Sushma Swaraj's Eid celebration: Was Pakistan envoy snubbed?

Pakistan High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood was not invited to the Eid celebration hosted on Tuesday by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, reported news agency ANI while quoting sources. The celebration was held at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra in the national capital.

Later, however, ANI quoted official sources as saying that head of every mission based in Delhi was invited in EAM Sushma Swaraj's Eid Milan program, including Pakistan.

It is not yet clear as to what made India snub the Pakistan envoy. But things must be looked at from the recent happenings in Kashmir. There has been an increase in terror activities in the valley in the last few months. 'Rising Kashmir 'journalist Shujat Bukhari was also shot dead in Srinagar a day before Eid. Some reports had suggested that Pakistani intelligence agency ISI could have been behind Bukhari's killing.

At the Eid event hosted by the External Affairs Minister for all foreign envoys in India, Swaraj said the country will never allow "the forces of hatred and violence" to come anywhere near its people. She added that like any religious festival in India, whether Diwali or Christmas, Eid-ul-Fitr too brings together people of all faiths.

Extending her Eid wishes, the minister noted that Muslims all over the world observe Ramzan as the month of fasting, with a pre-dawn meal of suhoor and ending the fast everyday with iftar.

It is a month to practice self discipline and self control - a test of inner strength, she said.

Quoting the King of Jordan from his speech in April here, Swaraj said, "It was wisely said, the world is one family... Compassion, mercy, tolerance -- these values are shared by billions of Muslims and non-Muslims around the world. And these values require us, together, to act for our common future.

"Just as His Majesty referred to one global family, we too in India have grown up believing that the world is indeed one family. The concept of Vasudaiva Kudumbakam is ingrained in our ethos," Swaraj said.