Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the spirit of Kashi was energised by India’s timeless traditions and urged the G-20 dignitaries not only to spend all their time in meeting rooms but also explore and experience the spirit of Kashi.
“I am confident that experiencing the Ganga aarti and visiting Sarnath will inspire you to achieve your desired results,” he said while addressing the G-20 Development Ministers’ meeting via video conferencing here on Monday.
Welcoming the delegates to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, the oldest living city, Modi said that Kashi has been the centre of knowledge, discussions, debates, culture and spirituality for centuries while it also has the essence of India’s diverse heritage, serving as a convergence point for people from all parts of the country.
Expressing happiness that the G-20 development agenda had reached Kashi as well, the prime minister said that development was a core issue for the Global South. He pointed out that the countries of the Global South were severely impacted by the disruptions created due to the COVID-19 pandemic while geo-political tensions were responsible for food, fuel and fertilizer crises.
“In such circumstances, the decisions you (G-20 delegates) make are significant for humanity as a whole,” he said, emphasising that it was the collective responsibility of the people to not let the sustainable development goals fall behind.
Modi further added that the Global South must send a strong message to the world about the action plan required to achieve this.
“Our efforts must be comprehensive, inclusive, fair and sustainable, and attempts should be made to increase investment in fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and also finding solutions to address the debt risks faced by many countries,” Modi said, and remarked that multilateral financial institutions should be reformed to expand the eligibility criteria to ensure that finance is accessible to those in need.
“In India, we have made efforts to improve people’s lives in more than 100 aspirational districts which were pockets of under-development. These aspirational districts have now emerged as the catalysts of growth in the country,” he said, urging the G-20 development ministers to study this model of development.
“It may be relevant as you work towards accelerating Agenda 2030,” the prime minister said, conveying his best wishes for success in the deliberations to promote Agenda 2030 and fulfilling the aspirations of the Global South.
Highlighting the issue of the growing data divide, the prime minister said that high-quality data was critical for meaningful policy-making, efficient resource allocation, and effective public service delivery.
“The democratisation of technology is a crucial tool to help bridge the data divide. In India, digitalisation has brought about a revolutionary change where technology is being used as a tool to empower people, make data accessible, and ensure inclusivity,” Modi said, underlining that India was willing to share its experience with partner countries and expressed hope that discussions would result in tangible actions to promote data for discourse, development and delivery in developing countries.
“In India, we hold great respect for rivers, trees, mountains and all elements of nature,” Modi said, and threw light on the traditional Indian thought which promotes a pro-planet lifestyle.
Last year, along with the UN secretary-general, the prime minister recalled the launching of Mission LiFE and expressed happiness that this group was working to develop a set of high-level principles. “This would be a significant contribution to climate action,” he added.
Underlining the importance of gender equality and women empowerment in achieving the SDGs, Modi mentioned that India is not limited to women empowerment but extends to women-led development. He underlined that women are setting the agenda for development and are also the agents of growth and change. He urged everyone to adopt a game-changing action plan for women-led development.