Calling the terror strike in Paris an “attack on humanity and humanitarian values”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the world must unite to condemn terrorism.
Mr. Modi also called on the United Nations to pass the comprehensive convention on international terrorism that India has been proposing since 2001.
“This is not an attack on the people of Paris, or on France, this is an attack on humanity and on humanitarian values. That’s why all societies that believe in humanitarian values must unite and condemn this attack. The UN needs to expedite the process of defining terrorism so that it can be known who supports terrorism,” Mr. Modi said in London on Saturday.
The Prime Minister’s statement comes just ahead of his departure for the G-20 summit in Antalya, Turkey, where he is expected to make a strong pitch for consensus on terrorism.
India’s efforts at the UN to pass a comprehensive convention on international terrorism (CCIT) have been unsuccessful as many countries have been unwilling to agree on a common definition of terrorism.
Later this month, he is also due to travel to Paris for the COP 21 summit on climate change. However, given the brutality of the attacks in Paris, that the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for, terrorism is likely to overshadow that conference as well. As a result, India feels Pakistan, which provides safe haven and support for groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the Parliament attack, has been able to avoid shutting down these groups.
"I would like the UN that is celebrating its 70th anniversary to not waste anytime in defining terrorism...the proposal is in front of it...so that we get to know that who is siding with terrorism, who is helping terrorism, who is backing terrorism and who is being targeted by terrorism, who are against terrorism and who for humanity are ready to sacrifice," Mr. Modi added, expressing the urgency for the CCIT to be passed this year.
Mr. Modi was speaking after unveiling the statue of 12th century philosopher Basaveshwara on the banks of the Thames, which he said he was doing with a sense of “shock” over the news from Paris.
Earlier, Mr. Modi had issued a statement on the attacks saying, “India stands firmly with the great people of France in dealing with this tragedy. And we must stand together as humanity in combating the major global threat of our times and to uphold our values and our way of life.”
Meanwhile, with an emergency declared in France, the government is mulling a travel advisory for Indian citizens planning to travel to France, sources said.
Speaking to The Hindu , India’s Ambassador to France, Mr. Mohan Kumar, said that the embassy had opened a helpline, and was advising all Indian citizens to stay indoors as police has instructed.
