Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes his points on China, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon several pressing issues at his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
• Modi was addressing the UNGA assembly for the fourth time as India’s Prime Minister.
• Modi said Afghanistan’s territory must not be used to spread terrorism.

Calling for a rule-based world order, a clear international stance against governments that use terrorism as a policy tool, and decrying the manipulation of ‘ease of doing business’ rankings ⁠— Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his jibes, veiled as they were, on Afghanistan, Pakistan and China at one of the world’s biggest diplomatic stages.

Modi was addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the fourth time as India’s Prime Minister.

The theme for this year's general debate was ‘building resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations.’

You can watch Modi’s entire speech at the UNGA here:

The following quotes from Modi’s speech at UNGA can be read in the context of India’s peeves against China and its policies as well as the newly-established Taliban regime in Afghanistan and its backers in the Pakistan establishment:

• Countries with regressive thinking are using terrorism as as a political tool, they will have to understand that terrorism is just as dangerous to them.
• It is important to ensure that Afghanistan is not used as a tool to spread terrorism and launch terror attacks.
• We have to be alert to ensure that no country tries to use the delicate situation in Afghanistan as a tool.
• This is the time that the citizens of Afghanistan, their women, their children, their minorities need help, and in this, we have to take responsibility.
• We will have to make sure that we use our ocean resources, not abuse them. They are the lifelines of world trade, we should save them from the race of expansion and exclusion.
• If the United Nations needs to keep itself relevant, then it should improve its effectiveness and reliability.
• Several questions are being raised about the United Nations. We saw that during the climate crisis, COVID-19, the several proxy wars going on around the world, and now the Afghanistan situation - they have all just made these questions more severe.
• In relation to COVID-19 origins and Ease of Doing Business rankings, the organisations involved in global governance have hurt their credibility built over several decades.
• It is important that we continuously strengthen the UN when it comes to global law, global governance and global values.
• Today, one out of every six people in the world is an Indian. When India grows, the world grows. When India reforms, the world transforms.
• It is essential to ensure that Afghanistan’s territory is not used to spread terrorism or for terrorist activities.

Modi also took the opportunity to highlight what he considers to be the achievements of the Indian government that he leads. These are some of the selected highlights from his UNGA speech.

• Yes, democracy can deliver, has delivered.
• In over 6 lakh villages in India, India is mapping digital records for citizens to be able to own land using drones to reduce property disputes.
• India has struck a better balance between economy and ecology. There is a growing threat of regressive thinking and activism in the world.
• Modi said that India is going to send 75 satellites built by students in colleges.
• During the last 7 years, India has brought more than 43 crore people (with not even a bank account earlier) into the banking system. Today, 360 million people have insurance coverage for the first time.
• Today, Indians use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to make nearly 350 crore transactions every month.
• India has developed the world's first DNA vaccine. It can be administered to anyone above the age of 12. The PM even called for Covid-19 vaccine makers to come and make their vaccines in India.
• India is moving at a fast pace towards setting up 450 MW renewable energy. We are trying to make India the world’s biggest hub for green hydrogen.
• The threat of regressive thinking and terrorism is increasing in the world. In these circumstances, the entire world needs to make science-based rationale and progressive thinking as the foundation of development.

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