A Silence that Spoke Volumes: PM Modi Does Not Mention Pakistan, Kashmir in UN Speech

NEW YORK: Asserting that India gave the world “Buddha not Yudha” (peace not war), Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the United Nations that for the “sake of humanity … it is absolutely imperative that the world unites against terrorism, and stands as one against terrorism.”

In a short address before the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Modi did not once refer to Pakistan while making abroad appeal to fight the “evil” of terrorism. “We believe that this is one of the biggest challenges, not for any single country, but for the entire world and humanity,” Modi told world leaders and UN delegates.

The Indian Prime Minister’s address dealt largely with broader issues like climate change, renewable energy, poverty alleviation and India’s progress and lessons learned in this regard which it wanted to channel to other countries.

“The very core of our approach is public welfare through public participation and this public welfare is not just for India but for the entire world,” Modi said.

But the Indian Prime Minister’s efforts to rise above the quagmire in the subcontinent found little understanding from his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, who launched a ferocious and frequently personal attack against Modi to resounding cheers from some delegates.

On his part, Modi repeatedly sought to project the universal values practiced by India, invoking Gandhi, Buddha, and the Tamil poet Kariyan Pungundranar to challenge the notion in some quarters that the country is changing. Invocation of the last also appeared to be aimed at the domestic constituency where there are apprehensions of a north-centric imposition of Hindi and Hindutva values across the country.

“We belong to all places, and to everyone,” PM Modi quoted the Tamil poet as saying, adding that “this sense of belonging beyond borders is unique to India.”

In the last 5 years, India has worked towards strengthening its centuries old great tradition of fraternity among nations and welfare of the world, which is in line with the key objectives of the United Nations, he added.

Source: ET

Image Courtesy:The Indian Express