Fifty-nine politicians. Thirty-two countries. A high-profile tour funded by crores in taxpayers’ money.
But two weeks into what sections of the Indian media heralded as a diplomatic masterstroke, there was little to no coverage in the international press on the activities of the seven multi-party delegations. These panels were tasked with shoring up global support in favour of India’s Operation Sindoor and fixing accountability for Pakistan’s state-sponsored terror by holding meetings in countries that already are or could be UNSC permanent or non-permanent members.
While MPs lash out at Pakistan in their speeches, and at least six of the 72 Indian official statements referred to Pakistan-backed terror, the coverage in international media so far tells a story different from the one being broadcast back home in India with keywords such as “Pakistan exposed”.
The visits got no coverage in prominent dailies such as New York Times, Le Monde and The Guardian, while outlets such as RT and Rossiyskaya Gazeta – the Russian state media – extensively covered the delegation’s meetings with the host country’s officials.
Meanwhile, the little diplomatic success the mission has achieved seems to be in Colombia and South Korea. Colombia reportedly withdrew its statement condemning the deaths in Pakistan. But major Colombian newspapers – El Tiempo, El Nuevo Siglo, El Colombiano – ignored the visit entirely.
Few of the delegations have managed to meet high-level decision makers, with the rest holding interactions with inconsequential officials or a disinterested press, or worse, the Indian diaspora.
The countries that have been chosen for this analysis include all UNSC permanent members that the delegations were scheduled to meet as of June 4, as well as countries where the Indian delegations received at least some press coverage by the top media outlets. This is not an exhaustive list as we’ve predominantly looked at print and digital coverage in English that is available online.
USA
Take the Shashi Tharoor-led delegation’s visit to New York on May 24. Despite paying tribute at the 9/11 Memorial and engaging with what the Ministry of External Affairs called “prominent” think-tanks, academic institutions and members of the press, not a single major American media outlet covered the visit. Be it CNN, Fox News, or NYT.
The Washington Post, when it finally reported on June 1, noted that “critics say the Modi government remains narrowly focused on domestic politics, to the detriment of its foreign policy.”
One reason for US media’s silence on the visit could be that the delegation did not initially meet American dignitaries. Tharoor, in his speech at the Indian Consulate in New York, affirmed that they will be meeting members of the executive and legislature in every country that they would be visiting. More coverage was expected but none of the major American media outlets followed up.
France
The Indian delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, visited France from May 25 to May 27 and met a group of MPs led by Thierry Tesson, president of the France-India Friendship Group – a bilateral group within the lower house of the French parliament. They interacted with senators from the group led by Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio along with members of the senate committee on foreign affairs and defence in the French senate.
They spoke to “senior journalists” from French and international media outlets and met Régis Le Sommier, a journalist known for his pro-Kremlin views.
Despite a press meeting, neither Le Monde nor Le Figaro, the most prominent French newspapers, covered the visit. Even Omerta, the media house co-founded by Le Sommier himself, published nothing about the delegation’s message.
Russia
The DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi-led delegation visited Russia from May 22 to May 24.
Russian state media, including RT and Rossiyskaya Gazeta, provided extensive coverage of meetings with Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, Leonid Slutsky, chairperson of the committee on international affairs of the State Duma, and other officials.
Moskovsky Komsomolets, a privately-owned Moscow daily, reported that the delegation met Gennady Sklyar and other legislators.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a government-owned daily, published an article reporting that Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA spokesperson had told Rossiyskaya Gazeta that “India is grateful to Moscow for the unconditional support provided to New Delhi in the fight against terrorism, including at the UN.”
RT, a Russian state-funded English-language TV channel reported on their website that “the plan to send the delegations was formulated after New Delhi received what it perceived as poor press coverage in the international media regarding its brief military confrontation against Pakistan, which was carried out in response to the April terrorist attack in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 26 people.”
In another article, RT reported, “Russia and India vow joint fight against terrorism.” They reported that defense cooperation was also discussed in the meeting of the Indian delegation and the Russian foreign ministry. According to RT, the Russian foreign ministry said that Russia and India had confirmed “a decisive commitment to an uncompromising joint fight against all forms of terrorism” after holding ‘high-level’ talks.
However, Russia issued no official statement recognising Pakistan’s support for terrorism.
United Kingdom
The panel led by Ravi Shankar Prasad visited the United Kingdom from May 31 to June 3.
According to the MEA, the delegation visited the Ambedkar Museum in London, interacted with the Indian diaspora at India House, and met Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel over dinner. On the second day of their visit, the delegation met the UK minister for the Indo-Pacific at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the minister for migration and citizenship, who is also the minister for equalities. The delegation visited the Conservative Campaign Headquarters where they spoke to the co-chair of the Conservative Party and the co-chair of the Conservative Friends of India.
They reached out to the Labour Party India Friendship Groups including Labour Friends of India, Labour Convention of Indian Organisations, Sikhs for Labour, and Hindus for Labour. On the last day of their visit, they got in touch with the Speaker of the House of Commons.
So far, there has been no attention from prominent media outlets like the BBC, The Guardian or The Daily Telegraph. Financial Times had reported on the announcement of the mission but did not cover the delegation.
Japan
The delegation led by JDU MP Sanjay Jha visited Japan from May 22 to May 24.
They met the Japanese foreign minister, speaker of the house of representatives, the former PM and interacted with the media and think-tanks. According to the MEA, Jha sought Japan’s support in bringing “perpetrators of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan to justice”.
However, the meetings received little media coverage in Japan. The English-language pages of prominent dailies like Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Daily News skipped the visits. The delegation also did not receive coverage from The Japan Times.
The Sankei Shimbun, a Japanese-language daily, did not quote the MPs but Indian ambassador Sibi George who said “Pakistan did not want Jammu and Kashmir to be peaceful, to develop, to have tourism thrive and to continue with normal life.”
Kuwait
The delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda visited Kuwait from May 26 to May 27, and met Sherida Abdullah Saad Al-Maousherji, the deputy PM and minister of state for cabinet affairs, co-hosted a special interaction with Kuwait-based think tank Reconnaissance Research, and attended an exhibition at the National Library of Kuwait.
Kuwait Times published an overview of the interaction, but did not mention Pakistan in the context of the Pahalgam terror attack. “Panda noted the shared experiences of India and Kuwait as victims of terrorism and reiterated India’s dedication to enhancing counterterrorism cooperation, building on agreements made during the Dushanbe conference, which Kuwait chaired…Panda reiterated India’s unwavering support for a two-state solution as the cornerstone of a peaceful resolution, noting that India continues to allocate budgetary aid for economic assistance in Gaza and the West Bank,” the report said.
Panda’s remarks on Palestine were also reaffirmed by an article published in Arab Times Kuwait. In another article, Arab Times Kuwait reported on the special interaction with Reconnaissance Research but did not reaffirm that discussions on India’s “new normal” and “recent situation in the Indian subcontinent” took place during the event.
Qatar
The group led by NCP MP Supriya Sule visited Qatar from May 24 to May 26 and met the Qatar minister of state for foreign affairs, minister of state for interior affairs, deputy speaker of the Shura Council, and met the editorial staff of newspapers Al Sharq and The Peninsula, as well as the “academic and think-tank community” at the Middle East Council for Global Affairs.
The Peninsula reported, “They condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam as a calculated effort to undermine peace and development in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir…The Qatar side emphasised its own zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and that terrorism must be condemned.”
Al Sharq did not carry a report.
Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based media network, was the only prominent international media that reported on India’s global trips, while also mentioning that India “blamed” Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack. Meanwhile, they also added that Pakistan had rejected these allegations.
Bahrain
The delegation headed by Panda visited Bahrain from May 24 to May 25. They met Bahrain’s Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and also Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh, the chairman of the Shura Council (the upper house of the parliament). The delegation interacted with two think-tanks: International Institute for Strategic Studies and King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerance.
Bahrain News Agency covered meetings with the chairman of the Shura Council and other dignitaries. In their coverage of the Indian delegation’s visit, Bahrain News Agency did not report on terrorism – the reason for the delegation’s visit. Instead, it focused on Bahrain-India bilateral cooperation.
Saudi Arabia
Panda’s delegation visited Saudi Arabia from May 27 to May 29.
The delegation met the deputy speaker of the Shura Council, the chairman of the Saudi-India Parliamentary Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, and the minister of state for foreign affairs.
Saudi Gazette, an English-language daily, reported that Adel Al-Jubeir, the minister of state for foreign affairs received the Indian delegation in Riyadh. Saudi Gazette reported that the visit was organised “in the context of India’s continued efforts to address the issue of cross-border terrorism”. Though mentioning the problem of terrorism, the Saudi Gazette mentioned neither the Pahalgam terror attack nor Operation Sindoor.
UAE
The delegation led by Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde visited the UAE on May 22, where they met dignitaries including the minister of tolerance and co-existence, the chairman of the defence, interior and foreign affairs committee of the federal national council and “other Emirati parliamentarians”, as per the MEA.
Shinde spoke to The National, an English-language daily, whose report mentioned India’s stance on cross-border terrorism and elaborated on the talks held between Indian delegates and Emirati dignitaries. The report included a detailed account of events that led to the ceasefire, including that “India accused Pakistan of being behind the assault”. It noted that Islamabad had denied the claim.
Guyana
The group led by Shashi Tharoor visited Guyana from May 25 to May 27, meeting Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and attending the country’s 59th Independence Day celebrations. The delegation was hosted for dinner by Prime Minister Brig (Retd) Mark Phillips alongside key ministers. They met Speaker Manzoor Nadir to discuss cross-border terrorism and briefed President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and top officials on Operation Sindoor. A reception at India House allowed interaction with the Indian diaspora.
Guyana Chronicle quoted Tharoor calling the meeting with Jagdeo “phenomenal”. The Guyana Chronicle also reported that Tharoor highlighted a press statement issued by the UNSC condemning the Pahalgam terror attack “in which he noted Guyana was one of the voices reflected in the language and strong support given to India”. While the rest of the Guyanese media did not mention Pakistan directly, Stabroek News was the only outlet to do so in the context of the Pahalgam attack, attributing it to Tharoor. Guyana Times highlighted Tharoor’s support for Guyana in its border dispute with Venezuela.
Panama
Tharoor’s delegation visited Panama from May 27 to May 29.
The delegates were seen with President of Panama José Raúl Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha
La Prensa, a daily broadsheet in Panama, reported on the meeting between Martínez-Acha and the Indian delegation, where the former said that Panama supported India’s aspiration to become a permanent member of the UNSC. The article detailed the Pahalgam terror attack that “New Delhi blamed on Islamabad”, and reported that Martínez-Acha said that Panama condemned “what happened in Kashmir”.
Sierra Leone
Shinde’s group visited Sierra Leone from May 28 to May 30. The delegation held meetings with the country’s vice president, speaker of the parliament, acting foreign minister, deputy minister of defence, and national security coordinator, among other dignitaries.
Awoko, a Sierra Leone-based newspaper, reported on India’s visit and that India commended Sierra Leone for its condemnation of the “April 22 terror attack”. The report quoted members of the delegation, including Patra, on their statements about “Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism”.
AYVNews published an account of the delegation’s visit that was almost entirely identical to the press release published by the High Commission of India in Freetown, the country’s capital. The press release stated that the Biju Janata’s Dal Sasmit Patra, in a “live interview” with AYVNews, “underscored the need for Pakistan to abandon state-sponsored terrorism, resonating with local audiences”.
South Africa
The Sule-led delegation visited South Africa from May 27 to May 29 where they met dignitaries including the deputy chairperson of the national council of province, the deputy minister in the presidency, and the parliamentary portfolio committee on international relations and cooperation of South Africa. They reached out to members of the African National Congress. The delegation held discussions with John Steenhuisen, who is the leader of the Democratic Alliance and minister of agriculture of South Africa, as well as other members of the alliance.
The Star, Johannesburg’s oldest newspaper, published an interview with Sule, who gave a detailed account of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. She also called out Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism citing examples like Pakistan’s inaction towards terrorists behind the 26/11 attacks and The Resistance Front, a frontal organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, that had initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. The interview included discussions about the Indus Water Treaty, as well as counter-terrorism measures that should be taken by Pakistan to satisfy India.
South Korea
The delegation led by Jha visited South Korea from May 24 to May 26, where the visit received some traction.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea, issued a press release after the delegation met Vice Minister Kim Hong Kyun. The press release reaffirmed South Korea’s position, that terrorism cannot be justified and that they were committed to working with the international community.
The Korea Times and The Korea Herald, two English-language newspapers reported on the visit. Maeil Business Newspaper, an economic daily also published a comprehensive report, discussing the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the ceasefire and urged both sides to “promote stability through dialogue”.
Ethiopia
Sule’s delegation visited Ethiopia from May 30 to June 1. It met the speaker of the house of people’s representatives, the deputy chairperson of the Prosperity Party in the rank of Deputy PM, the former PM and “held discussions with the African Union”.
Ethiopian Herald, an English-language daily, reported that the Indian delegation and Ethiopian officials held discussions on combating terrorism. The Ethiopian Herald reported on India’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism but did not mention the context of the visit – the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. It also did not mention Pakistan.
Malaysia
The Jha-led delegation visited Malaysia from June 1 to June 3, and met the speaker of the house of representatives, the parliamentary special committee on international relations and international trade, and the representatives of the Southeast Asia regional centre for counter-terrorism. They interacted with the delegations of Malaysia’s political parties and Malaysian think-tanks.
Free Malaysia Today, an online news portal, reported on the delegation’s visit. The article noted that Jha, in a press briefing, said that “India is seeking to put Pakistan back on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)”. They also stated that Jha had claimed that the Indian government had evidence that pointed to “Pakistan’s alleged connection with terrorism activities”. The article pointed out that Islamabad had denied India’s claim that the “terrorists” responsible for the Pahalgam attack were backed by Pakistan.
However, prominent dailies like New Straits Times, The Star, The Sun and The Malay Mail did not report on the delegation’s visit.
Meanwhile, as India’s delegations are set to conclude the global tour, Pakistan is likely to launch its own diplomatic offensive, trying to position itself as a “responsible” country. Led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistani delegations are reportedly planning to visit the US, UK, France and Russia, with a mission to “expose Indian propaganda”.
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