PM’s message of peace vs Imran’s warning of war at UNGA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday underlined India's message of peace and harmony in his address at the United Nations, even as his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan used the same podium to warn the world of a nuclear war between the two South Asian neighbours.

“Ours is a country, which has given the world, not war, but Buddha (Lord Buddha). It has given the world a message of peace,” Modi said, addressing the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, drawing applause from the audience. Khan, however, resorted to warning the international community of the possibility of a conventional war between India and Pakistan turning into a nuclear conflict.

With tension between the two neighbours escalating over Jammu and Kashmir over the past few weeks, the UN was expected to witness a war of words between India and Pakistan, as Prime Ministers of the two South Asian nations were to address the General Assembly on the same day.

Modi, however, did not mention about India's troubled relations with Pakistan even once in his 17-minute speech. He did call upon international community to unite against terrorism, but without explicitly holding Pakistan responsible for exporting the menace to India. He rather focussed on highlighting the huge mandate he won in the parliamentary elections earlier this year and his government's development programmes as well as initiatives like Swachh Bharat and Ayushman Bharat. He also spoke about his government's commitment to promoting renewable energy and banning single-use plastic. He also reaffirmed India's commitment to multilateralism and the United Nations.

“Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir (we belong to all places, and to everyone),” Modi quoted Tamil poet Kaniyan Pungundranar. Modi also recalled the message of “harmony and peace” Swami Vivekananda had delivered to the world on behalf of India when he had addressed Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1893. “Peace and harmony is still the message the largest democracy of the world sends out for the international community.”

Khan, however, resorted to attacking him personally, while using the opportunity to continue Islamabad's tirade against New Delhi's August 5 decisions on Jammu and Kashmir. He even went on to blame Modi for the 2002 riot in Gujarat and accuse the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of drawing inspiration from dictators like Adolf Hitler and Benito Musolini, who had ruled Germany and Italy.

“If a conventional war starts between the two countries, anything could happen. But supposing a country seven times smaller than its neighbour is faced with the choice: either you surrender, or you fight for your freedom till death,” Khan said in his 50-minute speech. “What will we do? I ask myself these questions. We will fight ... and when a nuclear-armed country fights to the end, it will have consequences far beyond the borders.”

“There are 900,000 troops there, they haven't come to, as Narendra Modi says -- for the prosperity of Kashmir," Khan said. "These 900,000 troops, what are they going to do? When they come out?”

"There will be a bloodbath," Khan told the General Assembly.

The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations is likely to exercise its “Right to Reply” to respond to Pakistan Prime Minister's rant against New Delhi on the issue of J&K.

“The lack of unanimity amongst us on the issue of terrorism, dents those very principles, that are the basis for the creation of the UN,” Modi said.

Prime Minister said that the world was celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, whose message of truth and non-violence was “very relevant for us even today, for peace, development and progress in the world”.

He said that India was one of the leading nations in the fight against climate change, though its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions was “very low” as he elaborated on the steps taken by his government to fight climate change.