Continuing the tradition of young Indian diplomats giving befitting replies to Pakistan in the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), First Secretary Sneha Dubey lambasted India’s neighboring country for raising the issue of Kashmir, asserting strongly that J&K is an internal matter of India.

WHO IS SNEHA DUBEY?

Sneha Dubey dreamed of getting into Indian Foreign Service since childhood. And she did! She is a 2012 batch IFS officer. She did her schooling in Goa and college and university education from Pune and JNU respectively. She cleared the Civil Services examination in her first attempt itself in 2011 and got appointed in the Ministry of External Affairs. In 2014, she became India’s Third Secretary at the Embassy in Madrid. At present, she is the First Secretary of India to the United Nations. 

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WHAT SNEHA SAID AT UNGA

In the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sneha Dubey gave a befitting reply to Pakistan, saying “Pak PM is misusing the global forum by bringing our internal affairs. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will remain an integral and inseparable part of India. This includes those areas which are under illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation”.

She went on to say that “member states are aware that Pakistan has a history of harbouring, aiding and actively supporting terrorists. It is a country that has been recognized globally as a state supporting, training, financing and arming terrorists. Along with this, Pakistan also holds the outrageous record of hosting the largest number of terrorists banned by the United Nations Security Council”.

Bringing in the reference of the 1971 genocide that led to the formation of Bangladesh, she said, “This is also the country that still holds the despicable record in our region of having executed a religious and cultural genocide against the people of what is now Bangladesh. As we mark the 50th anniversary this year of that horrid event in history, there is not even an acknowledgement, much less accountability”.

Drawing a parallel between India and Pakistan, she said that India is a pluralistic democracy with a substantial population of minorities who have gone on to hold the highest offices in the country including as President, Prime Minister, Chief Justices and Chiefs of the Army Staff.

She also said that, unlike Pakistan, India is a country with free media and an independent judiciary that keeps a watch and protects our Constitution.

BEING SHOWERED WITH PRAISE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is abuzz with reactions to Sheha’s speech. Praises are still pouring in appreciating her strong speech. A Twitter user responded, “Excellent rebuttal by a talented, young, energetic diplomat of this great nation.” Another user tweeted, “India’s brave diplomat… Brilliant.”

SNEHA NOT THE FIRST TO SLAM PAKISTAN AT UNGA

Sneha Dubey is not the first to slam Pakistan at UNGA. India has been fielding young women diplomats to blunt Pakistan’s Kashmir agenda for the past few years. 

Eenam Gambhir, IFS 2005 (2016 and 2017)

In 2016, Eenam Gambhir delivered her Right of Reply to Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Gambhir openly attacked Pakistan while asserting that the “land of Taxila” was now hosting the “Ivy League of terrorism” and saying that the country attracts terror “aspirants and apprentices”  from across the world.

Eenam Gambhir was posted as Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York. She is a 2005 batch IFS officer and is currently posted at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN at New York. 

Vidisha Maitra, IFS 2008 (2019)

In 2019, Vidisha Maitra, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, attacked PM Imran Khan during India’s Right of Reply at the UN General Assembly while addressing the Pakistan Prime Minister as “Imran Khan Niazi”. Maitra said the Pakistan Prime Minister had “monopolised the entire value chain of the industry of terrorism”, as her remarks reverberated across the UN.

Vidisha Maitra is an IFS officer of the 2008 batch and was awarded the EAM’s Ambassador Bimal Sanyal Memorial Gold Medal for Best Officer Trainee in 2009. 

Paulomi Tripathi, IFS 2007 (2017)

In 2017, Paulomi Tripathi, junior most Indian diplomat at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, flayed Pakistan for using a ‘fake picture’ in UNGA to push a ‘completely false narrative’. She said in UNGA that “the Permanent Representative of Pakistan misled this Assembly by displaying the fake picture to spread falsehood about India”.

Mijito Vinito, IFS 2010 (2020)

In 2020, Mijito Vinito, an IFS officer of 2010 batch, said in the annual session of UNGA that the “only crowning glory” that Pakistan can show to the world is terrorism, ethnic cleansing, majoritarian fundamentalism and clandestine nuclear trade.