Democracy is in India’s DNA, it is in India’s spirit, in its blood, the democratic Indian government works on the basis of a democratic Indian Constitution, and if there are no human values, no humanity, no human rights, there is no democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.
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In response to a question on reports of attacks on religious minorities and free speech in India, at a joint press appearance with President Joe Biden in the East Room in the White House, Modi rejected the premise of the question and said categorically , “I am surprised you say, ‘people say’. India is a democracy”.
Referring to a statement Biden had just made about democracy being in the DNA of both America and India, Modi said, “The Indian and American DNA has democracy. Democracy is our spirit. Democracy is in our bloods. We love democracy. Our ancestors translated it into words in the constitution. And the government works on the basis of democratic constitution.”
Claiming that when he talks about how democracies deliver, Modi said this meant it delivers without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, religion, gender, age, geography and, alluding to the Indian case, said that welfare benefits are based on the principle of access to all. He said, “If there are no human values, no humanity, human rights, it is not a democracy,” reiterating the principle of “sabka saath, sabka vikaas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas” that has been his government’s stated motto.
{{/usCountry}}Claiming that when he talks about how democracies deliver, Modi said this meant it delivers without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, religion, gender, age, geography and, alluding to the Indian case, said that welfare benefits are based on the principle of access to all. He said, “If there are no human values, no humanity, human rights, it is not a democracy,” reiterating the principle of “sabka saath, sabka vikaas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas” that has been his government’s stated motto.
{{/usCountry}}At the same press conference, Biden was asked how he would respond to criticism, including from within his own party, that the administration was overlooking concerns about human rights and democracy in India. The US President said that he and Modi had a “good discussion” about democratic values.
Biden said that he and Modi were “straightforward” with each other, they respected each other, and the overwhelming reason why he believed in the US-India relationship was democracy and democratic principles that included diversity, open debate, tolerance. “The whole word has a stake in us maintaining our democracy and expanding democracy democratic institutions around the world.”
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In their opening remarks too, the two leaders spoke about democracy. Biden emphasised the principles of press freedom and religious freedom. Modi said that the mantra in the relationship was so their shared belief in democracy, democratic values and democratic systems and the world’s two largest democracies contributing to global peace, stability and prosperity on the basis of these values.
The remarks from the two leaders came on a day when former president Obama was quoted as saying in an interview that Biden should raise the religious freedom issue with India, as he would have done had he still been the US president.