Thank you, Mr. President for your generous welcome.
I am particularly touched by your
warmth and hospitality. Although this is my first visit to your great
country as the Prime Minister, I had experienced the richness of your
culture during my travel in early nineties as a common Indian. We are
meeting for the third time in last two years. I have always found my
conversations with you deeply stimulating. I truly value your friendship
Mr. President.
Friends, Mexico was the first Latin American
country to recognize India. Since then, the trajectory of our all round
bilateral ties has shown growing intensity. In 2007 we established
Privileged Partnership. Today, during our conversations, President and I
held productive discussions on the entire range of bilateral relations,
and on global issues of mutual interests. We have agreed to work and
develop a roadmap of concrete outcomes to upgrade our ties to a
Strategic Partnership.
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Friends,
Ties of business and investment
are an important driver of our relationship. Mexico is an important
partner for India’s energy security. We are now looking to move beyond a
buyer-seller relationship, and into a long-term partnership.
Information technology, energy, pharmaceuticals, and automotive
industries are among key growth areas of our commercial linkages. But,
there is potential to expand our commercial and investment, and Science
and Technology partnerships in new areas. In this regard, President and I
agreed to find ways to deepen our cooperation in Space, and science and
technology. We will also prioritize concrete projects in areas of
agricultural research; bio-technology; waste management; disaster
warning and management, and solar energy. I would like to particularly
thank President Pena Nieto for his support to the International Solar
Alliance. It will transform the global canvas for solar technology,
especially for developing and Small Island Developing countries.
Friends,
President and I recognize the opportunities and challenges of this
century. We both feel that our growing convergence on international
issues allows us to join our capacities to strengthen international
regimes of strategic importance. I thank President Pena Nieto for
Mexico's positive and constructive support for India's membership of the
NSG
Excellency,
I see in you a reformer and
believer in the destiny of this country. I too am focused on reforming
India's economic and governance structures. This is one area where our
sharing of best practices can benefit both our societies. Friends, In
his book "In Light of India”, the great author Octavio Paz wrote, "I can
understand what it means to be Indian, because I am Mexican”. Of
course, it is true the other way too! I believe we have succeeded today
in strengthening this mutual understanding further. It has been a
wonderful visit. Excellency, I once again thank you for your welcome,
your friendship and belief in India-Mexico friendship. And, I look
forward to welcoming you Señor Presidente in India at the earliest
opportunity.
मेरी दृष्टि से यह एक ऐतिहासिक अवसर है। शायद दुनिया में बहुत कम ऐसे
अवसर आते होंगे कि आधुनिक विज्ञान के माध्यम से दो देश के प्रधानमंत्री एक
मुख्यमंत्री के साथ मिल करके किसी योजना का लोकार्पण करते हो| इस दृष्टि
से यह एक बड़ा यह महत्वपूर्ण मैं अवसर मानता हूं। प्रधानमंत्री जी ने अपने
अभिभाषण के माध्यम से उन्होंने इस बात को आगे बढ़ाया, हौसला बढ़ाया मैं
इसके लिए आपका बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद करता हूं।बंगबंधु शेख मुजिबुर रहमान जी
का भारत के साथ नाता बड़ा अटूट रहा। आपने भी उन संकट के दिनों में मानवता
के उस काम में भारत किस प्रकार से आपके दुख दर्द का भागीदार बना इसको हमेशा
याद किया है और भारत के प्रति आभार भी व्यक्त किया है। आज भी उस भावनाओं
को उसी तीव्रता के साथ आप प्रकट कर रही है।
वो दिन थे जब दुख, दर्द और पीड़ा से भरा बंगलादेश था। आज बंगलादेश
ऊंचाईयों की ओर जा रहा है। तब भी हम कंधे से कंधा मिला करके आपके साथ चल
रहे हैं, आप हमारे साथ चल रहे हैं। हम दोनों मिल करके दुनिया के सामने एक
मिसाल रख रहे हैं कि पड़ोसियों के साथ संबंध किस प्रकार के हो सकते हैं।
Inter dependent world को साकार करने के उत्तम से उत्तम मार्ग कौन से हो
सकते हैं और मैं देख रहा हूं कि एक के बाद एक सहयात्रा के सहयोग के हमारे
प्रयास बहुत ही उत्तम प्रकार के परिणाम देने का सामर्थ्य रखते हैं। और
मैं इस अवसर को उस रूप में देखता हूं और मुझे विश्वास है कि ग्लोबल
community एक छोटे से कमरों में वीडियो कैमरा के द्वारा हो रहे इस
कार्यक्रम को एक वैश्विक स्तर पर भी इस घटना को देखेगी, ऐसा मुझे पूरा
विश्वास है।
आज की घटना- बिजली भारत से बंगलादेश जा रही है। एक नई उर्जा, विकास की
उर्जा का यह अवसर है। दूसरी तरफ हमारे पास एक ऐसा गेटवे खुल रहा है।
क्योंकि अब तक हमारा डिजिटल वर्ल्ड में एंट्री के जो दो हमारे गेटवे थे,
वो एक पश्चिम में था एक दक्षिण में था। लेकिन हमारा पूरब अछूता था। और मैं
Act East पॉलिसी को ले करके चल रहा हूं तब मेरे लिए यह पूरब का गेटवे बहुत
महत्वपूर्ण है। और बंगलादेश के साथ मिल करके डिजिटल वर्ल्ड का पूरब का
गेटवे खुलना यह अपने आप में, भारत के पूर्वी इलाके में और विशेषकर असम,
नॉर्थ ईस्ट including त्रिपुरा और सिक्किम यह हमारा जो अष्ट लक्ष्मी का
प्रदेश है। वहां के नौजवानों के लिए यह एक नई चेतना जगाने वाला अवसर बनने
वाला है। और आज की दुनिया communication की ताकत पर चलती है। communication
की ताकत को बढ़ावा देने का यह अवसर है। और इसलिए आपने हमें जो सहयोग दिया,
जो सुविधा दी उसके लिए मैं आपका आभार व्यकत करता हूं।
आने वाले दिनों में बिजली के संबंध में भी जो transmission लाइनें डाली
जा रही है हमने पहले से ही उसकी capacity ज्यादा रखी है ताकि आने वाले
दिनों में जैसी उसकी आवश्यकता पड़े और हम जितना ज्यादा आपके साथ मिलकर के
ऊर्जा के क्षेत्र में काम कर सकें। हमारा निरंतर प्रयास रहेगा और मैं आज के
इस अवसर पर, मैं इसको बड़ा महत्वपूर्ण मानता हूं और कुछ दिन पहले हमने
Road connectivity का सफल प्रयास आगे बढ़ाया बांग्लादेश, नेपाल, भारत और
भूटान। आज हम बिजली के माध्यम से एक नई ऊर्जा दे रहे हैं और हम 21 वीं सदी
की महत्वपूर्ण connectivity वो digital connectivity को जोड़ रहे हैं। यानि
जल हो, थल हो, नभ हो। अब बांग्लादेश और भारत जुड़ते ही चले जा रहे हैं और
कंधे से कंधा मिलाकर के आगे चले जा रहे हैं और जैसा मैंने आकर के कहा था।
अब हमें Space में भी आगे साथ-साथ बढ़ना है। बंग-बंधु Satellite, भारत
की दिली इच्छा है कि बंग-बंधु Satellite में भी जैसे Road में भी हम आपके
साथ जुड़े हैं, जैसे जल में हम आपके साथ जुड़े हैं, जैसे Digital दुनिया
में हम आपके साथ जुड़े हैं, Space में भी आपके साथ जुड़कर के आगे बढ़ना
चाहते हैं। मैं फिर एक बार आपको बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं देता हूं और विशेष
रूप से आज भारत होली का उत्सव मना रहा है। होली हमारे यहां एक बड़ा पवित्र
त्योहार माना जाता है, बांग्लादेश में भी कुछ भू-भाग है जहां पर होली का
त्योहार मनाया जाता है और होली के इस पवित्र त्योहार पर ये अवसर अपने आप
में हमारे संबंधों को नए रंगों से भर देगा और एक नई ऊर्जा और नई
connectivity का कारण बनेगा।
आज
एक और भी महत्वपूर्ण अवसर है और आज वो महत्वपूर्ण अवसर है बांग्लादेश और
भारत T-20 का मैच आज है। मैं दोनों टीमों को बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं देता हूं
और भारत और बांग्लादेश जब खेलते हैं हमारे नौजवान तो sports का जय-पराजय
से ऊपर उठकर के संबंधों में sportsman spirit की ताकत पैदा होती है। जैसे
बिजली नई ताकत देती है, हमारी sportsman spirit भी नई ताकत देती है। आज उसी
sportsman spirit के साथ हमारी दोनों टीमें खेलें और दुनिया के अंदर
sportsman spirit का नजारा दिखाएं। मेरी दोनों टीमों को बहुत-बहुत शुभकामना
है। आपका भी बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद करता हूं।
Hon. Chief Justice of India, Other Dignitaries on the dais, Judicial minds from India and abroad Invitees, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen!
I
am delighted to address the International Workshop on Rule of Law and
Sustainable Development. I welcome our friends from abroad and thank
them for their active participation.
This workshop is being organized soon after two important international
agreements which happened during 2015. One is the Paris Agreement on
climate change. The other is the Agreement on Sustainable Development
Goals. Therefore, this conference provides a timely and useful
opportunity to discuss the way forward. This is important not only in
the national context but also in the global context. I hope you will
keep in mind the welfare of mankind and the concerns of the
international community in your deliberations.
The role of rules
and laws in achieving sustainable development goals is going to be very
important in the days to come. However, rules should be such that they
facilitate the achievement of these goals. Unfortunately, some times,
the concern for environment is defined narrowly. We all have to realize
that if there is conflict, no one’s purpose will be served. I hope that
you will show us the way to build and ensure climate justice across the
globe based on legal as well as social frameworks.
Last year, in
September, I attended the meeting of the UN General Assembly where the
Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 were adopted. These goals reflect
our evolving understanding of the social, economic and environmental
linkages that define our lives.
This was followed by the COP-21
where we contributed significantly in shaping the narrative. Our
commitments at COP-21 underline the Indian ethos which aims at changing
human lifestyle along with changes in the manner in which we engage in
economic activity. The problems of environment are largely the effect of
our consumptive lifestyles. If we want to make a meaningful impact, we
all need to look within; before we read the books of law.
Friends!
I have always felt that anything which is not sustainable cannot be called development. In our culture, development means ‘बहुजन हिताय, बहुजन सुखाय’, ‘सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनो’ and “लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु’.
This cannot happen unless the development process is inclusive and
sustainable. Anything which compromises on the ability of future
generations to meet their requirements cannot be called development. We
in India have always believed in sustainability. For us, the law of
nature holds great value. If we all observe it, then many man-made laws
will not be required. Only the practice of सह जीवन and सह अस्तित्व
will be enough to help us. In modern terminology, there is a word
called stakeholder. A path becomes sustainable, if all stakeholders are
benefitted. However, I must add a word of caution here. The stake should
be natural. It should be inherent. It cannot be stretched to include
those who may be working with ulterior motives. Nature is pure. Hence,
only pure intentions can keep it intact.
We, in India, have a
strong tradition of living in harmony with nature. We worship nature. We
worship the sun, the moon, rivers, land, trees, animals, rain, air and
fire. These elements of Nature have been given the stature of Gods in
our culture. Moreover, in Indian mythology, most of the Gods and
Goddesses are associated with an animal and a tree. Thus, respect for
Nature is an integral part of our culture, and has been passed across
generations. Protection of environment comes naturally to us. This
strong tradition has been a guiding principle for all of us.
We always pray for welfare, peace, fulfillment and sustainability of all; at all places and for all times.
This
is our commitment; not of today but since time immemorial. If we
remember this, follow this and act accordingly, India could provide
leadership in sustainable development. For example, the practice of Yoga
is aimed at balancing contentment and worldly desires, to lead to a
path of moderation and sustainable lifestyle. When I talk of yoga, it is
not just its physical dimension. Yoga is very comprehensive. The ideas
of YAM, NIYAM, PRATYAHAR teach us discipline, austerity and control.
Much
before the debate on sustainable development began, Mahatma Gandhi, the
Father of our Nation, had said that we should act as ‘trustees’ and use
natural resources wisely. It is our moral responsibility to ensure that
we leave a healthy planet for future generations.
Friends! I am sure all of us agree that poverty is the biggest challenge
for environment. Therefore, eradication of poverty is one of the
fundamental goals of my government. Guided by our core values, we are
working towards achieving this goal with sincerity. We want to ensure a
conducive environment for 1.25 billion Indians to develop, and prosper.
We are encouraging education, skill development, digital connectivity
and entrepreneurship to provide an enabling ecosystem for our youth to
blossom. We aim to do all this in a sustainable manner.
We
realize that fulfilling the demand for energy is vital to the
achievement of our development goals. This is why, one of the first
challenges that we took up was generation of 175 Giga watts of renewable
energy. We are well on our way to achieving this objective.
We have also taken up the Swacch Bharat and Clean Ganga Initiatives.
I am happy to note that millions of people across the country have
joined the cleanliness drive. I take this opportunity to invite the
participants to explore as to how we can strengthen this collective
endeavour. I am glad to learn that this workshop will also discuss
issues related to pollution and waste management. These are issues that
need to be addressed proactively. I look forward to your recommendations
towards strengthening such initiatives.
Friends!
The
problems we face in India today are not unique. Other civilizations have
also faced similar problems and were able to overcome them. I believe
that through our collective efforts we will succeed as well. While doing
so, we must ensure that we avoid contradictions between our need to
develop and develop sustainably. Our culture teaches us Union between
the व्यक्ति and समस्ती. If we become one with the universal order, there
are no conflicts of interest.
Therefore, my Government is
treating the challenge of adapting to climate change as an opportunity
rather than a problem. We need to adopt the philosophy of योग: कर्मसु
कौशलम्. We must do things in a way that causes minimum damage to the
environment. This is कौशल or mastery. This is what I mean when I talk of
zero defect and zero effect manufacturing. I have written some of my thoughts on this theme in my book, Convenient Action: continuity for change.
Friends! The rule of law dictates that no one can be punished for
another’s misdeed. We need to recognize that there are many people who
are least responsible for the problem of climate change. They are also
the people who still wait for access to modern amenities. They face the
adverse impact of climate change more than anyone else. This includes
cyclones, droughts, floods, heat waves, and rising sea levels. The poor,
vulnerable and marginalized groups have fewer resources to cope with
climate disasters. Unfortunately, their present and future generations
are also burdened by laws and agreements on environment. That is why I
talk about Climate Justice. Moreover, the rules, laws,
practices and principles of one country cannot be applied to another
uniformly. Every country has its own challenges and its own ways of
dealing with them. If we apply the same set of rules for all countries
and for all people; it will not work.
Sustainable development is
our responsibility. I am confident that we can achieve it,
collectively. I am also confident that we can find ways for development
which are in harmony with nature. We can find them along the road
travelled by our forefathers. I hope the deliberations during this
workshop will help in developing a shared understanding of these
imperatives.
