvi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Mallikarjun Devda, Milind Deora, and former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, under the leadership of Shashi Tharoor.