Journalism of Courage
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that coronavirus was a major challenge for the world and the global economy, and that India and the world would have to face the challenge together. He also criticised those who are in opposition to the government’s moves — including the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the removal of special status of Jammu & Kashmir under Article 370 — as people who sought to maintain the status quo.
The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has infected over 1,00,000 individuals worldwide as well as over 30 individuals in India, and caused major disruptions in trade and production.
“Today, coronavirus is a major challenge that the world is facing. Financial institutions have called it a major challenge for the world economy. We have to meet this challenge together,” the Prime Minister said at the ET Global Business Summit here.
He added the global economy was going through a challenging time and that while India had become more integrated with the global economy, the government was taking steps to insulate it from a slowdown in global growth.
“In the past few years, India has become an important part of the global economic system, but because of many reasons the global economy is going through a weak and tough time. We have been taking action to have this affect the Indian economy as less as possible,” said Modi, adding that the government’s policies were clear and that economic fundamentals were strong.
The Prime Minister also hit out at opposition to the CAA, stating that people who were “messiahs” of refugee rights around the world were opposing the Act aimed at helping refugees and that people who talked about the Constitution “day and night” opposed the implementation of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir through the removal of the special status from the “temporary” Article 370.
He said this category of people “supported the status quo and convenience” while the government saw development in the nation as an issue of “conviction.”
The PM also said India had remained neutral among nations in the past by maintaining an equal distance to them, but the country was now being neutral by being equally friendly with nations.
“We are friends with Saudi Arabia and Iran, America and Russia,” said Modi.
