UNITED NATIONS: Terrorism is undoubtedly the biggest
violation of human rights. It targets the innocent and kills indiscriminately
and has gone way beyond affecting individuals or nations – it is a crime
against humanity itself, said India’s
Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly Monday, she
said it is important to ask - who is behind this and who benefits from it?
Terrorists do not own banks or weapons factories, so let us ask the real
question: who finances these terrorists, who arms them and provides
sanctuaries?
Swaraj said the world has been battling this scourge for
long. However, despite the blood and tears of innocent victims, attacks this
year alone in Kabul and Dhaka, Istanbul and Mogadishu, Brussels and Bangkok,
Paris, Pathankot and Uri as well as daily barbaric tragedies in Syria and Iraq,
remind us that these malevolent forces are yet to be defeated.
“If we want to defeat terrorism, there is only one way –
that we unite across our differences, add steel to our resolve and inject
urgency in our response. We need to forget our prejudices and join hands
together to script an effective strategy against terror. This is not an impossible
task provided we have the will. Otherwise our future generations will
forever hold us to account. And if any nation refuses to join this global
strategy, then we must isolate it,†she said.
This month we marked the 15th Anniversary of the 9/11 terror
attacks on this city. Tragically, less than 15 days ago, another attempt at
killing innocents was made through an act of terror in this same city. We, who
have suffered in Uri recently, understand the pain inflicted by the same
forces.
The Minister said on Sept. 21 the Prime Minister of Pakistan
used this podium to make baseless allegations about human rights violations in
my country. I can only say that those accusing others of human rights
violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are
perpetrating in their own country, including in Balochistan. The brutality
against the Baloch people represents the worst form of State oppression.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan also said that India has
placed pre-conditions for talks which are not acceptable to him. What
pre-conditions? Did we impose any precondition before extending an invitation
for the oath-taking ceremony of our Government? Did we impose any pre-condition
when I went to Islamabad
for the Heart of Asia conference and agreed to begin the Comprehensive
Bilateral Dialogue? Did we impose any pre-condition when Prime Minister Modi
traveled from Kabul to Lahore? What pre-conditions? We took the
initiative to resolve issues not on the basis of conditions, but on the basis of
friendship, she asked.
“We have in fact attempted a paradigm of friendship in the
last two years which is without precedent. We conveyed Eid greetings to the
Prime Minister of Pakistan, wished success to his cricket team, extended good
wishes for his health and wellbeing. Did all this come with pre-conditions
attached?
What did we get in return? Pathankot, Bahadur Ali, and Uri.
Bahadur Ali is a terrorist in our custody, whose confession is a living proof
of Pakistan’s
complicity in cross-border terror. But when confronted with such evidence, Pakistan
remains in denial. It persists in the belief that such attacks will enable it
to obtain the territory it covets. My firm advice to Pakistan is: abandon this dream. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will
always remain so. “
The CCIT was proposed by India in 1996. In 2016, despite the
passage of two decades, we are yet to come to a conclusion. As a result, we are
unable to develop a norm under which terrorists shall be prosecuted or
extradited. Therefore it is my appeal that this General Assembly acts with
fresh resolve and urgency to adopt this critical Convention.
History proves that those who seed extremist ideologies, reap
a bitter harvest. The germ of evil has grown into a hydra-headed monster,
backed by technological sophistication that threatens the peace and harmony of
our world. We will not be able to win against terrorism by making specious
distinctions between your problems and mine, between terrorists who attack you
and those who attack me.
In our midst, there are nations that still speak the
language of terrorism, that nurture it, peddle it, and export it. To shelter
terrorists has become their calling card. We must identify these nations and
hold them to account. These nations, in which UN designated terrorists roam
freely, lead processions and deliver their poisonous sermons of hate with
impunity, are as culpable as the very terrorists they harbor. Such countries
should have no place in the comity of nations, she said.
Just as we need a more contemporary approach to combating
terrorism, we also need a less outdated Security Council that continues to
reflect the world order of an earlier era. The vast majority of nations share
the belief that the UN should not remain frozen in 1945, just to serve the
interests of a few. Whether it is institutions or issues, we must come to terms
with present day realities and the challenges that confront us. An expansion in
the Permanent and non-Permanent membership of the Council to reflect
contemporary realities is therefore, an urgent necessity.
“Climate change is yet another serious challenge confronting
us. There are enough resources on this planet to fulfil everyone’s needs, but
not enough to fulfill anyone’s greed, for greed is limitless. In this context
Modi has championed a new concept – Climate Justice.
If we respect nature, nature will respect and nurture us and
future generations. But, if we exploit nature mindlessly, then we must be
mindful that nature will unleash its fury upon us. In different parts of the
world, we have already seen nature drift towards the unnatural – from
torrential rain to excessive heat, from tsunamis to storms and cloudbursts.
We must curb reckless consumption, and adopt lifestyles in
harmony with nature. Yoga, the storehouse of India’s ancient wisdom, epitomizes
a sustainable lifestyle. Let me record our gratitude for the unprecedented
global response to the International Day of Yoga.â€
India
has launched an ambitious domestic effort to transform our energy mix to
achieve 40 percent energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. The massive
investments required entail a predictable and stable environment towards which
we are working actively. Our path-breaking initiative for an International
Solar Alliance is intended to make efficient solar technology available for
all. India
will continue to play a leading role in combating climate change, she added.
The 17 goals adopted by UN General Assembly are matched by
the development vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which is geared towards
the achievement of these same objectives. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, more
than 400,000 toilets have been constructed in schools. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
(Educate the Girl Child, Save the Girl Child) program has become a nation-wide
mission.
The Make in India
brand is receiving international acclaim. Almost 250 million bank accounts have
been opened for the poor under the Jan Dhan Yojana, the largest financial
inclusion program the world has ever seen. Digital India is transforming the country.
Under the Skill India initiative, a number of programs are
underway to enable youth to reap the demographic dividend. These initiatives
have added a new dimension to India’s
growth story, making it the fastest growing major economy in the world at a
time of slow global growth. We are all aware that 1/6th of humanity lives in India, she said.
