Crime Today News
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that every attempt to foster peace with Pakistan was met with hostility and betrayal and hoped that wisdom would prevail on the leadership in Islamabad to improve bilateral ties.
In an interaction with US-based popular podcaster and computer scientist Lex Fridman, Modi recalled that he had specially invited his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony in 2014 with the hope that the two countries could turn a new leaf.
“Yet, every noble attempt at fostering peace was met with hostility and betrayal. We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails upon them and they choose the path of peace,” the prime minister said.
Modi said he believed that even the people of Pakistan long for peace because they also must be tired of living in strife, unrest and relentless terror where even innocent children are killed and countless lives are destroyed.
The prime minister said his first attempt at improving bilateral relations was a gesture of goodwill.
“It was a diplomatic gesture unlike any in decades. The very people who once questioned my approach to foreign policy were taken aback when they learned I had invited all SAARC heads of state and our then President Pranab Mukherjee beautifully captured that historic gesture in his memoir,” Modi said.
“This was a testament to how clear and confident India’s foreign policy had become. This sent a clear message to the world about India’s commitment to peace and harmony, but we didn’t get the desired outcome,” he said in the over three-hour podcast released on Sunday.
The prime minister called out Pakistan’s long-standing role in fostering terrorism, emphasising that the world was no longer in doubt about where the roots of terror lie.
Modi said that time and again, Pakistan has emerged as the epicentre of terror, causing immense suffering not just to India but to the entire world.
Referring to the freedom struggle, Modi said everyone from what is now known as Pakistan and India fought “side by side, shoulder to shoulder”.
“And the nation was eagerly waiting to celebrate the freedom, the joy of Independence. Now, we could have a lengthy discussion on what led to the events that unfolded. But the fact remains that the policymakers of the time agreed to India’s partition,” Modi said.
“And they agreed to the Muslim side’s demand of carving out a separate nation. With hearts weighed down by grief and silent tears, Indians embraced this painful reality,” the prime minister said.
“After getting their own way, we expected them to live and let live. And yet, they chose not to foster a harmonious coexistence. Time and again they decided to be at odds with India. They have waged a proxy war against us,” Modi said.
He said Pakistan’s behaviour should not be mistaken for ideology.
“What kind of ideology thrives on bloodshed and the export of terror? And we are not the sole victims of this menace. Wherever terror strikes in the world, the trail somehow leads to Pakistan. Let’s take the September 11 attacks for example,” PM Modi said, referring to how Osama bin Laden was found hiding in a house in Pakistan.
Guests on Fridman’s podcast include Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, SpaceX founder Elon Musk, American businessman Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
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