It might be more apt to compare India with other democracies than with China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with the Financial Times. Responding to questions on administrative hurdles and skill gap, the PM said India wouldn’t have emerged as the world’s fastest-growing economy if these issues were as pervasive as alleged.
During the interview the Prime Minister also gave his first comments on the US allegations relating to an Indian link over a foiled plot targeting a Sikh separatist. He reiterated that India’s commitment is to the rule of law and that if someone gives information, New Delhi would look into it.
In the interview to the British daily, Modi said there is strong bipartisan support for strengthening of India-US relations and it is not appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic ties. “If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it,” Modi said, according to FT. “If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law,” he said.
In the interview, the Prime Minister also expressed his views on religious minorities in India and the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Here’s a look at key talking points from the interview:
On Religious Minorities in India
Pointing to the economic success of the Parsi community, PM Modi said: “Despite facing persecution elsewhere in the world, they have found a safe haven in India, living happily and prospering. That shows that the Indian society itself has no feeling of discrimination towards any religious minority.”
On Israel-Hamas War
On the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the PM said India has supported the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and reiterated New Delhi’s support for a two-state solution. “I remain in touch with the leaders in the region,” he says. “If there is anything India can do to take forward efforts towards peace, we will certainly do so,” he said.
Comparisons With China
“You have done a comparison with China, but it might be more apt to compare India with other democracies. It’s important to recognise that India wouldn’t have achieved the status of the world’s fastest-growing economy if the issues you’ve highlighted were as pervasive as suggested,” he said when asked about hurdles like corruption and skill gap. “Often, these concerns stem from perceptions, and altering perceptions sometimes takes time.”
“Today, the people of India have very different aspirations from what they had 10 years ago. They realise our nation is on the cusp of take-off. They want this flight to be expedited. And they know the best party is the one which brought them this far,” he added.
On Critics
“There is a whole ecosystem that is using the freedom available in our country to hurl these allegations at us every day, through editorials, TV channels, social media, videos, tweets, etc,” Modi said. “They have the right to do so. But others have an equal right to respond with facts.”
“In 1947, when India became independent, the British who left made a lot of very dire predictions about India’s future. But we have seen that those predictions and preconceptions have all been proven false.”
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