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India will ensure equality of citizen, faith, culture: Modi
Paris, April 10
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on Friday said that the India government will ensure that every citizen,
faith, culture and creed has an equal place in society.
“We
shall judge our (India's) progress not just by the cold statistics of
growth, but by the warm glow of belief and hope on human faces,†Modi
said while addressing a gathering at the Unesco headquarters here.
“For
me, it means many things. We will defend and protect the rights and
liberty of every citizen. We will ensure that every citizen, of every
faith, culture and creed has an equal place in our society; belief in
her future; and the confidence to pursue it.â€
Modi said that a digital India will create a participative and transparent government.
"Our digital India will create a participative, transparent and a responsive government connected to our citizens," he said.
To meet its goals, the prime minister said India needed the power of science more than just policies and resources.
“For
us,science is driven by the larger purpose of human development; and,
for a safe, sustainable, prosperous future for India,†Modi said.
“Science also unites people across borders in a shared purpose.â€
Stating
that India never forgets the help it has received in its early years,
he said that “today, we are fulfilling our responsibility to othersâ€.
“Therefore, science is a key priority of India's international engagement.â€
The prime minister also lauded Unesco's initiatives to preserve the world's cultural heritage.
“Unesco's initiatives to preserve the world's cultural heritage, including in India, are inspiring,†he said.
“We
see India's rich and diverse cultural heritage as humanity's wealth.
And,we will do everything to preserve it for future generations.â€
He
also referred to initiatives of his government -- Heritage Development
and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) to preserve the cultural heritage of
Indian cities and Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation
Drive (PRASAD) for rejuvenation of India's centres of pilgrimage.
Speaking
about the challenges faced by the world, he said that “the threats are
changing from domination by states to destruction by groupsâ€.
“We
fight today not only over what we claim, but also for who we are. And,
in many parts of the world, culture remains a source of conflict,†the
prime minister said.
Referring to the Ebola disease that has
affected western Africa, he said, “Diseases still defeat our most
courageous fight, we understand how fragile we are.â€
“When we
see people living at the edge of existence; children shut out of
classrooms; and, nations without the human resources to shoulder the
responsibility of progress, we know that we still have a long way to
go,†Modi stated.
He called for collective human action to address the pressing global challenge of climate change.
“We
have, for example, set a target of adding 175,000 MW of clean and
renewable energy in the next seven years,†the prime minister stated.
“Too
often, our discussion is reduced to an argument about emission cuts.
But, we are more likely to succeed if we offer affordable solutions, not
simply impose choices.â€
He also referred to the UN last year declaring June 21 International Yoga Day.
“Yoga
awakens a sense of oneness and harmony with self, society and Nature.
By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us
deal with climate change and create a more balanced world,†he said.
Prior to his address, Modi paid tribute to a statue of Indian philosopher and sage, Sri Aurobindo in the Unesco headquarters.
“There
is much that we can learn from his humanism and spiritualism, from his
belief in the unity of individual consciousness with the world outside;
the enlightened purpose of education; the service of science; and, the
unity of world, founded on national freedom, diversity of civilizations
and autonomy of culture,†he said at the end of his speech.
Modi was earlier welcomed at the headquarters of the world organisation by its Director-General Irina Bokova.