The Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the United Nations General Assembly Friday where he spoke about a host of subjects protecting the climate, fighting terrorism, maintaining global peace and his government's efforts at helping the marginalized.
This was the second time PM Narendra Modi addressed the UNGCA. Five years back he addressed the annual global forum in 2014 when he first became prime minister.
PM startedhis 15-minute address by referring to schemes implemented by his government andprojects that would his administration plans to undertake. While PM NarendraModi spoke about terrorism, he skipped mentioning Pakistan — a deliberatemove.
Someof the highlights of his speech.
HEALTH:
PMNarendra Modi spoke about the initiatives his government has undertaken toimprove health in the country. PM Modi said that under his government, 11 croretoilets have been constructed in just five years and the biggest cleanlinessdrive had been launched. The prime minister also spoke about the AyushmanBharat health scheme, saying it was the world's biggest health insurance schemethat offered 50 crore people free medical coverage of up to Rs 50 lakh.
SINGLE-USEPLASTIC:
"WhileI was coming here, I read something on the United Nations building: 'No moresingle-use plastic'," PM Modi said, before adding that he was pleased tolet the world know that India was in the midst of a major drive to end the useof single-use plastic.
INCLUSIVITY:
PMNarendra Modi repeated his message of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'from the podium as he spoke about India's culture. The prime minister went onto quote a 3,000-year-old Tamil poem to say inclusivity is India's strength andtradition.
GLOBALWARMING:
Aboutglobal warming, PM Narendra Modi emphasised on the need to tackle climatechange. PM Modi said natural disasters all over the world have increased due toglobal warming. The prime minister went on to note that India was not a majorcontributor to global warming but is today one of the leading countries devotedto the solving the problem of global warming. "If we see history and percapita emission, then you will see that India's contribution to global warminghas been very less," PM Narendra Modi said, "But we are among theleading countries taking steps to solve the crisis."
YUDHNOT BUDH:
Indiais committed to world peace, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the UnitedNations General Assembly. The prime minister noted that sacrifices made byIndian troops on UN Peacekeeping Missions cannot be matched by those from anyother country. "We are residents of a country that has given the world notyudh [wars] not budh [Gautam Buddha]," PM Modi said.
TERRORISM:
Callingon the world to unite in the battle against terrorism, Prime Minister NarendraModi said terrorism hurts the principles on which the United Nations wasformed. For the sake of humanity, the entire world needs to unite to fightterrorism, PM Narendra Modi said.
HARMONYAND PEACE:
InvokingSwami Vivekananda in Chicago in 1893. PM Narendra Modi said. "The world'slargest democracy still has the same message for the world: Harmony andpeace."
