Hitting out at Pakistan for raking up the Kashmir issue at the UN, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday (Sept. 27) offered to engage in a serious bilateral dialogue "without the shadow of terrrorism" while asking it to create an "appropriate environment" for that. In a clear rebuff to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, who had Friday insisted on a plebiscite in Kashmir, Modi said, "raising issues in this forum is not the way to make progress towards resolving issues between our two countries". In his maiden address to the 193-member UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister did not directly refer to Sharif who had attacked India on Kashmir in his speech to the forum yesterday, but asserted that Pakistan must take its responsibility seriously to create an appropriate environment for a bilateral dialogue to promote friendship and cooperation. The Indian leader underlined that his government placed the highest priority on advancing friendship and cooperation with its neighbours, including Pakistan. Speaking in Hindi, Modi said, "I am prepared toengage in a serious bilateral dialogue with Pakistan in a peaceful atmosphere, without the shadow of terrorism, to promote our friendship and cooperation." He made references to the rise of terrorism in various parts of the world where the menace was "taking new shape and new name" and said that no country big or small was free from its threat. Without naming Pakistan, the prime minister said even today "states allow terrorist sanctuaries on their territory or use terrorism as instruments of their policy". Modi's 35-minute address covered a number of subjects such as terrorism, including its resurgence in West Asia, reforms of the United Nations, including the Security Council, and the need for a more inclusive global development. Talking about India's neighbourhood, the Prime Minister said that India desired a peaceful and stable environment for its development. Describing the present as "a time of great flux and change", Modi said the world was witnessing tensions and turmoil on a scale rarely seen in recent history. Although there were no major wars "there is absence of real peace and uncertainty about the future". In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, various panelists discuss what message Prime Minister Narendra Modi intended to send in his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly and whether he succeeded in doing so.

• published: 28 Sep 2014
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