Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, heading an all-party delegation, delivered a powerful message at the World Trade Center, calling for a united global front against terrorism. Speaking outside the 9/11 Memorial in New York, Tharoor emphasized the importance of international solidarity in combating terrorism and highlighted the shared suffering of the United States and India.
During his remarks, Tharoor noted that India’s experience with terrorism mirrors the pain commemorated at the memorial. “We ourselves in India have been subject to the same wounds that you are seeing the scars of today in this very moving memorial. We have come in a spirit of solidarity, we have come at the same time on a mission,” he said. The visit to the 9/11 Memorial served as both a tribute and a reminder of the common threat terrorism poses to all democracies.
The delegation began its journey in New York and is scheduled to travel to Guyana, Panama, Brazil, and Colombia. While in New York, they met with prominent think tanks and leading Indian Americans, including Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo and a board member of several global organizations like Amazon and the World Economic Forum.
Tharoor spoke passionately about the mission of the delegation. “In these countries we are hoping to be able to explain to the world how important it is for all of us to stand together against the scourge of terrorism. Just as the US showed such resolution and determination in the wake of 9/11, so too our country has stood up against the forces of evil who attacked us on the April 22. We hope that a lesson has been learned by those who perpetrated this attack and by those who finance, train, equip, and direct them,” he said.
He warned that India would not remain passive if such attacks were repeated, stating, “But we want to communicate to the world that we will not be sitting quietly if this is repeated. We want the world to understand that this is not a time for indifference, but for mutual strength and mutual solidarity, so that we can all unitedly stand up for the values that the United States has always cherished—the values of democracy, of human freedom, of diversity, of coexistence of people of different communities, none of which sadly is on the agenda of those who conducted such attacks.”
Tharoor stressed the need to pursue justice for terrorism and called for international accountability. “Perpetrators of terror should indeed be brought to justice, and we are not going to stop our hunt for those who did this latest atrocity,” he said. He emphasized the importance of identifying and targeting those who support and protect terrorists: “We need to think about where these people are based, where they have safe havens, where they are trained, equipped, financed, guided, armed, and often directly directed… to perpetrate these horrors, and they too should be accountable for what they have been doing.”
Addressing the issue of UN sanctions, Tharoor, who previously served as the UN Under Secretary General, remarked, “I think there are something like 52 individuals and organizations based in Pakistan that at one time or the other have been listed by the UN Sanctions Committee… There is something much more direct that needs to be done, and we are not going to confine ourselves only to listings, to diplomacy, to the production of international dossiers. We are also going to exercise our right to self-defense, which every country recognizes.”
He also expressed strong confidence in the Indian diaspora’s ability to influence public discourse in the United States. “You are a very influential diaspora in this country. You are not just numerous. You are prosperous… You have an influential voice. You’re active in public life. You’re active in politics… We would like you to help sensitize public opinion and political opinion in this country about what is going on and how wrong it is, and certainly we would expect the diaspora to partake of the messaging that we are here to do… you are actually a force multiplier for us as well. We come and go, but you live here, and we want you certainly to please remind people around you of what the challenges are that India is facing.”
In a press release, the Indian Consulate confirmed the delegation’s engagement with think tanks, academic institutions, and the media in New York. The statement said the delegation highlighted the importance of strategic ties between India and the United States and emphasized collaborative global action against terrorism.
The delegation includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayagi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar K Lata (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), and former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Their unified message underscores India’s bipartisan consensus in the fight against terror.
Upon arriving in the U.S. on May 25, the delegation visited the 9/11 Memorial, accompanied by India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Vinay Mohan Kwatra. At the site, they paid tribute by offering white roses and folding their hands in a gesture of respect.
Reflecting on the visit, Tharoor said at the Indian Consulate, “It was obviously a very moving moment for us, but it was also meant to send a very strong message that we are here in a city which is bearing still the scars of that savage terrorist attack in the wake of yet another terrorist attack in our own country.” He continued, “We came both as a reminder that this is a shared problem, but also out of a spirit of solidarity with the victims… It’s a global problem, it’s a scourge and we must all fight it unitedly.”
The 9/11 Memorial honors the 2,977 victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as well as the six individuals killed in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Spanning eight acres within the 16-acre complex, the Memorial provides a space for reflection amid the hustle of lower Manhattan.
After their visit to the United States, the delegation will continue to Guyana, Panama, Brazil, and Colombia to further amplify India’s position against terrorism. This diplomatic mission includes a total of seven groups, each comprising eight to nine members from across the Indian political spectrum. Their task is to present India’s unified stance and detail Operation Sindoor to international counterparts.
Operation Sindoor, initiated on May 7, was a military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals. The Indian government has reported that the operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, killing over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Following India’s strike, Pakistan launched retaliatory attacks including cross-border shelling and attempted drone incursions. In response, India undertook a coordinated counter-offensive that damaged radar systems, communication hubs, and airfields across 11 Pakistani airbases. A mutual agreement to cease hostilities was announced on May 10.
Through this high-level diplomatic outreach, India seeks to convey that it is unwavering in its fight against terrorism and that any threats to its sovereignty will be met with decisive action and international engagement.