PM Modi rues lack of consensus on defining terror | India News

NEW DELHI: Addressing the inaugural session of the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20), PM Narendra Modi recalled the December 2001 jihadi attack on Parliament, and seemed to articulate India’s grudge that the world took time to recognise the trauma it suffered at the hands of Pakistan-backed terrorists.

“As you know, Bharat has been facing cross-border terrorism for decades.Terrorists have killed thousands of innocent people in Bharat, terrorists had also targeted our Parliament. And you will be shocked to know that Parliament was in session at that time. Terrorists had planned to take MPs hostage and to kill them. Bharat has reached here today after dealing with such terrorist incidents,” he said, referring to the audacious attack by terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Muhammed who, after breaking through the security cordon, had almost managed to get inside the main building of Parliament House.”It is very sad that there is no consensus on the definition of terrorism. There is no consensus in the United Nations yet on the International Convention on Combating Terrorism,” he said, amplifying India’s unequivocal opposition to terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations”.

“Enemies of humanity are taking advantage of this attitude of the world,” he cautioned and said parliaments should help forge an understanding on how to fight terror.

In his speech, the PM, while celebrating India’s democracy and diversity, said conflicts and confrontations give rise to crises which the world cannot afford, and appealed for a unified response to challenges facing humanity in an interdependent world. “Today, the world is facing crises due to conflicts and confrontation. A world full of crises is not in anyone’s interest. A divided world cannot provide solutions to the major challenges faced by humanity.”
The PM said the global world needed to look at the world in spirit of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.
He said there could be no better medium than public participation to deal with the world’s challenges. “I have always believed that governments are formed by majority, but the country is run by consensus. Our parliaments, and this forum can also strengthen this sentiment,” he said.