As India is set to observe the 14th anniversary of the 26/11 terrorist attack on Saturday, the international community must speak in one voice against terrorism and the countries supporting this scourge. The countries which provide safe havens to terror organisations must be condemned and rebuked. On this day, the entire world must join India in stepping up pressure on Pakistan to bring all the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks to justice, which is still awaited. The global community must also, at the same time, unequivocally call out countries like China that come to defence of terrorists at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Just three days ahead of the 14th anniversary of the dastardly Mumbai terror attacks (26/11), Defence Minister Rajnath Singh aptly set the narrative for this. While addressing at the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Wednesday, Rajnath Singh reminded the world that transnational and cross-border terrorism remain the gravest threat requiring “urgent and resolute intervention” by the international community. “Indifference can no longer be a response, as terrorism has found victims globally,” he said in a veiled reference to Pakistan. The Defence Minister’s categorical message to the world community was that it must not only speak against terrorism in one voice but also demonstrate tough actions against the menace and those (Pakistan) supporting the terror groups. Rajnath’s pitch against cross-border terrorism acquires significance as it has come just three days ahead of the anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks which were carried out by Pakistan based terrorists. He used, and rightly so, the ASEAN forum to draw the attention of the international community towards this horrific attack, with masterminds roaming freely in Pakistan.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar did this job perfectly well when he also drew attention of the international community towards how Pakistan continues to shield the culprits of the Mumbai terror attacks despite all sorts of clinching evidence having been shared with it. Only last month during a function in Mumbai, Jaishankar had said that while the world would soon observe the 14th anniversary of the 26/11 terrorist attack, “the key perpetrators of the attack still remain protected under political support and shadow.” He had made these remarks in Mumbai on the eve of the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee’s special meeting in October. “It is incumbent on us to persevere and bring perpetrators to justice.” By making this statement, Jaishankar suggested to the global community that while Pakistan is not taking any action against culprits of the Mumbai carnage, the world must make efforts to get it done by Islamabad. Just a fortnight ago, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra had, at the United Nations, urged the international community to call out those who provide safe havens to terrorists and come to their defence including in the UN Security Council sanctions regimes. It was a veiled reference to both Pakistan and China. “The threat posed by terrorism needs a unified voice from the international community,” Kwatra also pointed out. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also on many occasions urged the international community to speak in one voice against terrorism and the nations harbouring it. So, all this goes to suggest that India has worked hard and comprehensively to build a massive diplomatic campaign to draw global community’s attention to terrorism and its fountainhead Pakistan in the backdrop of the Mumbai attacks. The world’s focus has also been brought towards China’s sinister act of protecting terrorists based in Pakistan, which is one of the factors weakening the joint and collective global fight against terrorism. The need of the hour is to hold countries such as Pakistan and China accountable for the growing threat of terrorism. India is working towards that end. But the world must also focus its attention on the same. In this context, what is noticeable is that terrorism emanating from Pakistan not only kills innocent Indians, but also individuals from other countries. Around 166 people, including 25 foreigners, had died in the attack carried out by 10 Pakistani militants associated with the terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba between 26 November and 29 November. These foreigners included nationals of the US and other foreign countries.
Meanwhile, what should be appreciated at the same time is that the Indian diaspora is planning a major demonstration in front of the Pakistani High Commission in London to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The protest is also aimed at highlighting the scourge of State-sponsored terror that threatens the world. Definitely, the demonstrations like this also pave the way for international community’s association with India’s campaign in a bigger way against terror.
T. BRAJESH