'Silence not cowardice': Tharoor backs Modi government on Iran war
What's the story
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has backed the Modi government's position on the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. In an Indian Express op-ed, he called the government's silence "responsible statecraft" and not a moral retreat. He acknowledged that while the conflict violates international law, India's restraint is a strategic choice to protect national interests and keep communication channels open.
Diplomatic stance
Tharoor slams Congress leaders for attacking government
Tharoor also slammed those who accuse the government of moral cowardice, maintaining that "India's silence is not an endorsement of the war." "It's a sober recognition of the interconnectedness of our national interests with...realities of the region," he said. He said while India should have promptly issued condolences on the death of the Supreme Leader of Iran, like it did when its president was killed in a helicopter crash, "I will not condemn the government for choosing silence over confrontation."
Diplomacy
'India's diplomacy always about balancing principle with pragmatism'
He further wrote that India's diplomacy has always been about balancing principle with pragmatism. "Jawaharlal Nehru's policy of non-alignment was not a refusal to take moral positions but a recognition that India's sovereignty and survival depended on avoiding entanglement in Cold War hostilities. Today, in an increasingly multipolar world, India practices 'multi-alignment'—engaging with diverse powers, sometimes in tension with one another, while keeping our national interest paramount," he said.
Historical comparison
Tharoor warns against jeopardizing strategic relationships with moralistic stands
He cited instances when India chose to remain silent because there was too much at stake. "We were reluctant to condemn the Soviet Union's flagrant violations of international law in Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968), and Afghanistan (1979)...Because we rightly judged we had too much at stake in our relationship with Moscow to antagonize it with a moralistic stand." "That silence did not mean we endorsed Soviet aggression. It meant we understood the costs of confrontation and chose prudence over posturing."
Party discord
Tharoor's remarks could deepen divisions within Congress
In the current scenario too, India has far too much at stake, he said. "Nearly $200 billion in annual trade flows through this region....And the well-being of some 9 million Indian workers and residents in the Gulf is directly tied to regional stability," he added. Tharoor's latest remarks are likely to create further friction with his party colleagues. He has previously supported the Modi government on various issues, including its counterterrorism agenda and outreach efforts after the Pahalgam terror attack.