India Pakistan Ceasefire: Shashi Tharoor DEFENDS Peace, Hits Back At Posts Comparing 1971 To 2025

Oneindia

As the Congress invoked Indira Gandhi's 1971 Bangladesh war leadership to criticize the Modi government’s ceasefire deal with Pakistan, senior leader Shashi Tharoor urged a clear-eyed view of history. Calling the 2025 scenario "entirely different," Tharoor said India needs peace, not endless escalation. He emphasized the importance of preventing protracted conflict, arguing that while retaliation against terrorism is necessary, risking national stability without clear goals is not. The comments mark a sharp political and strategic contrast to current government narratives amid rising border tensions.     #ShashiTharoor #IndiaPakistan #Ceasefire #IndiraGandhi #1971War #PeaceOverWar #Congress #ModiGovt #BangladeshLiberation #TharoorSpeaks #ANI #PahalgamAttack #IndiaPolitics #TharoorOnPeace #BorderTensions #PakistanCeasefire #TerrorResponse #IndiaNews #CurrentAffairs #NationalSecurity #IndiaToday #WarAndPeace #TharoorInterview #PeaceTalks #KashmirIssue #NoToWar #SouthAsia #DiplomacyMatters #IndiaFirst #PoliticalDebate #ModiVsCongress  Also Read  Shashi Tharoor Slams Pakistan’s Ceasefire Breach With Shayari: 'Uski Fitrat Hai Mukar Jaane Ki...' :: https://www.oneindia.com/india/shashi-tharoor-slams-pakistan-s-ceasefire-breach-with-shayari-uski-fitrat-hai-mukar-jaane-ki-4150161.html?ref=DMDesc  Tharoor Celebrates Evolution of Constitution Defenders from Historical Rejectors :: https://www.oneindia.com/india/descendants-of-constitution-rejectors-defending-it-tharoor-011-4149997.html?ref=DMDesc  India-Pakistan Ceasefire: Congress Seeks PM-Chaired All-Party Meet, Leaders Hail Indira Gandhi's Era :: https://www.oneindia.com/india/india-pakistan-ceasefire-congress-seeks-pm-chaired-all-party-meet-leaders-hail-indira-gandhis-era-4149819.html?ref=DMDesc

Transcript

00:00The truth is that the circumstances of 1971 are not the circumstances of 2025.

00:05We just wanted to teach the terrorists a lesson.

00:08That lesson has been taught.

00:10Today's Pakistan is a different situation.

00:13Their equipment, their military equipment, the damage they can do, everything is different.

00:17If Pakistan did not escalate, we would not have escalated.

00:19Pakistan did, we also did.

00:21See, the fact is that, to my mind, we had reached a stage where the escalation was needlessly getting out of control.

00:29Peace is necessary for us.

00:32The truth is that the circumstances of 1971 are not the circumstances of 2025.

00:37There are differences.

00:39As far as I'm concerned, I believe that the people of India deserve peace.

00:44We have suffered a lot.

00:45We have lost a lot of casualties.

00:46Ask the people of Punch how many have died since this war began and the shelling from the Pakistanis.

00:52I'm not saying that we should always stop wars.

00:58When there are reasons to continue them, we should continue.

01:01But this was not a war we intended to continue.

01:03We just wanted to teach the terrorists a lesson.

01:06That lesson has been taught.

01:08I'm sure the government will continue trying to identify and track the specific individuals who did the horrors of Pahal Gham.

01:15But as far as this particular conflict with Pakistan was concerned, there was no reason to risk the loss of more lives and limbs and fortunes.

01:24We need to focus on the well-being and prosperity of Indian people, of growth, development, progress.

01:30I think the peace is the right way to go at this stage.

01:33Sir, India's position on terrorism will remain the same.

01:37Our position on terrorism will not change.

01:39The way the government took a few steps, like the inter-waters will be suspended.

01:43Other measures also will be taken.

01:44Other measures have to be taken.

01:45I think we have to definitely use all the intelligence means available to find these people who did this terrible crime in Pahal Gham,

01:53to identify them, track them down wherever they are, and bring them to justice.

01:57That is indispensable.

01:59It may not happen overnight.

02:01It may take months.

02:02It may take years.

02:02But we will have to do it.

02:04No one should be allowed to get away with killing innocent Indian civilians.

02:08But that doesn't mean we should put the entire nation at risk in a prolonged war.

02:12So, I am in favor of peace, but I do not in any way suggest that we should stop the quest to find these terrorists and bring them to justice.

02:21One last question, sir.

02:22Are you happy with Prime Minister Modi's trap and you are still missing Indira Gandhi ji?

02:27Look, I think 1971 was a great achievement of our history.

02:31I am proud of it as an Indian.

02:33Indira Gandhi ji rewrote the map of the subcontinent.

02:36But the circumstances were different.

02:38Today's Pakistan is a different situation.

02:41Their equipment, their military equipment, the damage they can do, everything is different.

02:46And the circumstances of Bangladesh were fighting a moral cause to actually bring people to freedom and liberation.

02:54That was a completely different story.

02:57This is a different story.

02:58We would have ended up with a much longer protracted conflict with a lot of loss of life on both sides,

03:05a lot of damage, a lot of expense.

03:06Is this the biggest priority for India today?

03:08No, it's not.

03:09We wanted to teach those who had sent these terrorists across that there is a price to be paid.

03:15We still have to catch the individual terrorist perpetrators.

03:19But we do not need to tie the whole country down in a war.

03:23That is something I've been very clear about from the start.

03:26India did not, I believe, at any stage, see the action of the seventh as the beginning or the opening salvo of a long protracted conflict.

03:36For us, it was one-off.

03:38We'll do it.

03:39If Pakistan did not escalate, we would not have escalated.

03:41Pakistan did.

03:43We also did.

03:44It was getting to a point where if it continued like this, we would needlessly have been caught into a long-drawn-out war without a clear objective at the end of it.

03:53Liberating Bangladesh is a clear objective.

03:55Just keeping on firing shells at Pakistan is not a clear objective.

03:58You see the difference.

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