India stands for values like peace, democracy & freedom which we need to preserve in the world today: Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi, May 24 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA ) Before leaving for five foreign countries’ tour to highlight India’s stance against terrorism as part of Operation Sindoor outreach campaign, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that the country stands for all the values such as peace, democracy and freedom which it needs to preserve in the world today from the threats of hatred, killings and of terror taking over. In a video message posted late Friday evening on social media platform X, Tharoor said, “I’m heading off to five countries leading an all-party delegation to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, Brazil and the US, and the reason we are going is to speak for the nation, to speak about this horrendous crisis we were subjected to in which our country was attacked by terrorists in the cruelest possible way.” Tharoor, along with other MPs from fifth all-party delegation, will visit Guyana, Panama, Colombia, Brazil and the US. The Congress MP is leading the fifth all-party delegation sent by the Indian government to expose Pakistan and its terror groups aided, funded and emanating from its soil on foreign countries. Earlier on Friday evening, the all-party delegation led by Congress MP Tharoor arrived at the Delhi airport after which they will depart for Guyana. However, the delegation will transit through New York and visit the 9/11 Memorial before heading to their first destination, Guyana. Taking to X, Tharoor also wrote: “Members of the delegation that I have the privilege to lead, embarking at Delhi Airport just now. Others will join us en route.” Earlier on May 19 while speaking to a media outlet, the Congress MP had said that the all-party delegation led by him will leave later for the US as there is a huge Memorial Day weekend and the Congress is not in session in the US until June 2. Therefore, the delegation led by him will leave for May 24 (according to IST) and will visit first in Georgetown (Guyana), Panama, Columbia, Brazil and then finally to the US. Tharoor, who is leading one of the seven delegations which will carry India’s message of zero-tolerance against terrorism to the world, had said, “The briefing for my delegation is going to be only on Friday (May 23). So, honestly, I am not going to say anything right now. Some of the teams are leaving earlier and that’s why they need to have their meeting tomorrow. But our delegation is leaving a bit later because the US has a big Memorial Day weekend and the Congress in the US is not session until June 2. So, there is no point in arriving there too early. So, we are arriving later and leaving later… May 24, I believe (when his delegation will leave)… We are going first to Georgetown (Guyana), Panama, Columbia, Brazil and then finally to the US…” Tharoor also said, “We need to speak up with clarity and conviction for our country, for our response and to give the world the message that we will not be silenced by terrorism and we don’t want the world to look away either. We don’t want indifference to triumph over the truth. It’s a mission of peace. It’s a mission of hope. And it’s a mission that will one day remind the world that India stands for all the values we need to preserve in the world today of peace, of democracy, of freedom, and not of hatred, killing and of terror. Jai Hind.” The delegation led by Tharoor also has Bharatiya Janata Party’s Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Tejasvi Surya, along with Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s Shambhavi Choudhary, Telugu Desam Party’s G.M. Harish Balayogi, Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Sarfaraz Ahmad, along with former Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The delegation was earlier briefed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri regarding the agenda of the global outreach being done to present India’s position against terrorism. Tharoor mentioned that the aim of the delegations would be to sensitise opinion towards India. “We are meeting government officials, legislators, think-tanks, and media and have public interaction. We are really going to try and talk to everybody. The whole idea is that we would like to sensitise public opinion, parliamentary opinion, and legislative opinion in each of these countries. So we will meet whoever wants to meet us,” Tharoor told reporters at the Parliament premises. The all-party delegations will project India’s national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. –