Dr. Shashi Tharoor

I must say we were all a bit puzzled by President Trump's posts on Truth Social and on X because India has historically been allergic to mediation, doesn't believe it needs it. And it's unlikely to have invited mediation in a formal sense. On the other hand, it's true that the U.S.

I must say we were all a bit puzzled by President Trump's posts on Truth Social and on X because India has historically been allergic to mediation, doesn't believe it needs it. And it's unlikely to have invited mediation in a formal sense. On the other hand, it's true that the U.S.

I must say we were all a bit puzzled by President Trump's posts on Truth Social and on X because India has historically been allergic to mediation, doesn't believe it needs it. And it's unlikely to have invited mediation in a formal sense. On the other hand, it's true that the U.S.

administration, in particular, Secretary of State, now also NSA, National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, and to some degree, Vice President Vance, have been speaking to Indian officials, as indeed Indian officials have acknowledged. The foreign minister's tweets will tell us about these calls.

administration, in particular, Secretary of State, now also NSA, National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, and to some degree, Vice President Vance, have been speaking to Indian officials, as indeed Indian officials have acknowledged. The foreign minister's tweets will tell us about these calls.

administration, in particular, Secretary of State, now also NSA, National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, and to some degree, Vice President Vance, have been speaking to Indian officials, as indeed Indian officials have acknowledged. The foreign minister's tweets will tell us about these calls.

But it's one thing for the Indian foreign minister to say to the Americans, look, if the Pakistanis do this, we will do that. Or if they hit us, we're going to hit them harder back. And quite another for the foreign minister to say, would you mind relaying this message to the Pakistanis? India would never do the latter. They would do the former.

But it's one thing for the Indian foreign minister to say to the Americans, look, if the Pakistanis do this, we will do that. Or if they hit us, we're going to hit them harder back. And quite another for the foreign minister to say, would you mind relaying this message to the Pakistanis? India would never do the latter. They would do the former.

But it's one thing for the Indian foreign minister to say to the Americans, look, if the Pakistanis do this, we will do that. Or if they hit us, we're going to hit them harder back. And quite another for the foreign minister to say, would you mind relaying this message to the Pakistanis? India would never do the latter. They would do the former.

And I think what happened then, perhaps, is that Rubio then called the Pakistanis and said, look, I've been talking to the Indians and this is what they're saying. So you might want to take this into account. And would you not like to move in a different direction? That kind of thing.

And I think what happened then, perhaps, is that Rubio then called the Pakistanis and said, look, I've been talking to the Indians and this is what they're saying. So you might want to take this into account. And would you not like to move in a different direction? That kind of thing.

And I think what happened then, perhaps, is that Rubio then called the Pakistanis and said, look, I've been talking to the Indians and this is what they're saying. So you might want to take this into account. And would you not like to move in a different direction? That kind of thing.

The initial Trump announcement gave the impression that the Americans and Indians and Pakistanis have been pulling an all-nighter discussing everything jointly. That simply hasn't happened. And I think that's a misrepresentation of what role the U.S. played.

The initial Trump announcement gave the impression that the Americans and Indians and Pakistanis have been pulling an all-nighter discussing everything jointly. That simply hasn't happened. And I think that's a misrepresentation of what role the U.S. played.

The initial Trump announcement gave the impression that the Americans and Indians and Pakistanis have been pulling an all-nighter discussing everything jointly. That simply hasn't happened. And I think that's a misrepresentation of what role the U.S. played.

But I certainly don't want to sound ungrateful for anybody who was willing to pull the Pakistanis down off the escalatory ladder that they had climbed onto. There was a terrorist outrage in India.

But I certainly don't want to sound ungrateful for anybody who was willing to pull the Pakistanis down off the escalatory ladder that they had climbed onto. There was a terrorist outrage in India.

But I certainly don't want to sound ungrateful for anybody who was willing to pull the Pakistanis down off the escalatory ladder that they had climbed onto. There was a terrorist outrage in India.

India chose to react in a very careful, calculated, calibrated and precise way only against terrorist infrastructure, didn't strike any Pakistani military installations or any civilian or governmental installations and basically signaled, look, We're only after terrorists and we did the strike at 1.30 in the morning so there wouldn't be too many civilians about.

India chose to react in a very careful, calculated, calibrated and precise way only against terrorist infrastructure, didn't strike any Pakistani military installations or any civilian or governmental installations and basically signaled, look, We're only after terrorists and we did the strike at 1.30 in the morning so there wouldn't be too many civilians about.