Georgetown. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a special session of the Parliament of Guyana on Thursday. Expressing his gratitude to the people of Guyana for this honour, he said that relations between the two countries have been full of warmth and affection. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Caribbean country in 56 years. In his speech, PM Modi emphasized the special relationship between the two countries and pointed to the age-old ties that started with the Indians who settled in Guyana 180 years ago. In his opening words, PM Modi said, “India and Guyana have a deep relationship – a relationship of trust, hard work and mutual respect.” He further said that both the countries have similar democratic values, and this is the way forward.
While addressing the Parliament of the Caribbean country, the Prime Minister emphasized on the rich democratic tradition. He said, “The strongest mantra for moving forward in front of the world today is ‘Democracy First, Humanity First’. The spirit of Democracy First teaches us to take everyone along, take everyone along and participate in everyone’s development. The spirit of Humanity First decides the direction of our decisions. When humanity first is made the basis of decisions, the results are also beneficial for humanity.”
PM Modi said that today India is fulfilling its duty towards the world as Vishwabandhu. Whatever be the crisis in any country of the world, it is our honest effort to reach there by assuming our responsibility. He said, “This is not the time for conflict for the world, but to identify the situations that create conflict and remove them. We never moved forward with the spirit of expansionism. We have always stayed away from the feeling of possessing and usurping resources. Today India stands in favor of global development and peace in every way. With this spirit, today India has also become the voice of the ‘Global South’.”
Referring to the historical similarity between the two countries, he said that many people in Guyana and India sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle. Strengthening democracy in Guyana is contributing to the world’s development at every step. Along with strengthening democracy, we should also keep a constant eye on the global situation.
PM Modi said that when India and Guyana got independence, the world had to face different challenges. Today the challenges of the 21st century are completely different. He said, “The systems and organizations established after the Second World War are crumbling. Today we are facing many challenges including terrorism, drug trafficking and cyber crime. We have to face these issues head on to shape a better future for the coming generations. “This can only be achieved by giving priority to ‘Democracy First, Humanity First’.”
The Prime Minister said that our democratic values support us in every rise and fall while walking on the path of development. There is no greater tool than democracy in building an inclusive society. Democracy ensures the protection of their rights and guarantees a bright future. We have shown that democracy is in our DNA and conduct.
PM Modi said, “Just yesterday Guyana gave me its highest honour. I heartily thank every citizen of Guyana for this honour. I dedicate this honor to every citizen of India. The relationship between India and Guyana is very deep. It is a relationship of soil, sweat and hard work. About 180 years ago the first Indian set foot on the soil of Guyana. In such a situation, from then till now, under all circumstances, relations between India and Guyana have been full of warmth and affection.”
Amidst the ongoing tension in West Asia, PM Modi said, “This is not the time for conflict, but it is the time to identify those who create conflict; From space to sea, this should be a matter of universal cooperation.” He also attacked expansionism and said, “We never moved forward with a selfish, expansionist vision, nor did we have the desire to capture resources.”
PM Modi said that before becoming the Prime Minister, he had visited this beautiful country 24 years ago ‘as a curiosity’. He said that he wanted to know about Guyana’s heritage, wanted to understand its history. He said, “Even today there are many people in Guyana who remember my meetings with him. My journey at that time is filled with many memories.”
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FIRST PUBLISHED: November 21, 2024, 22:12 IST
