PM Modi calls Pakistan the 'mother ship' of terrorism

India pushes members to adopt a sharper criticism of terrorism in declaration

The words terror, terrorists and terrorism feature 36 times in the Goa Declaration, a document of over 7,000 words, issued at the conclusion of the eighth BRICS Summit here. Of the 109 paragraphs in the document, six deal with the issue of terrorism. But not one refers to “cross-border” nature of terrorism that India is faced with or to any of the terror outfits, particularly Jaish-e-Mohamed and Lashkar-e-Toiba, that operate from Pakistani territory.

Indian officials, who had worked on the text of the Goa declaration with their counterparts from other BRICS member countries, pushed for it to reflect India’s concerns on terrorism. Indian officials said “terror” was an important issue discussed and the declaration is much sharper on the issue than declarations of previous seven summits.

Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (Economic Relations) Amar Sinha said: “Let us not reduce Goa Declaration to only terrorism”. He said New Delhi was satisfied with the declaration and BRICS wasn't a forum for naming and shaming specific countries or individuals.  

Earlier in the day, Modi set the tone for the strong declaration on terrorism. In his intervention during the discussions, Modi spoke of Pakistan, although not referring to it by name, as the “mother ship” of terrorism. "In our own region, terrorism poses a grave threat to peace, security and development. Tragically its mother ship is a country in India's neighbourhood. Terror modules around the world are linked to this mother ship. This country shelters not just terrorists. It nurtures a mindset. A mindset that loudly proclaims that terrorism is justified for political gains,” he said.

In his speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the BRICS grouping needed step up its communication and cooperation on major international issues and regional hot spots and act in concert to find political solution to  issues and take on such global challenges like natural disasters, climate change, infectious diseases and terrorism. “While speaking with one voice in call for greater international input, we should also address issues on the ground with concrete efforts and multi-pronged approach that addresses both symptoms and root causes,” Xi, in a nuanced assessment of the problem, said.

The declaration “strongly condemn(ed) the recent several attacks, against some BRICS countries, including that in India.” It said that there “can be no justification whatsoever for any acts of terrorism, whether based upon ideological, religious, political, racial, ethnic or any other reasons.” In what Indian officials pointed to as a reference to Pakistan, the member countries recalled “the responsibility of all States to prevent terrorist actions from their territories.” The declaration welcomed India’s offer to host a conference in 2018 aimed at strengthening international resolve in facing the challenge of the WMD (Weopons of Mass Destruction)-Terrorism nexus.

The declaration said international terrorism, especially the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Daesh) and affiliated terrorist groups and individuals, constitute a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security.

Asserting that selective approaches to terrorist individuals and organizations will not only be futile but also "counter-productive", Modi said there must be no distinction based on "artificial and self-serving grounds".

The issue of terrorism featured prominently in Modi’s bilateral meetings with the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay. Leaders of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) also spoke of the menace of terrorism.