Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, March 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to India as the mother of democracy and claimed that despite numerous global problems, the nation has become the fastest-growing major economy, demonstrating democracy’s effectiveness.
Addressing virtually to the Summit for Democracy, 2023 on Wednesday, he said that every endeavour of his government is fueled by the combined efforts of Indian citizens.
“India, despite the many global challenges, is the fastest growing major economy today. This itself is the best advertisement for the democracy and the world. This itself says that democracy can deliver,” he said.
He was speaking at the second Summit for Democracy, co-hosted by US President Joe Biden, Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema, the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol.
He said that the concept of elected leaders was widespread in ancient India long before it was in the rest of the globe while speaking at the session entitled “Leader-level Plenary on Democracy Achieving Economic Development and Shared Prosperity,” which was sponsored by President Yoon.
“Our epic Mahabharata describes the first duty of citizens as choosing their own leader. Our sacred vedas speak of political power being exercised by broad-based consultative bodies. There are also many historical evidences of republic states in ancient India where rulers were not hereditary,” PM Modi said.
“India indeed is the mother of democracy. Democracy is not just a structure, it is also a spirit. It is based on the belief that the needs and aspirations of every human being are equally important. That is why in India, our guiding philosophy is ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas’, meaning striving together for inclusive growth,” he added.
“Whether it is our effort to fight climate change through lifestyle changes, to conserve water through distributed storage or provide clean cooking fuel to everyone, every initiative is powered by collective efforts of citizens of India. During Covid-19, India’s response was people-driven,” he further said.
The motto of ‘vasudeva kutumbakam,’ which translates to ‘one earth, one family, and one future,’ was also used by the government to lead its ‘vaccine maitri’ initiative, said PM Modi.
