A united India sends a clear message: Zero tolerance for terrorism

New Delhi: Never before in independent India's history have MPs from BJP, Congress, AIMIM, DMK, BJD, Shiv Sena, and others travelled together with a united message. Opposition leaders such as Shashi Tharoor, Supriya Sule, Asaduddin Owaisi and Ghulam Nabi Azad took centerstage alongside BJP stalwarts like Nishikant Dubey and regional voices including Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha MPs and diplomats. The coordinated visits which were not only accepted but lauded abroad signalled a clear message of zero tolerance for terrorism.

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22 and India's calculated military response – Operation Sindoor – the Government of India launched an unprecedented diplomatic initiative. From May 23 onwards, seven all party parliamentary delegations, comprising 59 Members of Parliament drawn from both the ruling party and diverse opposition parties, traversed around 32 countries, strategically engaging with world leaders, policymakers, media, think-tanks, and diaspora communities.

These groups were tasked with advancing a clear, unified message: India's zero tolerance stance on terrorism and a warning to terrorist networks and their sponsors. Their mission covered all permanent UNSC members, strategic partners in the Gulf, Europe, North America, and select African nations, collectively presenting a single, cohesive voice on behalf of India.

What made this initiative unique was the national unity it projected. In a polarized political climate, leaders from every major party set aside differences to speak in one voice for India. This rare show of solidarity sent a powerful message: the fight against terrorism transcends politics and is a shared national cause.

During their global outreach, the all-party delegation met with several noted world leaders and prominent political figures, significantly amplifying India's anti-terror message. In Washington DC, India's delegation held comprehensive discussions with US Vice President J D Vance, focusing on counter-terrorism and strengthening the India-US strategic partnership. In Brussels, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad's group met Peter De Roover, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Belgium, who expressed strong solidarity with India. In Bahrain and Kuwait, the delegation held meaningful exchanges with important political leadership of the country including the Deputy Prime Ministers.

In Kuwait, our mission had organised a 'Diwaniyah', or an informal interaction, where the delegation had an opportunity to interact with over 40 top Kuwaitis, including former Deputy Prime Minister, four former ministers, former Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and senior editors from Kuwait's three leading newspapers amongst others.

Other delegations met with Senator Nelsinho Trad, President of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in Brazil. In the UK, the team engaged with Lord Dominic Johnson of Lainston, Co-Chair of the Conservative Party, and other senior parliamentarians. These high-level interactions, along with meetings with leaders in Spain, Malaysia, Liberia, and other nations, showcased the breadth of India's diplomatic engagement and the widespread international support for its firm stance against terrorism.

Engagement with foreign officials reinforced India's stance on terrorism and regional stability by clearly communicating New Delhi's zero-tolerance approach and the indivisibility of dialogue and terror. In meetings with Korean dignitaries, including the former Foreign Minister and National Counter-Terrorism Centre officials, the delegation sought support for holding terror perpetrators and their sponsors accountable, linking counterterrorism directly to regional peace and stability.

In Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the leader of the delegation Baijayant Panda and team successfully explained how India desired peace but not third-party mediation. Asaduddin Owaisi's intervention about Pakistan following the Takfiri ideology similar to the Al Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) and the thriving 240 million Indian Muslims made deep impact along with Gulam Nabi Azad's narrative of Kashmiri people protesting against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism after Pahalgam for the first time since 1947. Group leader Kanimozhi pointed out that the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack were from across India including Jammu and Kashmir and Nishikant Dubey in his remarks referred to India agreeing under international pressure to the disastrous round of talks with Pakistan in Sharm-el-Sheikh in 2009.

These engagements generated strong statements of solidarity, with host countries reaffirming their own zero-tolerance approaches and strengthening bilateral cooperation against terrorism.

Beyond high-level meetings, delegations engaged in press conferences, roundtables, diaspora receptions—and even symbolic acts like candle-lighting ceremonies—to reinforce emotional connections and diplomatic resonance. These gestures cultivated empathy and delivered our national resolve in human terms.

There are five strategic takeaways that this exercise was able to achieve.

One, unified national messaging - the presence of cross-party delegates made clear that counter-terrorism transcends electoral politics. The bipartisan representation showed global interlocutors that India's policy stance is credible, stable, and beyond domestic rancour.

Two, exposing Pakistan - the delegations successfully highlighted Pakistan's role in orchestrating the Pahalgam attack, urging international actors to take corrective action, including at forums like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Three, diplomatic isolation - the outreach helped further isolate Pakistan diplomatically, reinforcing the message that there can be no distinction between terrorists and their sponsors.

Four, community engagement - delegations engaged with the Indian diaspora and local communities abroad, strengthening people-to-people ties and rallying support for India's stand.

Five, future diplomacy blueprint - moving forward, India should formalise parliamentary diplomacy, build joint task forces on anti-terror networks, maintain diaspora ties, and pursue strategic multilateral coalitions.

India's seven group diplomatic initiative was unprecedented, both in scope and political unity. Drawing together diverse ideological voices behind a single national cause, we conveyed an unambiguous message: India stands firm against terrorism, fortified by unity and conviction.

Our collective representation underscored India's readiness to lead, to uphold its sovereignty, and to foster lasting partnerships grounded in shared values. The essence lies not just in meetings held, but in how India sustains engagement, builds coalitions, and institutionalizes unity as our first line of defence. This is no mere reaction to a crisis. It is India reclaiming its diplomatic agency speaking with one voice in a world where unity is our true strength.

The delegations achieved more than awareness; they forged coalitions. Next steps include follow-up visits to nations with quieter initial responses, supplemented by targeted outreach; intelligence-and-policy working groups, perhaps including UNSC allies, to fine-tune operational cooperation; institutionalizing parliamentary diplomacy for future crisis, shaping a template of unity under pressure and; engaging media and think tanks to sustain narrative clarity and spotlight policy goals.

As the members of the delegation called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and shared their feedback, he expressed his satisfaction with the outcomes and subsequently tweeted, "We are all proud of the manner in which they put forward India’s voice".

(Harsh Vardhan Shringla is a former Foreign Secretary of India and Ambassador to USA, Bangladesh and Thailand. Views expressed are personal)

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