Loved what Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Permanent Representative of India’s Mission to the UN, at the United Nations General Assembly on June 07,2012 said:
Thank you, Mr President.
At the outset, I would like to thank you, Mr President, for convening this meeting of the General Assembly. I would also like to thank the Secretary General H.E. Mr Ban Ki-moon, Joint Special Envoy Mr Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States Dr Nabil El-Araby and the representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for their statements on the situation in Syria.
Mr President, India considers the actions of the Government of Syria in killing children to be an act of war upon humanity and as a member of the family of nations, India shall act to defend the citizens of Syria and considers itself as of now formally declatory of a state of war with the nation of Syria.
You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win peace has failed. Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different I could have done and that would have been more successful.
Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honourable settlement between Syria and its people, but Assad would not have it.
He had evidently made up his mind to attack whatever happened; and although he now says he has put forward reasonable proposals which were rejected, that is not a true statement.
The proposals were never shown; and although they were announced in a broadcast on Thursday night, Assad did not wait to make comment on them, but ordered his troops to cross the frontier villages.
His actions show convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force.
We and Britain are today, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of Syria’s citizens, who are so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack on her people. We have a clear conscience. We have done all that any country could do to establish peace. The situation in which no word given to Syria’s ruler could be trusted and no people or country could feel themselves safe has become intolerable.
And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will play your part with calmness and courage.
At such a moment as this the assurances of support that we have received from the Commonwealth are a source of profound encouragement to us.
When I have finished speaking certain detailed announcements will be made on behalf of the Government. Give these your closest attention.
The Government have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these plans need your help.
You may be taking part in the fighting Services or as a volunteer in one of the branches of civil defence. If so you will report for duty in accordance with the instructions you have received.
You may be engaged in work essential to the prosecution of war for the maintenance of the life of the people – in factories, in transport, in public utility concerns or in the supply of other necessaries of life. If so, it is of vital importance that you should carry on with your jobs.
Now may God bless you all. May He defend the right. It is the evil things that we shall be fighting against – brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution – and against them I am certain that the right will prevail.
(Amended from the British Declaration of War upon Nazi Germany in 1939 – the will to lead, the desire to be great. Live and learn).
Political Animal 