‘We Heard Cries’: Shashi Tharoor Defends Operation Sindoor During Panama Visit

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading India’s all-party delegation to Panama as part of Operation Sindoor’s global outreach, defended the military action against cross-border terrorism on Tuesday. Speaking emotionally about the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor said the operation was essential to respond to the trauma inflicted on Indian families and to send a strong message to the perpetrators.

“Some women cried out in front of the terrorists to kill them too, and they said, ‘No, go back, tell what happened to you’. We heard their cries. India decided that the colour of the Sindoor — the vermilion on the forehead of our women — must match the blood of the killers,” said Tharoor during his address in Panama City.

Tharoor’s statement followed a high-level meeting between the Indian delegation and Panama Assembly President Dana Castaneda. During the meeting, the Congress MP reiterated India’s unified political stand on combating terrorism and highlighted the cross-party consensus behind Operation Sindoor, launched after the Pahalgam attack that left 26 women widowed.

“The terrorists came and wiped the Sindoor off the foreheads of 26 women,” Tharoor said. “Our Prime Minister made it clear: this act could not go unanswered. We waited for Pakistan to take action, but when they didn’t, we struck terrorist bases inside their territory on May 7.”

Panama Assembly President Dana Castaneda expressed solidarity with India, stating: “Panama wants to stand with India in this campaign for peace. We understand the message India has conveyed. This dialogue will help both nations cooperate in the global fight against terrorism.”

Tharoor also highlighted how Operation Sindoor has united India’s often-divided political leadership. “We come from different backgrounds and ideologies, but we stand united on this. Terrorism must not be allowed to go unpunished,” he said.

Operation Sindoor, launched two weeks after the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, targeted key terror training sites across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied territory. India maintains that the operation was a precise, intelligence-led strike aimed at neutralising specific threats and deterring future cross-border infiltration.

The outreach initiative, spearheaded by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, has seen delegations visit several nations to build support and understanding of India’s position post-Pahalgam. The brutal attack, allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror groups, has renewed India’s diplomatic offensive against terrorism, especially targeting nations seen as soft on terror funding or safe havens.