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COVER STORY                                                              JUNE 13, 2025     |  The Indian Eye                    5



        statecraft.                                                                                           ers—standing shoulder to shoulder
            Congressional  offices  expressed                                                                 for a shared national cause.
        strong bipartisan interest in deepen-                                                                     Tharoor even joked about how he
        ing ties with India—especially as the                                                                 might sound “immodest” saying it, but
        Indo-Pacific narrative grows stronger                                                                 declared, “These five days have been
        in American strategic thinking. While                                                                 a real success. We came here with a
        some officials and analysts remained                                                                  message. And we delivered it.”
        guarded in their public responses—                                                                        The delegation’s schedule was gru-
        careful not to antagonize Pakistan                                                                    eling: briefings with think tanks, inter-
        or disrupt broader counterterrorism                                                                   views with major American media, in-
        collaborations—behind closed doors,                                                                   teractions with Indian diaspora leaders,
        India’s clarity and unity left a strong                                                               and closed-door meetings with intelli-
        impression. As one official reportedly                                                                gence and defense officials. According
        remarked after a delegation meeting,                                                                  to Tharoor, the Indian embassies did
        “India  came  prepared.  They  didn’t                                                                 “a brilliant job” setting up high-level
        just  ask  for  support—they  explained                                                               appointments that covered not just ter-
        why they deserved it.” The city, accus-                                                               rorism but wider India-US relations—
        tomed to spin and spectacle, saw in                                                                   technological  cooperation,  trade,
        this delegation something refreshingly                                                                regional strategy, and development.
        real—and refreshingly resolute.        All-party delegation member Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora exchanges greetings with
                                             Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HFAC), US Representive Brian Mast    India’s Case, Pakistan’s
               Facts Over Fiction                                 in Washington, DC (ANI)                                Collapse
                 hile India built bridges, it                                                                       s Pakistan’s delegation scram-
                 also  exposed  the  rot  on   This measured framing of mili-  voke further instability in South Asia.  bled  to  explain  away  its  role
        Wthe  other  side.  Tharoor’s  tary action as a last resort—not a first   Moreover,  Washington’s  deep  Ain supporting terrorism, In-
        delegation  didn’t  just  offer  talking  strike—found resonance in Washing-  military and strategic ties with Paki-  dian MPs seized the moment. BJP
        points—it delivered dossiers, evi-  ton. Policymakers and analysts alike  stan—and its growing partnership  MP Tejasvi Surya mocked Pakistan’s
        dence, and geopolitical logic to argue  noted the contrast in how India and  with India—create a diplomatic bal-  so-called “peace delegation” as “the
        why  Pakistan’s  “we  are  victims  too”  Pakistan conducted themselves diplo-  ancing act. US officials want to pre-  devil quoting scripture,” while citing
        narrative is not only dishonest but  matically in the wake of the conflict.  serve their counterterrorism coopera-  their dependence on cheap Chinese
        dangerous.                        India sent an all-party team with a for-  tion with Islamabad while expanding  imports and failed generals promoted
            Tharoor’s rhetoric was biting yet  mer ambassador; Pakistan sent diplo-  strategic ties with New Delhi in the  for propaganda purposes.
        evidence-driven.  “Pakistan  says  they  mats with recycled talking points.  Indo-Pacific.                And Tharoor, in his usual flourish,
        are also victims of terrorism. We ask—                                  Tharoor acknowledged this nu-  tore  into  Pakistan’s  victim  card  with
        who created those  terrorists?  Who    Support With Caution         anced terrain. “Some of the support  brutal logic. “You can’t expect to be
        gave them safe havens? You cannot                                   we received was more in private than  taken seriously when your own institu-
        breed vipers in your backyard and ex-   espite the warmth and un-   in public. But it was there. The soli-  tions have bred the terror groups now
        pect them to bite only your neighbour.”  derstanding  expressed  during  darity was clear, even if not shouted  turning  against  you.  You  didn’t  just
            In an address at the Council on  Dmeetings,  India’s  diplomatic  from rooftops,” he said.        harbor the Taliban—you built them.”
        Foreign Relations, Tharoor took aim  mission in the US is not without its   What sets this diplomatic out-  Even  American  officials  seemed
        at Pakistan’s military elite, arguing that  challenges. Many American lawmak-  reach apart is the sheer unity of the  to agree. House Foreign Affairs Chair-
        the Pahalgam attack was orchestrated  ers remain wary of escalating tensions  Indian delegation. Rarely does India  man Brian Mast said it plainly: “When
        to prop up a crumbling establishment.  between two nuclear-armed nations.  send a team that includes both Con-  you’re  attacked,  you  must  respond.
        “In India, the state has an army. In  While they understand India’s griev-  gress and BJP MPs on the same mis-  India did what any nation would.”
        Pakistan, the army has a state,” he  ances, they are cautious about fully  sion. Yet here  they  were—Tharoor,   As the all-party delegation con-
        quipped. And the punchlines weren’t  endorsing any move that could pro-  Tejasvi Surya, Milind Deora, and oth-  cludes its US leg before heading
        just  rhetorical—Pakistan’s  delega-                                                                  home, the diplomatic returns are al-
        tion, led by Foreign Minister Bilawal                                                                 ready evident. India has succeeded in
        Bhutto, reportedly failed to garner                                                                   framing its narrative as just, its mili-
        any meaningful support from US pol-                                                                   tary actions as proportionate, and its
        icymakers, while India’s engagements                                                                  moral standing as superior.
        yielded open endorsements.                                                                                The path ahead will still require
            The  Indian  delegation  has  been                                                                careful  navigation—especially  as
        clear: Operation Sindoor was not an                                                                   global attention shifts and new crises
        act of aggression, but of self-defense.                                                               emerge.  But  India’s  Operation  Sin-
        The military strikes targeted terror                                                                  door narrative has been heard—and,
        infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK,                                                                  in many quarters, understood.
        eliminating over 100 terrorists from                                                                      And in Washington, it was not
        Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed,                                                                    a government minister or a military
        and Hizbul Mujahideen.                                                                                general, but a former UN diplomat
            While India avoided civilian tar-                                                                 and erudite parliamentarian who led
        gets,  Tharoor  emphasized  the  asym-                                                                that charge with intellectual clarity
        metry  of  the  conflict.  “What  should                                                              and political grit.
        we strike in Pakistan? Their civilians?                                                                   Shashi Tharoor, with his elo-
        No. We strike terror bases. But what   All-party delegation leader Congress MP Shashi Tharoor speaks during a meeting with the   quence and conviction, has not just
        does Pakistan strike back with? That                   Indian diaspora on Thursday (ANI)              spoken for India—he has, for now,
        is the difference between us.”                                                                        silenced its detractors.


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