Her piercing rebuttal to comments of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), has won the hearts of Indians the world over. And India’s first secretary to UN, Sneha Dubey has overnight emerged as the new icon of inspiration for the youth! She is garnering unprecedented praise for her fiery response, ever since the video clipping of her speech has gone viral on social media.
What’s caught the attention of many is Dubey’s choice of words and the deft delivery by this Indian Foreign Service’s officer. “In a country where women are often thought to be suppressed and not have political views, Sneha has proved that women too can give a strong counter argument. She is the voice of the youth, who often feel alienated from politics, and shows how a young female can fight against inequalities in society, and leave a strong impression on the world stage,” says Gitoshri Sen, a BA Psychology (Hons) student at Delhi University (DU).
Dubey’s coherent speech has also kindled pride in the UPSC aspirants, who say they too want to make an impact like this young civil servant from 2012 batch. “What better epitome can the world get at such an important platform where women empowerment is all up to shut the false claims of Pakistan,” asks Jasika Pawar, a UPSC aspirant. Adding to this view, Pragya Gupta, another Delhi-based UPSC aspirant, says, “Pakistan tries to use the world stage to tarnish India’s image through platforms like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and UNGA. But, all this is without much success till there are IFS officers like Sneha! It’s inspiring to see the fake faces being served a strong and befitting reply by a feisty, young Indian diplomat.”