India does not have a neutral stand on disputes between countries and has always been on the side of peace, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said. in an interview to the Wall Street Journal, ahead of his first state visit of the United States, Modi said that peace and tranquillity at the border was essential for India to have normal ties with China, emphasising that India was committed and prepared to protect its sovereignty.
“All countries should respect international law and the sovereignty of countries. Disputes should be resolved with diplomacy and dialogue, not war… Some people say that we are neutral. But we are not neutral. We are on the side of peace… The world has full confidence that India’s topmost priority is peace,” Modi said
India will “do whatever it can” to end the Russia-Ukraine war and backs “all genuine efforts to end the conflict and ensure enduring peace and stability”.
Modi’s official visit to the US comes at a juncture when India heads G20. It also has a key role as a leader of the Global South and its proximity to the US has increased with the two nations using the Quad grouping to counter China’s growing hegemony.
“There is an unprecedented trust between leaders of the US and India,” Modi said, hailing the growing defence cooperation as an “important pillar of our partnership” that extends to trade, technology and energy.
He said India has “a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes”.
Modi underlined the growing significance of India on the world stage. “India deserves a much higher, deeper and wider profile and role… We do not see India as supplanting any country. We see this process as India gaining its rightful position in the world… There has to be an evaluation of the current membership of the (UN Security) Council and the world should be asked if it wants India to be there,” Modi said.
Modi said that India celebrated diversity and practices tolerance towards all sections. “For thousands of years, India has been the land where people of all faiths and beliefs have found the freedom to co-exist peacefully and prosper. You will find people of every faith in the world living in harmony in India,” Modi said. The Opposition has often accused the BJP government of promoting polarisation and has accused it of being ‘anti-minority.’
The PM also spoke on multinationals setting up manufacturing bases in India. Foxconn will manufacture iPhones in its units in Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. An interconnected and interdependent world should have diverse supply chains to build resilience, he said. “I am the first prime minister to be born in free India… And that’s why my thought process, my conduct, what I say and do, is inspired and influenced by my country’s attributes and traditions. I derive my strength from it… I present my country to the world as my country is, and myself, as I am,” Modi said. (Economic Times)