All-Party Indian Delegation Visits 9/11 Memorial in New York: Tharoor Emphasizes Shared Wounds
New York, May 25, 2025: A multi-party Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, paid tribute at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City today, marking the start of a diplomatic outreach mission to highlight India’s stance against terrorism. The visit comes in the wake of the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.
Speaking at the World Trade Center site, Tharoor drew parallels between the terror attacks in the U.S. and India, stating, “We ourselves in India have been subject to the same wounds that you are seeing the scars of today in this very moving memorial.” He urged global unity against terrorism, emphasizing that India, like the U.S., has faced repeated terrorist attacks over decades.
The delegation, which includes MPs Sarfaraz Ahmad (JMM), Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Ganti Harish Madhur (TDP), Shambhavi Chaudhary (LJP), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), and former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, was accompanied by India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Vinay Mohan Kwatra. They paid respects by offering white roses and folding their hands at the Memorial.
At the Indian Consulate in New York, Tharoor briefed attendees on the Pahalgam attack and India’s response through Operation Sindoor, a precise military operation launched on May 7 targeting nine terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He praised India’s “calibrated and resolute” strikes, noting, “I myself authored an op-ed saying the time has come to hit hard but hit smart. I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what India did.”
Tharoor highlighted Pakistan’s role in state-sponsored terrorism, stating, “Pakistan covets the territory India controls, and they are willing to get it through terrorism, which is not acceptable to us.” He clarified that India seeks no war but demonstrated its capability for precise retaliation.
The delegation’s visit to the 9/11 Memorial served as a symbolic gesture of solidarity with global victims of terrorism, including Indians affected by the 9/11 attacks. Tharoor emphasized, “We came both as a reminder that this is a shared problem, but also out of a spirit of solidarity with the victims.”
The group, part of a broader mission to five countries—U.S., Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia—aims to project India’s unified stance against cross-border terrorism and seek international support to hold Pakistan accountable.
The initiative, however, faced internal criticism from the Congress party, which labeled it a “diversionary tactic” by the BJP-led government, despite some Congress leaders like Tharoor and Anand Sharma praising the outreach. Tharoor, chosen to lead despite not being nominated by his party, called it an “honour” to serve national interest, stating, “When the nation is in crisis, what other answer would you give?”
Posts on X reflected similar sentiments, with users noting Tharoor’s call for global unity against terrorism and India’s shared pain with the U.S.
The delegation’s visit emphasizes on India’s resolve to combat terrorism and foster international cooperation, with Tharoor’s leadership amplifying the message on a global stage.
