‘Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?’ Shashi Tharoor questions India’s representation at Gaza Peace Summit
Shashi Tharoor criticizes the Indian government's decision to send a junior minister to the Gaza Peace Summit, suggesting it may signal a strategic distance from critical discussions on Gaza's reconstruction and regional stability amid high-level global representation.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government's decision to send junior External Affairs Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh to represent the country at the peace summit in Egypt, where heads of state from at least 27 countries are gathered to discuss how to end the Israel-Hamas war.
In a post on X, Tharoor questioned whether India's representation reflected a stance of "strategic restraint or a missed opportunity" at a crucial international forum.
"India's presence at the Sharm El-Sheikh Gaza peace summit, at the level of a Minister of State, stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there. Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?" Tharoor wrote.
His remarks followed the announcement by Kirti Vardhan Singh of his arrival in Cairo, Egypt, as the special representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Gaza Peace Summit.
Tharoor, the Congress Member of Parliament, clarified that his remarks were "no reflection on Kirti Vardhan Singh, whose competence is not in question," but emphasised that the scale and stature of the summit required higher-level representation from India.
"Given the galaxy of grandees present, India's choice could be seen as signalling a preference for strategic distance, which our statements don't convey," Tharoor said.
Tharoor added that protocol and access levels could have an impact on India's weight in shaping discussions on critical issues, such as Gaza's reconstruction and long-term regional peace.
"And for reasons of protocol access alone, India's voice at the Summit on issues of reconstruction and regional stability may carry less weight than it could have. In a region reshaping itself, our relative absence is puzzling," Tharoor concluded.
India's unwavering dedication to peace: Singh
At the Summit, Singh met Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt. Singh said that the Summit underscored the global commitment to peace and dialogue.
"It was a privilege to meet with His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El Sheikh. Egypt and India share a significant and vibrant strategic partnership. The Summit underscored the global commitment to peace and dialogue. India reaffirms its unwavering dedication to peace, stability, and enduring security within the Middle East," Singh said in a post on X.
(With agency inputs)