New Delhi, March 20 The damage being inflicted on the combatants, the neighborhood, and subsequently, the wider region, including India, due to the West Asia conflict has "crossed all acceptable limits" and must be stopped, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Tharoor said that he has always been "in favor of peace" in this particular conflict and most conflicts.
He was asked to comment on the hawkish remarks emanating from both sides regarding the West Asia conflict, which began three weeks ago and shows no signs of ending.
"This is a serious issue. It is not a minor matter; it is affecting the lives of ordinary Indians and people everywhere. I think we should be part of the efforts, and ideally, we should lead an international effort to bring this war to an end. Many countries will join us. No one wants to see this war continue," he said.
Tharoor said the conflict is "harming many of us" who have nothing to do with it.
"And I think it is time for both sides to step back from their positions. They need our help and encouragement from other countries. I hope we can play our part," the former Union minister of state for external affairs said.
He said that it is necessary to end this conflict.
"If you look at the appeal from the Omani foreign minister, that is a very important gesture. I think many countries are saying that we absolutely have to bring this war to a close. It is causing too much damage and it is not clear what good it is doing to anyone," he emphasized.
He was also asked if, in this environment of "hawks," there was a need for "doves" who want to see de-escalation.
"I have, of course, always been in favor of peace, in this particular conflict and in most conflicts. War is a futile activity. In fact, I spent many years in peacekeeping at the UN, and I can tell you that soldiers are the last people who want to see wars. They know how much horror, suffering, and loss are involved. No one wants to see war continue," he asserted.
When you talk to soldiers who have experienced fighting and killing, they will share with you the anguish it means, the Congress MP said.
"I think it is one thing to be forced to defend your country. It is something else to continue prosecuting a war in which people are dying every day, innocent people are dying, school children have been killed, and all sorts of innocent people are losing their lives, frankly, for what," he asked.
"I think at this point, the damage being done everywhere, to the combatants, the neighborhood, and subsequently, the wider region, including India, has crossed all acceptable limits. It must be stopped," Tharoor said.
The conflict is affecting India, it is affecting many other countries in the region and beyond because, as oil prices go up and gas supplies go down, you are facing problems that affect everyone, he said.
He was also asked about fellow Congress leader Shama Mohamed's post on X on Friday regarding the limited number of tickets given to women candidates.
"I have always been in favor of greater women's representation," he said.
"And I must say, I agree that when women make up half the population, they should get 9.8 percent of the seats, which is not fair. But again, those who made these decisions, and I am not one of them, I am not part of the selection process for candidates. But all I can say is that those who made these decisions must have taken all factors into account. And they claim that ultimately, they were guided by winnability, and that is a key principle," Tharoor said.
"But when women's reservation comes, I think that will end these debates, and we will see a fair opportunity for more hardworking women leaders," he added.