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Journalism of Courage
Months before elections in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday quickly switched to English in the middle of his speech in Madhubani to promise stringent action against the terrorists and the “backers” involved in the attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.
The PM’s switch to English in a speech largely focused on the state was meant to address the world, promising that the government would “identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers”, and thanking all nations who stood with India at this time of grief.
Modi also made a pitch for national integration beyond linguistic boundaries — the linguistic divide has been in the news for some time now — underlining that those who lost their lives spoke different Indian languages and belonged to different states and that the nation stood firm with all of them.
These were the key takeaways of Modi’s layered speech that was aimed at showing a strong resolve to up the ante on terrorism and its “backers”.
The sense in the establishment is that Pakistan is behind the attack, something that the neighbouring country has denied, and the Centre has already held the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, downsized diplomatic missions in both countries, asked all Pakistanis in the country to leave, and sealed the Wagah-Attari border.
In this context, PM Modi’s speech marks an oblique resolve to intensify India’s response to the terror act beyond the decisions taken as yet, recalling memories of the Balakot strike of 2019 and the surgical strike along the Line of Control before that.
After resolving to take strict action against the attack’s perpetrators and their backers, something that made the crowd break into applause, Modi said in English, “Today, from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world, India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism.”
He added, again in English, “Terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to make sure that justice is done. The entire nation is one in this resolve. Everyone who believes in humanity is with us. I thank the people of various countries and their leaders who have stood with us … The punishment will be significant and stringent, which these terrorists would have never even thought about …”
Just before this, Modi said in Hindi, “Sabhi peedit parivaron ke dukh mein poora desh unke saath khada hai. Jin parivarjanon ka ilaaj chal raha hai we jald swasth hon iske liye bhi sarkar har prayas kar rahi hai. Is aatanki hamle mein kisi ne apna beta khoya, kisi ne apna bhai khoya, kisi ne apna jeewansathi khoya hai (The whole nation stands with all the aggrieved. The government is trying its best to ensure all our family members who are injured recover quickly. In this terror attack, some lost their son, some lost their brother, and some lost their life partner).”
Modi emphasised national unity beyond linguistic and regional differences, asserting, “Unmein se koi Bangla bolta tha, koi Kannada bolta tha, koi Marathi tha, koi Odiya tha, koi Gujarati tha, koi yahaan Bihar ka laal tha. Aaj un sabhi ki mrityu par Kargil se Kanyakumari tak hamara dukh ek jaisa hai. Hamara aakrosh ek jaisa hai. Ye hamla sirf nihathhe paryatakon par nahin hua hai, dekh ke dushamon ne Bharat ki aatma par hamla karne ka dussahas kiya hai (Among those killed, someone spoke Bangla, someone was Marathi, someone spoke Kannada, someone was Odiya, someone was Gujarati, and someone was the son of Bihar. Today, from Kargil to Kanyakumari, we are united in our grief over their demise. Our anger is also similar. This attack was not just on unarmed tourists; the enemies of the nation have dared to attack the soul of Bharat).”
He then signalled that India would escalate the matter, asserting, “Main bahot spasht shabdon mein kehna chahta hoon, jinhone ye hamla kiya hai un aatankiyon ko aur is hamle ki saazish rachne waalon ko unki kalpana se bhi badee saza milegi. Sazaa mil kar ke rahegi. Ab aatankiyon ki bachi kuchi zameen ko bhi mitti mein milaane ka samay aa gaya hai. 140 karor Bharatiyon ki ichha shakti ab aatank ke aakaaon ki kamar tod kar rahegi (I say in clear words, those who carried out this terror attack and those who planned it will get a punishment beyond their imagination. They shall be punished. It is time to render into dust the remaining land of terrorists. The resolve of 140-crore Indians will now break the backs of the masters of terror).”
While Modi did not refer to Pakistan here, the view within BJP circles is that this was a veiled reference to the neighbouring country and could signal more stringent action than has already been taken.
Earlier, Modi asked the crowd to observe silence for those who lost their lives in Pahalgam, and remember their “aaraadhya dev (deities)” as they kept those who lost their lives in their thoughts while observing silence.
