Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 18: Even as in Norway, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated his calls that military conflicts cannot help in finding a peaceful solution and all wars, including that in the West Asia and the one between Russia and Ukraine, must be resolved via dialogue and diplomacy, New Delhi rejected the Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s reported remarks on India’s declining media freedom and erosion of religious and minority rights.
Addressing the media during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands, a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official stressed the so-called concerns stemmed from a “lack of understanding” of the country, asserting that the country was a “vibrant democracy” that guarantees free speech to all stressing India’s civilisational depth and pluralism. “We face these kinds of questions basically because of the lack of understanding of the person who asks the question,” said Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the MEA. George highlighted how India belongs to a civilisation that is five millennia old, stressing the country’s cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.
“India is a country of 1.4 billion people, the largest populated country in the world. A country of civilization of more than 5000 years old. It’s a diverse country. [There’s]…diversity in terms of culture, diversity in terms of languages, diversity in terms of food, diversity in terms of religion…There is no other country in the world which have four religions have originated. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. These religions originated in India and continue to flourish in India,” he said.
“Jewish religion was in India for more than 2500 years. Continuously coexisted. India is perhaps only one of those very few countries where the Jewish population never faced a persecution…Christianity came to India immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Continued to flourish in India… Islam came to India during the time of Prophet Muhammad himself and flourished in India,” he added.
The exchange took place when a Dutch journalist questioned the absence of a joint press interaction during PM Modi’s two-day trip to the Netherlands and raised concerns about press freedom and minority rights, including those of Muslim and smaller communities.
The diplomat, citing the recently held assembly elections in several regions in the country, said India was a “vibrant democracy” where “peaceful transition of power” is a key feature. “Recently, we had elections. You know, you need to know what the level of participation was. More than 90% of the electorate voted. This is the beauty of India,” he said.
In Norway, Mr Modi held wide-ranging talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that focused on boosting the overall trajectory of bilateral relations focusing on trade and investment, green technology, blue economy, and other key areas.
PM Modi, who arrived in Norway on a two-day visit from Sweden, was earlier received at the airport by PM Store and other top leaders of the Scandinavian country. This is PM Modi’s maiden visit to Norway, and marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 43 years.
The visit will also include the 3rd Nordic-India summit, bringing together leaders of the five Nordic Countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark on Tuesday. The summit had to be cancelled last year after the Pahalgam terrorist attacks and the four-day India-Pakistan conflict.
Mr Modi on Monday was also conferred with Norway’s highest civilian honour, the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. This is Mr Modi’s 32nd international honour. The Grand Cross is the highest grade of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. It is awarded for exceptional service in advancing Norway’s interests and international relations.
A day earlier, Mr Modi was awarded Sweden’s prestigious ‘Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross,’ in recognition of his exceptional contributions to bilateral ties and his visionary leadership. The award is Sweden’s highest honour conferred on foreign Heads of Government.
Speaking to the media in Norway, Mr Modi said to overcome global challenges in the world, the reformation of global institutions has become a necessity. “It’s out shared goal to eliminate terrorism from the world. We agree that no solution can be found on any issue through military conflict. We support every step towards peace in Ukraine as well as in West Asia,” the Prime Minister said.
He also said the India-Norway green strategic partnership was beneficial to the whole world. He said Norway was joining the Indo-Pacific initiative. “Together, we will strengthen our marine economies, maritime security and capacity building. India and Norway believe in dialogue and partnership,” Mr Modi said.
In a joint press briefing with his Norwegian counterpart Støre, the prime minister also called for an end to global terrorism, as he thanked Norway for standing with India in its fight against terror. He said India and Norway believe in rules-based global order.
“Friends, today the world is passing through a phase of instability and uncertainty. Whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, many regions across the world are witnessing conflict. At such a time, India and Europe are entering a new golden era in their relationship,” he said.
In his remarks, he also spoke about the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Europe, calling it a historic pact. He said the FTA was a blueprint for ensuring shared progress and prosperity between the two nations.
Besides, the FTA would attract USD 100 billion in investment into India and create over one million jobs in the next 15 years, he said.
He also stated that Norway was a “beautiful example” of harmony between nature and human progress. “On the important occasion of Norway’s Constitution Day tomorrow, I extend heartfelt greetings on behalf of the world’s largest democracy to the people of Norway, which is a strong and vibrant democracy,” he said.
Mr Modi thanked Norway for standing with India on terrorism, says whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, conflicts are spreading instability. At such a time India and Europe are entering a golden age of ties.
During the press meet, Støre said India and Norway share common interests and abide by common rules in the global community. On PM Modi’s visit, he said it shows the increasing cooperation and the shared ambition between the two nations.
He said the trade between India and Norway has also doubled in the past 10 years, and they have also formalised several agreements. Støre also said India and Norway were working to increase opportunities for investment, innovation, and job creation in areas such as green technology, renewable energy, maritime services, and seafood.
“We are elevating our relationship to a Green Strategic Partnership, which provides a foundation to work together on knowledge, resources, and ambitions for the green transition, something both our countries depend on succeeding in,” he said.
PM Store said India and Norway were exploring potential for ties in health, space, digital public infrastructure and other areas. He said he the two democracies have their differences which they discuss, but they must unite to counter the weaponisation of trade, resources, free passage and other areas where unilateral actions and protectionism was growing.
“We are signing a memorandum of understanding on developing high-quality, high-tech health services, as well as closer cooperation in digital health, artificial intelligence, research, and health technology. We are also deepening cooperation on digital development, including digital public infrastructure and digital public goods,” he added.
