Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with an AI researcher and US-based podcaster, Lex Fridman, on March 16 at the national capital in a podcast. The discussion ranged on a range of topics from his life as a politician, his early life, his journey to the Himalayas, RSS, fasting, Mahatma Gandhi, the Gujarat Riots of 2002 and the Russia-Ukraine war. While hailing peace, the PM said, “I stand with peace, I am not neutral.”
The conversation between PM Modi and the podcaster Fridman is as follows:
Fridman: You have spoken about, you have the experience, you have the skill, you have the geopolitical leverage to be the biggest peacemaker in the world today, on the world stage, and there’s several wars going on. Can you maybe explain how you approach the process of making peace, helping make peace between two warring nations, for example, Russia and Ukraine?
PM Modi: Well, I represent the country that is the land of Lord Buddha. I represent the country that is the land of Mahatma Gandhi. These are the great souls whose teachings, words, actions, and behavior are entirely dedicated to peace. And that is why culturally and historically our background is so strong that whenever we speak of peace, the world listens to us. Because India is the land of Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi and Indians aren’t hardwired to espouse strife and conflict. We espouse harmony instead. We seek neither to wage war against nature, nor to foster strife among nations. We stand for peace and wherever we can act as peacemakers, we have gladly embraced that responsibility.
He said that earlier peace talks were challenging, however, the current situation presents an opportunity to hold conversation with each other about ending the war.
The Prime Minister maintained that India does not take sides in the ongoing war and only sides with peace.
Returning to your example, I have a close relationship with Russia and Ukraine alike. I can sit with President Putin and say that this is not the time for war, and I can also tell President Zelensky in a friendly way that brother, regardless of how many people stand with you in the world, there will never be a resolution on the battlefield. The resolution will only come when both Ukraine and Russia come to the negotiating table. Ukraine may hold countless discussions with their allies, but it will bear no fruit. Discussions must include both parties instead. Initially, it was challenging to find peace, but now the current situation presents an opportunity for meaningful and productive talks between Ukraine and Russia. There has been a lot of suffering. Even the global south has suffered. The world has been grappling with a food, fuel and fertilizer crisis. So the global community should unite in the pursuit of peace. As for me, I have always maintained that I stand with peace. I am not neutral. I have a stance and that is peace, and peace is what I strive for.
He added, that this is not the time for war; telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that “this is not the time for war” while advising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that battlefield victories will not lead to a lasting resolution.
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