Modi bats for India’s global role in a terror free world

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday singled out the urgency of a global campaign to counter international terrorism by naming and shaming its perpetrators, and cited India's readiness to shoulder global responsibilities, as shown by its pharma power to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We need to ensure that countries aiding and abetting terrorists are identified as guilty,” Modi said in his virtual address of the Brazil- Russia- India -China-South Africa (BRICS) summit hosted by Russia. “The problem needs to be dealt with unitedly.”

The Prime Minister pointed out that because of the strength of India’s pharma sector, the country was able to provide medicines to over 150 countries during Covid-lockdown era.

He also spotlighted that India’s capacity to produce and deliver a Covid-19 vaccine will help humankind in the same way.

As the host of the next BRICS summit, India will promote digital health and traditional medicine among emerging economies, Modi stressed. With India as a future economic hub, the Prime Minister also spoke about the concept of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat,’ as a platform to spur global economic growth.

Modi also made a veiled pitch for expanding India’s participation and influence in global institutions, which were outdated. He specifically mentioned the need for the reform of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the World Health Organisation (WHO). He pointed out that a rising India was a staunch supporter of global governance under the UN flag, as well as an active votary of multilateral collaboration..