Ready To Work To Strengthen Democratic Values Globally: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed India’s support to strengthen democratic values globally, as he participated in the ‘Summit for Democracy,’ hosted by the United States.

“Happy to have participated in the Summit for Democracy at the invitation of US President Biden,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter. “As the world’s largest democracy, India stands ready to work with our partners to strengthen democratic values globally, including in multilateral fora,” the Prime Minister added.

PM Modi will deliver India’s national statement on Friday, which will be open to all.

Leaders of more than 80 countries participated in the closed-door virtual ‘Summit for Democracy’ on Thursday via video conferencing. The summit, called by US President Joe Biden, focused on challenges confronting democracies, including corruption, inequality, and limitations on press freedom, across the world. Besides India, world leaders from France, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Japan, Israel and the Philippines, attended the summit.

It also saw the participation of representatives of NGOs, private businesses, philanthropical organisations and legislatures.

News agency ANI cited people familiar with the matter that PM Modi said the democratic spirit, including respect for rule of law and pluralistic ethos, is ingrained in Indians.

PM Modi also emphasised the need for democratic countries to deliver on values enshrined in their constitutions. He also outlined sensitivity, accountability, participation and reform orientation as four pillars of Indian democratic governance.

The Prime Minister, according to ANI, stressed principles of democracy should also guide global governance and that given technology’s ability to impact democracy positively or negatively, technology companies should contribute to preserving open and democratic societies.

During the summit, PM Modi called for contribution from technology firms in preserving democratic societies and said it has the ability to impact democracy “positively or negatively.”

Biden in his opening remarks called on world leaders to end the “backward slide” of democracy around the globe. “Will we allow the backward slide of rights and democracy to continue unchecked? Or will we together — together — have a vision … and courage to once more lead the march of human progress and human freedom forward?” he asked.

Without naming China or Russia by name, Biden also repeatedly made a case that the US and like-minded allies need to show the world that democracies are a far better vehicle for societies than autocracies.

Both Russia and China were not invited to the summit. In response to being left out, the ambassadors to the US from China and Russia wrote a joint essay describing the Biden administration as exhibiting a “Cold-War mentality” that will “stoke up ideological confrontation and a rift in the world.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan was also absent from the event.