SERVANT OF INDIA

 

ONE of the posterboys of the multi-party delegations India had sent to various countries to explain its stand on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and Operation Sindoor, Mr. Shashi Tharoor has yet again shone bright by red-flagging Pakistan’s participation in a conference during talks with a Russian MP in Moscow. It marked another high point in India’s diplomacy, almost at par with the 1994 masterstroke scored by then Prime Minister late Mr. Narasimha Rao who sent then Leader of Opposition late Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee to lead India in the United Nations Human Rights Conference to counter Pakistan. In Moscow, Mr. Tharoor was representing India as head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs when he pointed out a Russian proposal of inviting Pakistan for the seventh edition of a conference on anti-terrorism.

 

The flagging of Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism into India with impunity by Mr. Tharoor was a lesson in diplomatic articulation for the world as he spoke in chaste French with his Russian counterpart Leonid Slutsky while criticising Pakistan’s inclusion in the anti-terrorism conference. Known for his eloquence in English, the Congress Member of Parliament came up with another ace that clearly had his counterpart impressed. Mr. Tharoor’s visit to Moscow for Primakov Readings, an annual meeting of experts in the field of international relations and world economy, can be seen as a new strategy in India’s foreign policy signalling political inclusiveness on matters concerning country’s security and pride.

 

The visit was preceded by a long closed-door meeting between Mr. Tharoor and Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi which indicates the willingness of the current NDA dispensation at the Centre to include all top minds on international relations to represent India at platforms critical to counter Pakistan. Mr.Tharoor had also led an all-party delegation to the United States and several other countries as part of the Operation Sindoor outreach initiative post April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. His inclusion in the delegation caused severe friction in the Congress party but Mr. Tharoor was forthright in his stand of putting country first. The latest show in Moscow is bound to cause further consternation in the Congress and might lead to further alienation of Mr. Tharoor, but it would be a foolish move by the Grand Old Party when the entire country is praising the Thiruvananthapuram MP for his sterling performance in telling the India Story to the world.

 

Away from the domestic politics where the Congress is set to take a dirty recourse in demonising a true servant of the country, Mr. Tharoor’s visits have set the tone for more such diplomatic offensives by New Delhi. Prime Minister Mr. Modi has certainly taken a leaf out of late Mr. Narasimha Rao’s policy as he has refused to follow political or ideological affiliations of MPs who have the ability to represent India on critical issues. This open thinking must be welcomed by the country as well as the political class as it sets an example for total inclusiveness of the society cutting across all lines. The fast-changing geopolitical realities entail a robust and measured foreign policy by India as more and more touchy issues are set to crop up in the near future. India has to stand up for itself and for its people as the growing divide in the world will test its diplomatic nuances. As the clamour grows for choosing a side in this era of conflicts between nations and blocs, India will have to guard its stated position of neutrality on many matters and push the idea of a peaceful coexistence which forms its foreign policy. To take this progressive thinking further, New Delhi will need individuals and institutions which can best represent the country on such sensitive subjects. A career diplomat with the gift of the gab, Mr. Tharoor fits the bill, notwithstanding his political tilt.