Terror, climate change biggest challenges: PM

Seoul, February 21 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said terrorism and climate change are two biggest challenges mankind is facing now and Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings and values can help the world to address both the pressing issues.

Prime Minister Modi, who arrived here on a two-day visit to strengthen India’s strategic ties with South Korea, along with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the prestigious Yonsei University here.

Modi said today humanity across the world is facing two serious problems — terrorism and climate change. “If we look at the life of Gandhi, we can find solutions to both these problems. If we look at his teachings, values and the advice he gave we can find a path forward,” Modi said.

“Terrorism has challenged the mankind, and at this time Gandhi’s teaching, message of unity, values, his message of changing heart of those taken the path of violence through non-violence can show us the way to hight against the scourge of terrorism,” he said. “During the tenure of my friend and former UN chief Ban the UN declared Gandhi’s birthday as the day of non-violence and with this declaration we got the strength to fight the terrorism,” he said.

Addressing the Indian diaspora here, the PM said India is on the way to becoming a USD 5 trillion economy soon and hoped that the country would be among the world’s top three economies in the next 15 years. He recounted several steps taken by his government in recent years, including several new initiatives like the Goods and Services Tax, MUDRA initiative, to take India on a forward trajectory. He said that India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy. “Today, India’s economy is on the sixth position and it will not take time to reach the fifth spot,” Modi said.

Today, almost every Indian has a bank account. In 1,000 days, more than 33 crore bank accounts were opened. Now these accounts have over USD 12 billion, Modi said. — PTI