
PM says in Mann Ki Baat that India, as a messenger of peace, vouches for peace
NEW DELHI:Â Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Indiaâs contributions to the UN peace keeping efforts as reflecting its ethos as a âmessenger of peaceâ and said that his celebration of the festival of Deepavali with the troops stationed in Gurez was an âunforgettableâ experience.
He said this during his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat on Sunday.
âWe are believers of vasudev kutumbakam, which means the whole world is one. And because of this belief, India has been an active participant in the UNâs key initiatives,â Prime Minister Modi said.
âIndia, as a messenger of peace, has always vouched for peace, unity and harmony in the world. It is our belief that everyone should live in peace and harmony and move towards a better and peaceful tomorrow,â he added.
He said as of August 2017, India has participated in about 50 out of 71 UN peacekeeping operations undertaken in countries like Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Congo, Cyprus, Liberia, Lebanon and Sudan.
7,000-strong force
âIndia is the third highest contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, with around 7,000 of its security personnel deployed on various missions across the world,â he said.
He added that the UN Declaration of Human Rights had initially the wording âall men are born free and equalâ but it was changed to âall human beings are born free and equalâ after efforts by Indian representative Hansa Mehta.
Prime Minister Modi also made a mention of his recent visit to Gurez near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu Kashmir to spend Deepavali with the jawans, describing the experience as âunforgettableâ. âOur armed forces personnel work in extremely difficult conditions on the border and their struggle, dedication and sacrifices must be lauded,â he said.
Run for unity
He urged the people to participate in the ârun for unityâ event to be organised on October 31, to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. He also made a reference of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, whose death anniversary falls on the same day.
He also spoke about the upcoming Guru Nanak Jayanti which falls on November 4 and hailed the first Sikh Guru.
Source:Â The Hindu
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