“Terrorism today has become an instrument of state policy for some countries, while a number of terror groups wander around the lawless lands of some other regions of the world,” he said.

Without naming Pakistan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday asserted that the Russia-India-China South Africa (BRICS) grouping, during its summit in September, should deny “narrow self-interests and double standards” to hamper the fight against international terrorism.

“Terrorism today has become an instrument of state policy for some countries, while a number of rogue terror groups wander around the lawless lands of some other regions of the world,” said Ram Madhav, National Secretary General of the BJP.

Addressing a brainstorming conference of political parties and think tanks of the BRICS, organised by the Communist part of China (CPC), Mr. Madhav advocated that without making exceptions, the five emerging economies should “take the lead” in finalising a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

“We need to be convinced and convince others through our actions that all forms of terrorism are bad, and distinction of your terrorism and my terrorism or good terrorists and bad terrorists are unscrupulous and ill-conceived.”

“The need of the hour is for countries to work towards dismantling terror infrastructure, destroying terror network and drying up the sources of terror financing and weapons supply,” he observed.

Mr. Madhav called upon the BRICS countries to exercise leadership in brainstorming the concept of Indo-Pacific region, which, in his view had emerged the center of gravity of the global system.

“At the advent of the millennium, global power axis is shifting away from the Pacific-Atlantic region. Today, it is the Indo-Pacific region that has emerged as the new global power house,” he asserted.

He added: “Our interests are invariably linked to the Indo-Pacific sea lanes. Facilitating efforts for an open, well balanced and inclusive architecture in the region based on shared principles like peace, security, freedom of navigation, and development will help promote the legitimate interests of all the states”.

Separately, in a conversation with The Hindu, Mr. Madhav rejected the perception that the Indo-Pacific concept was meant to dock with the Pivot to Asia doctrine of the United States for the containment of

China. “The Indo-Pacific is not part of any exclusivist statement. It is in the Indo-Pacific that we have the economies of scale, and it here that we have big consuming markets. It is here that the 70 per cent

of container trade of the world takes place. This is the most happening region [of the world]. So naturally we all have big stakes in the region. But this does not mean it is [meant to] exclude anybody.”

The senior BJP official stressed that BRICS was the cornerstone of new non-western “counter-narrative” to establish a new global order of the 21 st century. “The 20th century global narrative was dominated by institutions and ideas that originated from and were largely led by the West. They have done their bid for the development and distress of the world in the century just past. Today a greater and bigger and better world awaits the BRICS countries in the international arena.”

Mr. Madhav called for greater participation of the BRICS, “especially India, South Africa and Brazil” to ensure the relevance of “20th century institutions” including the UN Security Council.

He pointed to the “multipolar world order” had emerged, which demanded democratisation of international relations based on the principles of rule of law, respectful of the plurality of our world.

Mr. Madhav described the BRICS as a “unique gathering” of the 21st century, “connected by the global maritime highway, that includes some of the most happening sea lanes of today.”

He highlighted that in defining a post-west world, it was essential that the BRICS “respects sovereignty, security, and sentiments of each member country”. Analysts say that the statement reflected India’s

concerns, including Beijing’s support for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which India perceives as an infringement of its sovereignty as it passes through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK).