Guyana: In a firm message delivered from Guyana, senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor clarified India’s strategic posture in the wake of Operation Sindoor, the country’s retaliatory military operation following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.
Speaking to international delegates, Tharoor reiterated that India’s response was not aimed at initiating a full-scale conflict with Pakistan but was instead a proportionate reaction to cross-border terrorism.
India’s Retaliation ‘Focused and Non-Escalatory’
Tharoor outlined the motivations behind Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes launched on May 7 against nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation was conducted in response to the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives, which Indian intelligence traced back to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“We made it absolutely clear to all concerned governments that India had no intention of initiating a war. Each strike was retaliatory. Each action was in response to what had been done to us," The Hindu quoted Tharoor as saying.
He further stressed the restraint of the strikes, calling them “measured and non-escalatory,” and noted that New Delhi’s diplomatic channels were actively engaged in conveying this message to international allies.
Peace Rooted in Strength, Not Submission
Tharoor also revealed that hostilities tapered off after Pakistan reached out to India’s Director General of Military Operations on the morning of May 10. “If Pakistan ceases hostilities, there will be no reason for retaliation. That’s what eventually happened,” he said, according to NDTV.
Underscoring India's unwavering stance, Tharoor added, “We are not afraid that these people would hit us again. But if they hit us again, they’re going to get it back worse.”
Drawing on the words of Guyana’s President, he concluded by saying, “We want peace, but peace with strength—not fear. That’s the message we want the world to understand. Indifference is not acceptable either."
