Every noble attempt by India for peace with Pakistan was met with hostility and betrayal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with American computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman, broadcast on Sunday.
“We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails upon them and they choose the path of peace,” Modi said in his three-hour podcast. “Wherever terror strikes in the world, the trail somehow leads to Pakistan,” he said, citing the example of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.
Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attack, took refuge in Pakistan, he pointed out.
Calling out Pakistan’s ‘terrorist mindset’, he said: “Today, it stands as an epicentre of turmoil not just for India but for the world.” Modi recalled how he had specially invited the then Pakistan prime minister 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,” he said.
On India’s relations with China, he said differences are natural between two neighbouring countries. “But our focus is to ensure that these differences don’t turn into disputes,” he said, adding that India prefers dialogue to sort out differences.
Acknowledging the border dispute with China, he said efforts are on to address them through dialogue and consultation. “Slowly but surely, trust should return,” he added.
Cooperation between India and China is beneficial not just for the two countries but also for global stability and prosperity, Modi noted. “Since the 21st century is Asia’s century, we want India and China to compete in a healthy way. Competition is not a bad thing, but it shouldn’t turn into conflict,” he said.
When asked about his views on US President Donald Trump, Modi said in the second term, Trump seems “far more prepared than before”, adding that he has a clear roadmap in his mind with well-defined steps. (new Indian Express)
