New York/New Delhi: Terming terrorism as one of the gravest threats to humanity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said the world must come together on some basic concepts: no impunity to terrorists, no treating them as proxies and no yielding to nuclear blackmail. Addressing the gathering at the exhibition on “The Human Cost of Terrorism”, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, he also said that any state sponsorship must be exposed and must be countered.
He said the exhibition is a modest yet resolute effort to give voice to those who can no longer speak.
“A tribute to those who were taken away from us. And a remembrance to lives shattered by the scourge of terrorism.”
“By our gathering, we express solidarity with the families and loved ones of the victims of terrorism. Their pain is a stark reminder of the urgency of our shared responsibility to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”“Today’s exhibition is not merely a presentation of images, videos and testimonies. It is a statement of our shared humanity; it is a gallery of human courage. Each moment, each memory, each artifact and every word tells the story of a life – interrupted, altered, or lost. These are the tales of ordinary men and women, from across the world.“Here at the United Nations, we must not just remember and honor, but commit ourselves anew – to act, to protect, and to uphold those very values and human rights that terrorism seeks to destroy,” he added. “Terrorism is one of the gravest threats to humanity. It is the antithesis of everything that the UN stands for – human rights, rules and norms, and how nations should conduct their dealings with each other.
“When terrorism is supported by a State against a neighbour, when it is fuelled by the bigotry of extremism, when it drives a whole host of illegal activities, it is imperative to call it out publicly. And one way of doing so is to display the havoc that it has wreaked on global society,” he said in oblique reference to Pakistan.He said that the United Nations Security Council had five weeks ago issued a strong condemnation of the April 22 horrific act of terrorism in Pahalgam. It demanded that its perpetrators be held accountable and brought to justice.
“We have since seen that happen,” in reference to the Operation Sindoor strikes carried out by India on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
“What that response underlines is a larger message of zero tolerance for terrorism. The world must come together on some basic concepts: no impunity to terrorists, no treating them as proxies and no yielding to nuclear blackmail. Any state sponsorship must be exposed and must be countered. By now, we know well that terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere. Let that understanding guide our collective thinking and response. This exhibition is a fitting reminder of that,” he added
