‘There is no silence on terrorism, answers are necessary’, Indian student in Oxford calls Pakistan ‘nefarious’

When on international forums India When an attempt is made to dilute the anti-terrorism stance by calling it ‘populism’, then the pain of history becomes apparent. The voice of an Indian student in a debate at Oxford University became a testimony to this pain. The Indian student said, ‘After the Mumbai terror attack, his mother’s trembling voice, his father’s injured jaw and the three sleepless nights of Mumbaikars are still alive in his memory. In such a situation, if someone calls India’s tough stance towards Pakistan ‘populism’, then it is not possible to remain silent on it. This statement was not just an emotional appeal, but also a moral defense of India’s policy against terrorism.

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In fact, Mumbai-born Oxford University law student Viransh Bhanushali’s powerful speech in a high-profile debate on India-Pakistan relations at Britain’s prestigious Oxford Union recently is becoming increasingly viral on social media. The topic of his debate was: “India’s policy towards Pakistan is a popular pretext for security policy.” Arguing against this proposal, Bhanushali strongly argued that New Delhi’s approach towards Islamabad is based on genuine national security concerns rather than political populism. This debate took place on 27 November, which was a day after the anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks.

blew away moses claims

The Indian student based his arguments on Pakistani Oxford Union President Musa Harraj that India’s Pakistan policies are motivated by electioneering. In response, Bhanushali refuted Musa’s claims by citing India’s responses to several terrorist attacks on India, ranging from diplomatic restraint after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to deliberate military action after the Pahalgam terror attack.

How can one who harbors terror be moral?

Bhanushali said that these attacks did not coincide with the election cycle, which weakens the argument of populism. He referred to other major attacks including Pathankot, Uri and Pulwama and stressed that a country which harbors terrorist networks cannot claim moral superiority.

Sometimes we have to pay for Pakistan’s failure

Referring to other major attacks including Pathankot, Uri and Pulwama, Bhanushali said, “We have learned this the hard way, you cannot shame a country which has no shame.” Bhanushali also shared a light-hearted moment with Harraj and told that as his chief of staff, he had helped her write her speech. He said, “I will happily admit that sometimes it takes an Indian to fix the failure of a Pakistani.”

Mumbai resident Bhanushali started his speech with his personal experience of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He recalled that one of the targets of the terrorists was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), where his aunt passed almost every evening. “By coincidence or fate, she took another train home that night and narrowly escaped the fate of the 166 people who did not. The second target was the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, where my best friend’s father, a Major in the National Security Guard, was one of the first commandos to descend the burning fire by rope.”

When Mumbai and I could not sleep for three consecutive nights

He recalled being in school at the time, “I was glued to the TV as my city burned. I remember the fear in my mother’s voice on the phone, the tension in my father’s tight jaw. Mumbai didn’t sleep for three nights, and neither did I.”

Can you understand why I get angry?

Bhanushali further told that a suburban railway station just 200 meters away from his house was bombed in the 1993 serial blasts, in which more than 250 people were killed. “I have grown up in the shadow of these tragedies. So, when someone says that India’s tough stance towards Pakistan is just populism in the name of security policy, you can understand why I get angry.”

comparison with pakistan

The Indian student also compared the works of India with the works of Pakistan. He further said, ‘If you want to see real populism in the name of security, then look across the Radcliffe Line. When India fights a war, we take information from the pilots. In Pakistan they autotune the chorus. You can’t give bread to your people, so you show them the circus. This is the magic by which the fear of war transforms mass poverty into personal power.”

Bhanushali insisted that Delhi does not want war. “We want to be peaceful neighbours. We want to trade onions and electricity, but we will hold our ground until the country that defends itself stops using terrorism as a foreign policy weapon. If this is populism, I am a populist.”

Who is Viransh Bhanushali?

Bhanushali is currently pursuing BA in Jurisprudence (LLB), English Law with Law Studies in Europe at St. Peter’s College, Oxford University. He is also an alumnus of NES International School, Mumbai. He serves as Chief of Staff to the President of the Oxford Union and has also held positions in the union such as International Officer and Deputy Returning Officer. He has also done internship in the office of Solicitor General of India. The video of his comments in the debate has received reactions from viewers in India and abroad, with millions of views on social media