PM Modi: Time for peace, divided world won't benefit anyone

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, October 13

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the world was facing crises due to conflicts and confrontation, which is not in anyone’s interest.

“A divided world cannot provide solutions to the major challenges faced by humanity. This is a time for peace and brotherhood; a time to move forward together. We have to overcome the global trust deficit and move forward on human-centric thinking,” the PM said while addressing the inaugural session of the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) here. The PM was speaking against the backdrop of the explosion of the Israel-Hamas conflict even as the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of easing.

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The PM said India had been battling cross-border terrorism for decades, but it was now that the world was realising how big a challenge terrorism was. “Terrorism anywhere, in whatever manifestation, is against humanity,” he said while regretting that the world had been unable to agree on a common definition of terrorism.

The PM also underlined several aspects that sought to counter criticism of India having turned undemocratic. The parliamentary traditions in early Indian society, he stressed, came before the Magna Carta. “This journey from 5,000 years old Vedas till today, this development is not only our heritage but the heritage of the entire world,” he observed while pointing out that the 2019 General Election was the largest democratic exercise in human history and the voting population was more than the total population of the entire Europe.

“Since Independence, 17 Lok Sabha elections and more than 300 state Assembly elections had been held in Bharat. Next year’s General Election will see 100 crore voters eligible to cast their votes,” the PM said, extending an advance invitation to all the delegates of the P20 summit to come and watch the General Election. He expressed faith in electronic voting machines, stating that its use had increased both transparency in elections. He also sought to push back against overseas criticism about shrinking freedom of expression in India.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said apart from G20 countries, 10 other countries and international organisations were participating in the P20 summit.

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