Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked why India, which has “peace in its DNA” and is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Buddha, had to wait for 70 years for the permanent seat in the UN Security Council. Underling that the United Nations will complete 70 years of its formation this year, the Prime Minister said time has come that India “should get justice” by giving it a permanent seat in the UNSC.
“I want to draw the attention of the world that the United Nations will complete 70 years of its formation this year and we are marking the 100th anniversary of the World War I. The world should know that in the war over 75,000 Indian soldiers were martyred and over 14 lakh soldiers
from India had participated, even though India had no interest in it,” Modi said during his joint media interaction with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Earlier, while addressing a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Modi asked the international community to treat terrorism as “sensitively” as nuclear proliferation. He said the world should collectively put pressure and “isolate” nations which provide shelter to terrorists, in an apparent reference to Pakistan. He described terrorism as the “biggest threat to humanity” and said all those believing in humanity should speak in one voice and intensify collective efforts to tackle it. Modi’s remarks came four days after a Pakistan court released leT operations commander and the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman lakhvi, which evoked a sharp reaction and concern from several countries including the US, France and Israel.
The PM said India is among the countries which have contributed the most to peacekeeping forces and its contribution has been praised world-over. Modi said India’s history is testimony to the fact that it has never indulged in aggression and attacked any country.
“If that country does not get the Security Council membership, has to wait for 70 years, peace is in whose DNA...There should be justice to that country. A lot of time has passed,” Modi said.
Earlier, Modi in his initial remarks said India and Germany are two countries that have earned the right to be permanent members of the UNSC.
“Our membership will also be beneficial to the world. We both would like to see tangible progress in the United Nations Security Council reforms during the 70th Anniversary year of the United Nations,” he said.
India has been pitching for a permanent seat in the expanded membership of the UNSC, arguing that the existing body does not truly reflect the contemporary world realities.