Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde ji,
Mr. Michael Moussa Adamo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Gabon & President of the United Nations Security Council,
Ministers,
Excellencies and distinguished participants,
Every act of terror results in some human cost. Statistics are numbers, and numbers sometimes merely desensitize us to reality. But, Terrorism is real and evil. It is apt, therefore, that this Special Meeting of the Counter Terrorism Committee has met in a space once destroyed by a ghastly act of terror. The horrors of those fateful days in 2008 were felt again today by us, particularly through personal testimonies of some survivors.
2. I thank Moshe Holtzberg, Mr. Karambir Kang, Ms. Nidhi Chaphekar and Ms. Devika Rotawan for sharing their personal tragedies and Mrs. Vaishali Tukaram Ombale for being with us today.
3. Mumbai is a city of dreams. For millions, this city continues to be the custodian of their aspirations. It is also called the Gateway to India, and for all the possibilities it holds, it is also referred to as the Maximum City. The 26/11 attacks were schemed to destroy the spirit of one of the world’s greatest symbols of diversity, free enterprise and creativity. But, that act also had a consequence on lives from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Many of our distinguished delegates present here come from these countries, and will therefore sense the anguish even more.
4. Excellencies, allow me to record our deep sense of gratitude to all the Counter Terrorism Committee Members and other member states for their homage to the victims of the 26/11 attacks. We also specially convey our gratitude to the Foreign Ministers of Gabon, Ghana, UK, USA, and MOS from UAE for their powerful messages. Our appreciation also goes out to the distinguished Ministerial representatives from Albania and Ambassadors and Heads of Delegations of the UN Security Council Member States, and to the UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Mr. Vladimir Voronkov.
5. The briefing on countering financing of terror is essential to any counter terrorism narrative. We received these inputs thanks to the Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate, particularly Mr. David Scharia and Ms. Jennifer Bramlette. We equally acknowledge the contributions of all our distinguished briefers, members of the media and other participants for their presence and contributions in today’s session.
6. I also thank Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble External Affairs Minister of India for his presence, opening remarks and his guidance in organizing the Special Meeting of the CTC in India.
7. We extend our gratitude to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, H.E. Shri Eknath Shinde and his senior officials for their support and facilitation to delegations.
8. Some words in recognition of this legendary Taj Mahal Hotel and its courageous staff, who stood up to threats, and demonstrated that the Big Fight against terrorism can also sometimes be led by simple individuals and civilians.
9. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, As humans, post any trauma, we seek answers, or explanations. Can 26/11 ever be undone? Can lives lost, Indian or foreign be relived? Can emotional scars be erased? Sadly, perhaps never. But as we leave the shores of this iconic city, may this first-ever presence of the representatives of the Security Council here in Mumbai provide a sliver of a closure to the families and friends of those 166 victims, whose lives were plucked away in 2008. We also hope that this visit and the ensuing dialogue adds to our resolve that 26/11s will not happen again, whether in India or elsewhere in our world.
10. On behalf of the Government of India, I thank you for your presence and participation.
Mumbai
October 28, 2022