India has every right to defend itself against terrorism. After the Pahalgam attack, the government's swift and decisive response—militarily and diplomatically—was both expected and necessary. The new policies being laid out echo a decisive shift in India's strategic posture. No more tolerance for state-sponsored terror. No more flinching in the face of nuclear threats. No more restraint dictated by global opinion.

In this context, the government's decision to send all-party delegations to key nations, including UN Security Council members, is being hailed as a diplomatic masterstroke. On the surface, it appears to demonstrate rare political unity and a shared national resolve. But one must ask—what does this effort hope to achieve beyond optics?

The truth is, no matter how polished our message to the world, it rings hollow if our own house is not in order.

Even as we seek to rally international opinion against terrorism, the right-wing led by the ruling party is engaged in toxic communal verbiage, targeting India's own citizens. Hate speeches still go unchecked. Trolling public servants for doing their jobs is met with silence. Critics of government policy are arrested under dubious charges, while those spewing venom against minorities face no consequences.

This duplicity undermines India's credibility. How can we claim to stand for peace, democracy, and the rule of law on the world stage while letting those values erode at home?

The idea that the international community will be swayed by parliamentary delegations alone is naïve. Countries are watching not just what India says but what it does. A government that demands moral clarity from others must first show it within its own borders. Moral justification is not something one can hand-carry in a diplomatic pouch; it must be earned through action.

The message of "zero tolerance for terrorism" sounds powerful. But it loses its force when we tolerate hate-mongering within our own society. When bulldozers replace due process, and mobs replace justice, we weaken the very foundation we claim to defend. National unity cannot be forged by exclusion. Real strength lies not in suppressing dissent but in embracing diversity.

We must choose what kind of power it wants to be—a loud power or a just one. If the Modi government truly wants to build a global coalition against terror, it must also build trust at home. It must prove that it values every Indian equally, regardless of religion, and that it respects the Constitution not just in word but in deed.

Though weak after colonial rule and partition, India gained global respect due to its policy of non-alignment and the morality of its leadership. A simple look at the comments on social media platforms will reveal that though the USA is "strong," it is despised by everyone else, even those who live within it. The world respects strong nations, but it admires fair ones more.

Until then, our foreign policy may win applause in press conferences—but little else.