Ahead of his visit to Ukraine, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s commitment to lasting peace in the region in a speech to the Indian community at Warsaw, Poland.
In an address delivered on 31 July 2021, the Prime Minister reiterated that “this is not an era of war” and urged people to unite against the main challenge facing humanity today.
“India is a land of Buddha’s legacy. Therefore, it doesn’t believe in wars but peace should prevail in this area. India favors everlasting peace for the region. It follows that this is no longer a time for war; rather, this time we have all been waiting for – the greatest challenges humanity has ever encountered” Thus, therefore, hence, accordingly and lastly it is now time when India would prefer dialogue and diplomacy as a way of resolving conflicts as said by Prime Minister Modi.
The Prime Minister accepted Vice-President Naidu’s invitation…and visited Kyiv Vladimir Zelensky…It is notable that since its independence from Soviet Union in 1991 such kind of visit takes place for the first time. This comes almost six weeks after he also paid high-profile visit to Moscow which angered USA and some Western allies.
The Indian premier said that his country has switched from being distant from other countries to being equally close with them saying now they are all friends of India’s. He emphasized that nowadays India makes friendship with everybody while doing focus on development and also considering interests of each person.
“For many years India pursued its policy of keeping aloof from any country. However nowadays our country prefers different approach towards its neighbours and treats them all equally. Present day India seeks connections with other world nations. Today’s India speaks about development concerns related to all countries.” Thus today our nation encompasses everyone – it thinks about each individual,” stated PM Modi.
The prime minister praised Indians for their united efforts, actions or compassion which brought glory/honor to their nation). He cited examples of India’s humanitarian assistance during crises, such as delivering medicines and vaccines to over 150 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and helping Indian students stranded in Ukraine if war breaks out in 2022.
India’s highest turnout and successful elections were also lauded by Prime Minister Modi and he emphasized the importance of India’s democratic institutions. He said that he is proud that the world calls India “Vishwabandhu” and recognized Indian community’s role for preserving this image.
In his speech, the Prime Minister remembered historical connections between India and Poland particularly Jam Saheb of Nawa Nagar, Digvijaysinhji Ranjisinhji The story of Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, who gave asylum to Polish women and children during World War II and is still remembered as the ‘Good Maharaja’ in Poland. To further solidify these bonds, PM Modi announced a new initiative called Jam Saheb Memorial Youth Exchange Programme which will bring 20 Polish youngsters to visit India every year.
